Two Years Before the Paddlewheel

“A fascinating personal story of the experiences of a Northern  businessman forced by the outbreak of the Civil War to work for the Confederacy through 1862. Gunther’s situation was unique in many respects, and his diaries are a wonderful addition to the historiography  of the Western Theater.”—Michael B. Ballard, coordinator, Congressional and Political Research Center at Mississippi State University, and Mississippi State University archivist

“A meticulously researched book of a Yankee trapped in the South . . . fascinating account of a neglected area of Civil War history.”—Michael  Moosmann, past president, Lincoln-Davis Civil War Roundtable

“Two Years Before the Paddlewheel fills a void in Civil War historiography. While Gunther’s 1861 diary provides insight into civilian life in Memphis during secession and the economic impact of the  war during its early months, his 1862 diary is possibly the best primary source detailing the problems of supplying Confederate troops  conducting field operations in Arkansas, a region almost devoid of railroads and navigable waterways.”—Lawrence Lee Hewitt, author, Port Hudson, Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi

"A fascinating personal story of the experiences of a Northern businessman forced by the outbreak of the Civil War to work for the Confederacy through 1862. Gunther's situation was unique in many respects, and his diaries are a wonderful addition to the historiography of the Western Theater." —Michael B. Ballard, coordinator, Congressional and Political Research Center at Mississippi State University, and Mississippi State University archivist

"A meticulously researched book of a Yankee trapped in the South – fascinating account of a neglected area of Civil War history." —Michael Moosmann, past president, Lincoln-Davis Civil War Roundtable

"Two Years Before the Paddlewheel fills a void in Civil War historiography. While Gunther's 1861 diary provides insight into civilian life in Memphis during secession and the economic impact of the war during its early months, his 1862 diary is possibly the best primary source detailing the problems of supplying Confederate troops conducting field operations in Arkansas, a region almost devoid of railroads and navigable waterways." —Lawrence Lee Hewitt, author of Port Hudson, Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi

"Long lost to history, Charles F. Gunther's diary is an important and revealing source from a uniquely interesting man. Gunther's eyewitness testimony of the opening days of the war in the western theater bring those events vividly to life. As a riverboat man, pressed into Confederate service, he ferried troops and supplies along the western waterways, though never disavowing his Unionist sentiments. His descriptions of the events, people, and places during these exciting days, juxtaposed against the historical backdrop expertly provided by Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf, will surely make this a go to book for historians. This is an instant classic!" —Robert I. Girardi, author of Campaigning with Uncle Billy: The Civil War Memoirs of Sgt. Lyman S. Widney, 34th Illinois Volunteer Infantry