HISTORY OF THE 33d IOWA INFANTRY VOLUNTEER REGIMENT 1863-6
by A. F. Sperry
Edited by Gregory J. W. Urwin and Cathy Kunzinger Urwin

WHAT THE REVIEWERS SAY

---

Fort Curtis, the main Union stronghold guarding the western approaches to Helena, Arkansas, on
the Mississippi River.  The fort's armament included two 32-pound and five 24-pound siege guns.
 When the Confederates attacked Helena early on July 4, 1863, the 33rd Iowa Volunteer
Infantry massed at Fort Curtis prior to deploying its companies to defend Batteries C and D.
 After the Rebels temporarily captured Battery C, elements of the 33rd Iowa rallied on Fort Curtis,
checked an enemy attempt to take it, and then joined in successful counterattacks.
(Photo courtesy of Arkansas History Commission)

        "Civil War regimental histories must be evaluated with a critical eye. . . . They are little more than a mythic storytelling of a particular unit's heroic exploits. Thankfully, Andrew Sperry's History of the 33d Iowa Infantry Volunteer Regiment does not fall into that category. . . . He depicts the 33d Iowa at its best and worst. . . .

        "Sperry served . . . with the 33d Iowa as regimental fifer, then chief musician. His depiction of the drabness of army life, the harsh treatment southern civilians sometimes received, and the cruelties generated by guerrilla warfare all resonate with the reader. The Urwins' lavish endnotes . . . make this an excellent addition to published primary sources of Civil War and Iowa history."

        The Annals of Iowa (Fall 2001)

        "Unlike most regimental histories to come out of the Civil War, Sperry’s History of the 33rd Iowa was originally published in 1866, and is thus untainted by the dimming memories, veterans’ politics, and committee authorship that characterize most of the genre. The story of the regiment, which largely performed its duties in less glamorous theaters such as Arkansas, is well told, with the bad as well as the good, providing an unusually frank look into soldiering during the Civil War. A thoughtful introduction and extensive annotations by the editors enhances the value of the book."

        The NYMAS Newsletter:  A Publication of the New York Military Affairs Symposium (Summer 2003)