The Battle of Milroy Station

By Robert H. Fowler

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This enjoyable story revolves around a fictional Civil War battle in “an unnamed Southern state.” Senator Andrew Jackson Mundy is being secretly courted by a powerful member of William McKinley’s party to run as the Vice-Presidential candidate in the 1896 election; this, despite the fact Mundy is from the opposing party. Mundy’s appearance on the ticket would be an attempt to draw in the Southern vote, as he is a Civil War hero wounded in the Battle of Milroy Station. It is the circumstances which surround that wounding that form the basis of the novel.

Despite being an entirely fictitious tale, Fowler succeeds admirably in bringing out details of this battle as if it had actually happened, and there was plenty of history on which to base his account. His characters are well developed, and his depiction of scenery and combat are outstanding. I would have like to have seen more detailed maps of the battle’s progress, but that minor gripe is the only shortcoming of an otherwise fine story.