8/12/2019 Book Review of "Civil War Acoustic Sounds" Author:
Charles D. Ross
1/2
Civil War Acoustic Shadows
by Charles D. RossShippensburg PA, White Mane Books: 200
Review by Lee Stone, PDC, Lincoln-Cushing Camp, SUVCW
!his book "as "ritten, not by a history pro#essor, but by a
physi$s pro#essor %at&ong"oo' (ni)ersity in *ar+)ille, A- "ho
happens to ha)e a great interest inCi)il War history. Pro#essor
Ross has in)estigate' the physi$s behin' thepheno+enon kno"n as
a$ousti$ sha'o":/ areas near a soun'pro'u$ing e)ent%su$h as a
battle- "here the soun's o# that e)ent, though )ery lou', $annot
behear' by the hu+an ear. 1n this book he uses that kno"le'ge to
eplain so+eunusual e)ents o# the Ci)il War.
!he Battle o# 3aines Mill, on 24 5une 672, "as the 8rst battle
in "hi$h Robert 9.&ee $o++an'e' the Con#e'erate ar+y that he
"oul' lea' #or the rest o# the "ar.!he book begins "ith a
"ell'o$u+ente' episo'e 'uring that battle, o# in'i)i'uals
a$tually "at$hing $o+bat as it o$$urre', but being unable to
hear the soun'se+anating #ro+ that $o+bat. Pro#essor Ross a''s so+e
#as$inating 'etail aboutthe th$entury state o# s$ienti8$
in)estigation an' eplanation o# su$h e)ents.
Chapter 2 o# this book eplains in ter+s at on$e s$ienti8$, an'
$lear an' si+pleenough #or any nonphysi$ist to un'erstan', the
physi$s o# the hu+an sense o#hearing, an' the $auses o# a$ousti$
sha'o". Pro#essor Ross also a''resses "hysu$h an e)ent $an
so+eti+es be hear' +any +iles a"ay, though inau'ible $loserto the
e)ent.
Chapter ; 'es$ribes "hy, la$king ra'ios, Ci)il War lea'ers
relie' on the soun's o#
battle in $ertain situations to +ake 'e$isions or initiate
a$tions. !his o# $oursei+plies, as Pro#essor Ross states, that
a$ousti$ sha'o" +ight a
