One Damn Blunder from Beginning to End

Gary Joiner talked about his book One Damn Blunder From Beginning to End: The Red River Campaign of 1864. The main objective of the Union campaign was to seize Shreveport, Louisiana, which at that time was the Confederate capital of Louisiana. It was the only campaign in the pivotal year of 1864 that the Union lost. However, with the Union not eager to talk about this loss, and the South in no position to brag, it has remained a little told story until now. “One damn blunder from beginning to end” is a direct quote from Union General William Tecumseh Sherman when he was asked about the campaign. Professor Joiner gave the details of the campaign.

C-SPAN’s Local Content Vehicles (LCVs) made a stop in their “2012 LCV Cities Tour” in Shreveport, Louisiana, on February 6-9 to feature the history and literary life of the community. Working with the Comcast local cable affiliate, they visited literary and historic sites where local historians, authors, and civic leaders were interviewed. close