Joseph K. F. Mansfield, Brigadier General of the U.S. Army

Gould, John Mead, 1839-1930Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.1

Word count: 47K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Joseph K. F. Mansfield, Brigadier General of the U.S. Army by John Mead GouldAuthor: Gould, John Mead, 1839-1930,Language: English, Class: E456: History: America: Civil War period (1861-1865), Release Date: May 5, 2010

Editor's review

This is a biographical document about Joseph K. F. Mansfield, Brigadier General of the U.S. Army, by John Mead Gould, born in 1839, classified under American Civil War history. Its appeal lies not in grand narrative but in presenting a military and political career and period details through the lens of an individual: readers can see how a brigadier general's experience was embedded in the army structure and historical process of the Civil War era. As a public-domain electronic text, it preserves a relatively original narrative voice and way of organizing historical material, suitable as introductory material or background supplement for biographical research. When reading, focus on the relationship between the individual and institutions and battle contexts rather than expecting literary description. For military history enthusiasts, local history researchers, or readers needing English primary biographical material, this small book offers a light and concrete entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in American Civil War military figures
History students needing English primary biographical material
Military history enthusiasts studying army organization and generals' careers
Readers collecting materials for local history or biographical records

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a panoramic Civil War history or battle analysis
General readers who prefer strong narrative and literary biography
Those who find English reading difficult and are unwilling to check names and places

Reading tips

First outline Mansfield's timeline of appointments, then read the main text to verify his career.
Read alongside a Civil War chronology to place personal experience in historical context.
Note names and places as you go to avoid confusion from translations or old designations.
Use it as an index for biographical research, skipping to chapters of interest.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a complete biography or a commemorative pamphlet?

The material only states that it is a biographical text about Brigadier General Mansfield and does not specify length or format. Given the common form of public-domain documents, it is more likely a commemorative or documentary narrative about the person's life than a substantial general history. Readers should aim to understand the basic career and historical background rather than expect detailed battle analysis.

Do I need to know about the American Civil War before reading?

A basic understanding will make it smoother. The text involves army organization, generals' appointments, and the historical context of the Civil War; if entirely unfamiliar, one may be overwhelmed by names and unit numbers. It is advisable to read a brief Civil War history or timeline first, then read this book to understand the person's experience within the larger background, which will yield more concrete results.

Is this English text suitable for reading practice?

It can serve as historical English reading material, but its value is more documentary than as a language textbook. Sentences may carry 19th-century expressions, and names and places are dense. If the goal is reading practice, read selected chapters of interest with a dictionary and background material; do not insist on reading the whole book.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Gould, John Mead, 1839-1930 Author

John Mead Gould (1839–1930) is an author whose life and identity are only scantily documented in publicly available sources, and his surviving works offer the main clues to his writing. Two of his books are held here: one is a biographical account of Joseph K. F. Mansfield, a brigadier general of the U.S. Army, and the other is a camping guide entitled How to Camp Out. The former centers on the career of a military figure and has the documentary character of a military biography; the latter addresses practical outdoor life, covering camp preparation and procedure in a plain, hands-on style. The wide gap between these subjects shows an author who could handle both personal history and everyday practical knowledge. Since his nationality and occupation cannot be confirmed, speculation about his life should be avoided; readers may instead approach him through the themes and methods of his works, which reflect his writing in biography and outdoor guidance.