"Oxford in the Civil War" by Stephen Enzweiler

After our recent trip through Mississippi, mostly to see Civil War sites, I wanted to know more about the area.  AND, we spent several nights in the Oxford area....So I was glad to find a book about Oxford in the Civil War.

Stephen Enzweiler has put out a very nice book explaining the locals, politics, and general feelings going on in Oxford at the time of the Civil War.  He writes a very nice story about the Civil War OVERALL, from the perspective of Oxford.

This is a fascinating story.  Local politicians influential in southern politics are introduced, and, of course, Mississippi heavy weights (Jefferson Davis) are discussed as they rise to power.

You get a lot of small scale stories too...  Some of these tales are touching and interesting.  Some, I want to follow up on more.

A few interesting notes that really struck me:  Edwin Stanton considered an assassination plot to kill President Davis.  A soldier writes a letter to his mom as he is dying at Gettysburg. Also at Gettysburg, the unit from Ole Miss, the University Greys are beaten to the point of no longer existing. 

As you can guess, the campus of Ole Miss is greatly affected, as students go to war and never return.  The area accepts wounded from Shiloh, and the Union plays the villain in town, looting and burning.

I definitely appreciated "Oxford in the Civil War" by Stephen Enzweiler after our visit.