UPDATED 02--04--2010
  CONTACT:
   larryetaylor@hotmail.com

           The Civil War of Captain Simon

    Dr. Taylor visits civic groups,  Civil War Roundtable meetings and others for presentations based upon her book.  To schedule a presentation, contact  larryetaylor@hotmail.com.

      Captain Simon Perkins, Jr. , of Akron, Ohio, and his fellow quartermasters helped make the Union's victory possible by providing the Federal army with clothing and camp equipment; livestock and forage; wagon and railroad transportation; and offices, warehouses, and hospitals, despite bad weather, unserviceable railroads, and lack of reliable conveyance.

      "The Supply for Tomorrow Must Not Fail" examines Perkins's responsibilities, the difficult situations he encountered and overcame, and the successes he achieved as part of a team of determined and dependable supply officers, whose duties were critical to successful Union military operations.

      During his service with the Army of the Ohio, the Army of the Cumberland, and the Department of the North, Perkins held key assignments in Tennessee and Alabama, directed wagon trains during the Kentucky campaign, and managed railroad transportation and quarters in Nashville during the Chattanooga campaign.

      As the army's businessman, he handled labor problems, paid thousands of bills and managed properties throughout the embattled country.  Perkins produced and preserved thousands of documents and was an effective, resourceful, and honest quartermaster, who often anticipated and met the army's needs.

      Author Lenette S. Taylor uses primary sources, discovered in 1990, and, along with archival and government documents, examines the scope and complexity of supply operations in the field.  Perkins's story offers a new understanding of Civil War logistics and makes a very important contribution to Civil War Literature.

      The book is available through your local bookstore, Kent State University Press, Amazon and other online booksellers.

        Dr. Taylor is Assistant Professor of History (part time) at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio.  She is also an Irish set dancer.   She and her husband, Renzo, teach set dancing and attend dance events in Ireland and at many places in the United States.  Learn more about IRISH SET DANCING.