Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War, by Guy R. Hasegawa
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Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War, by Guy R. Hasegawa
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Most studies of modern chemical warfare begin with World War I and the widespread use of poison gas by both sides in the conflict. However, as Guy R. Hasegawa reveals in this fascinating study, numerous chemical agents were proposed during the Civil War era. As combat commenced, Hasegawa shows, a few forward-thinking chemists recognized the advantages of weaponizing the noxious, sometimes deadly aspects of certain chemical concoctions. They and numerous ordinary citizens proposed a host of chemical weapons, from liquid chlorine in artillery shells to cayenne pepper solution sprayed from fire engines. In chilling detail, Hasegawa describes the potential weapons, the people behind the concepts, and the evolution of some chemical weapon concepts into armaments employed in future wars. As he explains, bureaucrats in the war departments of both armies either delayed or rejected outright most of these unusual weapons, viewing them as unneeded or unworkable. Nevertheless, many of the proposed armaments presaged the widespread use of chemical weapons in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Especially timely with today’s increased chemical threats from terrorists and the alleged use of chemical agents in the Syrian Civil War, Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War expands the history of chemical warfare and exposes a disturbing new facet of the Civil War. In chilling detail, Hasegawa describes the weapons proposed and prepared for use during the war and introduces the people behind the concepts. Although many of the ideas for chemical weapons had a historical precedent, most of the suggested agents were used in industry or medicine, and their toxicity was common knowledge. Proponents, including a surprisingly high number of civilian physicians, suggested a wide variety of potential chemical weapons—from liquid chlorine in artillery shells to cayenne pepper solution sprayed from fire engines. Some weapons advocates expressed ethical qualms, while others were silent on the matter or justified their suggestions as necessary under current circumstances. As Hasegawa explains, bureaucrats in the war departments of both armies either delayed or rejected outright most of these unusual weapons, viewing them as unneeded or unworkable. Nevertheless, many of the proposed armaments presaged the widespread use of chemical weapons in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. For example, while Civil War munitions technology was not advanced enough to deliver poison gas in artillery shells as some advocates suggested, the same idea saw extensive use during World War I. Similarly, forms of an ancient incendiary weapon, Greek fire, were used sparingly during the Civil War and appeared in later conflicts as napalm bombs and flamethrowers. Especially timely with today’s increased chemical threats from terrorists and the alleged use of chemical agents in the Syrian Civil War, Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War reveals the seldom-explored chemical side of Civil War armaments and illuminates an underappreciated stage in the origins of modern chemical warfare.
Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War, by Guy R. Hasegawa - Amazon Sales Rank: #1231959 in Books
- Published on: 2015-09-04
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x .90" w x 6.00" l, 1.05 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 200 pages
Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War, by Guy R. Hasegawa Review “This book has all the qualities that mark author Guy Hasegawa’s scholarship: an interesting subject, engaging writing, and—especially—impeccable research. Indeed, the bibliography alone is worth the price of this book; readers will be impressed with the breadth of the author’s reliance on primary and period sources. The war unleashed some unconventional—even ‘mad’—genius among inventors, North and South, and Hasegawa describes it from ‘arsenic’ to ‘zinc.’”—James M. Schmidt, author of Galveston and the Civil War: An Island City in the Maelstrom “One need not have a scientific background to appreciate Hasegawa’s fine study of proposed chemical weapons during the Civil War. Thank goodness government officials, North and South, ignored nearly all the toxic, noxious, malodorous, and incendiary recommendations by inventive civilians that Hasegawa has detailed!”—Glenna R. Schroeder-Lein, Ph.D., author of The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine “In Villainous Compounds, Hasegawa shows us how physicians, chemists, and inventors worked to develop new devices to fight war. Given what is happening in today’s world and the information given by Hasegawa, we can again say that history has much to teach.”—Gordon E. Dammann, D.D.S., founder of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine “For the military leadership of the American Civil War, few concepts were more important than honor, and few ideas as pervasive as the goal of engaging in ‘civilized warfare.’ Even as the exigencies of war destroyed these ideals, proposals to use poisonous chemicals in battle were largely rejected. Hasegawa’s masterful and exhaustive exploration of toxic Civil War ingenuity charts the course of such ideas, which would come to horrible fruition in World War I.”—Margaret Humphreys, M.D., Ph.D., Josiah Trent Professor in the History of Medicine, Duke University
