By turns, he has been called a savior and a barbarian, a hero and a villain, a genius and a madman. Condemned for his barbarousness or hailed for his heroics, the life of this peculiar general is nonetheless compelling—and thoroughly American. Join author Derek Maxfield as he explores the story of a man who found himself in war and secured a place in history.

Derek Maxfield is an associate professor of history at Genesee Community College in Batavia, New York. Author of Hellmira: The Union’s Most Infamous Civil War Prison Camp – Elmira, NY, Maxfield has written for Emerging Civil War since 2015. In 2019 he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2013 he was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities.