Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy

by John Mullin Batten

Excerpt from Reminiscences of Two Years in the United States Navy
The only excuse I offer for publishing this little book of reminiscences is that a story half told is better than a story not told at all.

Genres: Civil War

127 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

John Mullin Batten (1837-1916)

Reviews

[Matthew Ewoldt]

This book provides a great window on service in the US Navy during the Civil War. But the best parts of this book are are at the very end and they beat anything written by today's military/spy novels. The "Life of of Adventure; General Don Carlos Hasseltino's Story" could make a block-buster movie. The destruction of the Confederate ship Albermarle and the section on the Conderate's "torpedo"; i. e. naval mine warfare, are extremely fascinating both in comparison to today's improvised explosive devices as well as the narrative about the US Navy's countermine deeds.

[Tom]

John Batten was a ships Surgeon on the USS Valley City, a small ship assigned to a blockade of lower Virginia and the Carolinas. It reads more like a diary and reproduces articles from newspapers, issued navy orders, and magazine articles etc. As a subscriber to "Naval History" printed by the Naval Press, I found this to be an accurate description of the times and events of the time depicted. Of course, it has to be factual, he was there.

It is dry in parts, as well as amazing. It was common for Union Naval Officers from the ship, to visit and dine with Southern land owners. Apparently all were not rebels.

If you are into Naval History, you can read this book.

[Bob]

Thanks to Jerry Hauselt for recommending this book to me. My Great Grandfather, his Great Great Grandfather, served on one of the Gun Ships Mr Batten was assigned to during his stay in the Navy. So, to me this is more historical/genealogical then just good reading but I loved his accounts of the actions that took place at those places and times.

This book can be downloaded free from Google books:
http://books.google.com/books/about/R...

[Lee Thackston]

Really not a very good read unless you are researching specific details about brownwater naval operations at the end of the Civil War around the Virginia/NC intercoastals and nearby waterways. It seems like half the book is about a different person than the author.