About the Author Guy R. Hasegawa, a pharmacist, is senior editor of the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. He is the author of Mending Broken Soldiers: The Union and Confederate Programs to Supply Artificial Limbs and the coeditor of Years of Change and Suffering: Modern Perspectives on Civil War Medicine.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Win the war ideas from cranks, crazies and honest to god inventors, forshadowing the 20th century way of war. By lyndonbrecht This is a well-researched, ably-written, intriguing and short book. The title is a little misleading, though, because most of the book covers ideas proposed (on both sides) by citizens and visionaries, rather than actual use. The actual use was limited to some experimental incendiary shells fired at Charleston. There already existed incendiary shells including something I had never heard of before, "portfire." There was also some use of incendiary materials by Confederate agents in Northern cities.Essentially, the book provides stories of a number of people who came up with ideas for defeating the enemy, why typically wrote the Secretary of War, the President or some generals, outlining the idea and promising cooperation in its development (patriotism seems as operative as desire for cash). The people are from all walks of life, many of them having some knowledge of chemistry. They are really interesting people, some of them generating ideas for many years (and some patents too), as well as some crazy ideas. A few of the ideas might have worked, as noted by Hasegawa. He has impressive knowledge of how chemical weapons worked in World War 1, and this informs his discussion of the ideas proposed by his cast of characters.The proposals foreshadow war technology of the next century. They included various kinds of flamethrowers, gas shells and bombs, irritants for control similar to teargas, poisons, phosphorous bombs, and more.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good (if a bit mad!) Chemistry and the Civil War By Jim Schmidt George Bernard Shaw's oft-quoted lament, "In the arts of life man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery all the slaughter of plague, pestilence, and famine," is brought to life in Guy Hasegawa's Villainous Compounds. This book has all the qualities that mark his scholarship: an interesting subject, engaging writing, and - especially - impeccable research. Indeed, the Bibliography alone is worth the price of this book; readers will be impressed with the breadth of the author's reliance on primary and period sources. The war unleashed some unconventional - even "mad" - genius among inventors, North and South, and Hasegawa describes it from "arsenic" to zinc."(I'm honored that I had the privilege and pleasure of reading the book in manuscript form before publication and that my "blurb" above appears on the back cover).Examples of ideas for chemical weapons during the Civil War - many described for the first time in the historical literature - are the subject of this excellent book. He describes weapons based on plant-based irritants, chloroform, chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, arsenicals, sulfur, acids, and other compositions. He also describes the medical implications - effects and treatment - if such weapons had been employed as well as the era's conventional wisdom on the ethics of using chemical weapons.In addition to the Official Records, period newspapers, and classic works such as Robert Bruce's "Lincoln and the Tools of War," the author made extensive use of primary records, especially those of the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, kept at the National Archives in Washington, DC. He found letters from aspiring inventors proposing the use of everything from scalding water as a means of defense, cayenne pepper fired from artillery shells to irritate and blind the enemy, chloroform to "produce insensibility," chlorine gas as a deadly poison, to mortar shells and "stink-balls" containing "odiferous matter." In short, this is not just a survey into secondary resources - it is a deep dive into the National Archives, period newspapers, and other manuscript collections.As interesting as the ideas are the people who proposed them, some of whom must have been clinically maniacal; one claimed "As a Field General or Officer you Will not find my Superior in the World."The author gives excellent attention to historical context of chemical weapons from ancient times to the present day, the importance of delivery systems as opposed to the chemicals themselves, arguments over the ethics of using such weapons, and much more. The illustrations are well chosen and the production quality is very good.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED[Disclaimer: as noted above I did read the manuscript in advance of publication. I also received a complimentary book from the publisher for providing a pre-publication "blurb" based on my honest review. I have no other financial interest in the book.]
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. In Guy Hasegawa's excellent book, Villainous Compounds By Johnnie P The American Civil War produced a number of firsts: Iron Clad war ships, use of photography on the battlefield, and the use of telegraph to communicate on the battlefield, to name just a few of the many firsts. In Guy Hasegawa's excellent book, Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons & the American Civil War, the reader is introduced to, for the first time in historical literature, examples of chemical weapons and chemical delivery systems that would not be seen until the Great War (WW1). His use of primary sources, newspapers, correspondence from inventors, and other manuscript collections provides us with a never before view at what might have been, but for the reluctance to used what officials both military and civilian considered uncivilized and not ethical weapons of war. From his research we learn many of the inventors possessed medical or chemical backgrounds and were not just presenting ideas on a whim, but rather from knowledge of chemistry and effects on humans.This book needs to be a part of every Civil War enthusiast’s book collection. Highly recommended.Johnnie P. Pearson editor Lee and Jackson’s Bloody Twelfth. The Letters of Irby Goodwin Scott, First Lieutenant, Company G, Putnam Light Infantry, Twelfth Georgia Volunteer Infantry. University of Tennessee Press
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Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons and the American Civil War, by Guy R. Hasegawa
