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From the August 2006 on-line review
Thunder from a Clear Sky:
Stovepipe Johnson's Confederate raid on Newburgh,
Indiana
A crafty Confederate officer boldly raids a
small Indiana town
in the early stages of the Civil War.
With
any epic conflict like the Civil War, there are bound to be
countless small stories that get lost. Here, Mulesky
rescues one such tale form obscurity. Adam Johnson, better
know as "Stovepipe," was a southern rascal seemingly
destined to be a thorn in the side of the North. What he
lacked in troops and equipment he made up for in guts and
guile. After displaying his gumption by raiding the
National Hotel in Henderson, Ky., with only two comrades,
the opportunistic Johnson sets his sights on a larger
prize: a cache of weapons stockpiled in the small but
economically significant town of Newburgh, Indiana. Made
possible by a combination of good fortune (a recent
thunderstorm had knocked out the telegraph lines to nearby
Evansville, preventing quick contact with possible
reinforcements) and inside information provided by a few
Confederate sympathizers from Newburgh, including wharf
master "Hamp" Carney, Johnson's raid was the first
Confederate attack launched north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Johnson's objective was accomplished without firing a shot,
as his force captured approximately 85 already-wounded or
sick men. Though of minimum military significance, the raid
on Newburgh has all of the components of an absorbing
story: intrigue, betrayal, revenge and a wily, charismatic
(anti-)hero in Johnson. Following the brief narrative is an
appendix of the major players, further information on the
Newburgh residents who conspired with Johnson and a helpful
timeline of events. Mulesky's account is deft, rendered in
crisp prose. Although the subject matter may have the most
appeal for regional readers, history buffs will undoubtedly
appreciate this illuminating account of an event outside
the periphery of most history books.
Not
for every reader, but Civil War buffs will surely take
note.
