1. Harry Lobby
March 26, 2013
Historical Methods – Dr. Gray
Book Review Assignment
George B. Kirsch, Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime During the Civil War
(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003).
In his book (cited above), George B. Kirsch discusses the correlations between the sport
of baseball and the American Civil War. Specifically, Kirsch argues that the war years were
crucial to the progression, expansion, and development of the sport, as it was played by
Americans on both the home and battlefronts during the years of conflict. Furthermore, Kirsch
examines the relationship between the sport and American nationalism/sectionalism, asserting
that the former greatly promoted and sustained the latter. Lastly, an additional argument that
Kirsch presents is the concept of baseball posing major significance on the lives of soldiers and
civilians throughout the war.
Throughout the text, Kirsch effectively supports these arguments by utilizing an array of
primary sources. Kirsch uses an 1861 article from a newspaper called the Clipper as an example
of baseball promoting sectionalism during the war, pointing out that the article stated, “Men who
have heretofore made their mark in friendly strife for superiority in various games, are now
beating off the rebels who would dismember the glorious ‘Union of States.’”1 Moreover, Kirsch
1 George B. Kirsch, Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime During the Civil War (Princeton,Princeton
University Press,2003),29.

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provides examples of multiple other editorialists and publications of the era asserting the idea
that team sports (such as baseball) were necessary for preparing men for battle, such as the
Rochester Express newspaper complimenting baseball on its’ ability to instill manly traits
necessary for a soldier in any man who played it.
Newspapers and other various publications are not the only sources Kirsch calls upon to
aid him in supporting his arguments; he states that “Northern and southern war diaries, memoirs,
and regimental histories recount innumerable examples of recreational pastimes among Union
and Confederate troops.”2 Primary sources of these kinds are the main foundation from which
Kirsch enforces his claims. He references a medical manual for the Confederate Army, written
by Dr. Julian Chisolm, in which Chisolm lists playing baseball as part of a soldier’s daily
exercise schedule, commending it for having such a positive effect on soldiers physically and
mentally. Kirsch incorporates the diary of Dr. Charles Carroll Gray, which includes an entry
from July 4th, 1862 describing the patriotic day as being “celebrated with music, reading of the
Declaration of Independence, sock and foot races in the afternoon, and also a baseball game.”3
This entry is just one example of baseball influencing and promoting American nationalism
during the war amongst both armies; in fact, Gray was being held in an enemy prison camp
during this portion of his personal account. Arguing that “Officers endorsed the playing of the
2 Kirsch,33.
3 Kirsch,43.

3. sport as a wholesome and beneficial relief from the repetitive military drills and the overall
monotony of camp life”4, Kirsch uses primary sources written by military men (such as the two
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proceeding examples), to illuminate the fact that baseball actually had a prominent impact on
nationalism and the lives of soldiers during the Civil War (two of his major arguments).
While it is fairly common knowledge that baseball (and all sports for that matter) was
initially hurt by the outbreak of war due to the massive enlistment of men in the military, Kirsch
argues that baseball was eventually revived by 1863 in major geographic locations such as New
York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Newark. This revival can be attributed to college students,
younger schoolboys, and adult men who did not serve in the military, all of whom began
diligently playing the sport during the initial years of the war. The growth and progression of
baseball during this era is something that can be seen in primary source documents, but Kirsch
goes beyond such documents, and effectively incorporates actual occurrences that support his
claim of baseball’s development during the Civil War. He narrates things such as intercity tours,
the establishment of the National Association of Base Ball Players, and the growth of
professionalism and commercialism in baseball during the war era. Kirsch discusses how the
positive promotion of baseball by military officials and soldiers (seen in the primary documents
he employs) served as the overriding catalyst to civilians increasing their participation in the
sport during the war.
4 Kirsch,47.

4. After reading Kirsch’s work, I concluded that he was writing for a somewhat diverse
audience. His book could serve to be extremely useful to students of history (in this case myself),
as it is extremely in-depth, and includes a vast amount of primary historical sources. Professional
historians could also use this book when researching the sports and leisure activities present in
America during our Civil War, and the impact they provided. Lastly, general fans of baseball
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would enjoy reading this book immensely, as it provides interesting insight on the history of
baseball’s development into its modern-day position as a prominent aspect of American culture.
In conclusion, Kirsch offers a very compelling argument; rather than simply summarizing
the inclusion of baseball in the lives of various Americans during the Civil War, he digs deeper
and examines the intricate relationships between a simple game and a major event in American
history. By analyzing the implications baseball and the Civil War had on one another, Kirsch
prompts the reader to think about the two concepts in a completely new sense. The evidence used
is not only abundant (a four-page bibliographical essay is included), but also effective, as the
majority of it is derived from primary sources of the Civil War era. The book is extremely well-
written, especially in terms of its organization; Kirsch concisely divides the lengthy amount of
information into six distinct chapters, all of which proved to be organized and simple to follow.
For these reasons, Kirsch’s book will undoubtedly reach his intended audiences, and more
importantly prove to these readers all of the arguments Kirsch is presenting them with.