Melton, Brian C. 1976-

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Melton, Brian C. 1976-

PERSONAL:

Born January 29, 1976, in Ellaville, GA; married: wife's name Kami; children: Annora Hope. Education: Toccoa Falls College, B.S., 1998; Texas Christian University, M.A., 2001, Ph.D., 2003. Hobbies and other interests: History, kendo, and the books of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Liberty University, 1971 University Blvd., Lynchburg, VA 24502. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Liberty University, Lynchberg, VA, department of history, assistant professor.

WRITINGS:

Sherman's Forgotten General: Henry W. Slocum, University of Missouri Press (Columbia, SC), 2007.

Contributor to encyclopedias and scholarly journals.

SIDELIGHTS:

Brian C. Melton was born January 29, 1976, in the small town of Ellaville, Georgia. He attended Toccoa Falls College to major in pastoral studies, planning to go into the church. However, over the course of his schooling, he changed his major to philosophy and religion, and minored in history, earning his undergraduate degree in 1998. From there, Melton decided to continue his education, and he went to Texas Christian University in Forth Worth. There he earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in American history, taking the opportunity to study under historian Steven E. Woodworth. After graduating, Melton took a position on the faculty at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he serves as an assistant professor in the department of history. His primary areas of academic and research interest focus on American history, with a particular emphasis on the Civil War. He also maintains an interest in the philosophy of history and intellectual issues, and has written scholarly articles for a number of journals and contributed to various encyclopedias. In addition, he is the author of Sherman's Forgotten General: Henry W. Slocum, which was published by the University of Missouri Press in 2007.

In Sherman's Forgotten General, Melton takes a look at the military career of Henry W. Slocum, a little-known Civil War soldier and commander who was involved in an impressive range of battles and campaigns over the course of the war, participating in both the Eastern and Western efforts, and working under such memorable and notable generals as George B. McClellan, Joseph Hooker, and William T. Sherman. Slocum started out as a New York schoolteacher, but went on to attend West Point. He did not aspire to a military career, however, and studied law after graduation, eventually resigning his commission, taking the bar exam, and setting up a practice in Syracuse, New York. However, he joined the state militia when unrest began to spread across the country, and when the Civil War began, became a Colonel in the 27th New York Infantry. He performed honorably and well, and was given command in several important battles, leading troops during the Battle of Bull Run and Gettysburg while he fought in the Eastern theater, and later coming from the West as one of the first commanders to drive troops into Atlanta and Savannah, assisting with the occupation of those pivotal cities. Ultimately, Slocum won sufficient recognition from his peers and superiors that he was promoted to command the Army of Georgia, part of the wave that Sherman led straight through the South and North and South Carolina. Despite a poor performance at Gettysburg, Slocum conducted himself well during the war. However, once the battles were over, his name faded into obscurity, even in reference to the generals with whom he worked. His name is more of a historical footnote than anything suitably touted, and he is more well known for his political standing and lack of a career in the wake of the war, when he chose to switch parties, becoming a Democrat instead of a Republican.

Melton chronicles Slocum's career, tapping into the sparse remaining documents to try to determine why he has faded into obscurity. He cites Chancellorsville as the turning point in Slocum's fortunes, noting that he spoke out publicly against Hooker following the battle, convinced Hooker had abandoned his troops, and his vocal attitude served as a mark against him. This primed the situation so that, when Slocum had a bad showing at Gettysburg, he was already set for failure and obscurity. John Marszalek, writing for the Civil War News Web site, remarked: "Anyone wishing to learn about Henry C. Slocum will now go to this new book. Brian Melton provides as much factual information about Slocum as the sources allow. Readers, however, will wish for more." David Alperstein, in a review for Library Journal, remarked that "this concise portrait of a man who certainly led a varied life is scholarly in tone yet readable."