Robert S Critchell

Fire Insurance Man in the Civil War and After (Abridged, Annotated) Robert S Critchell

This book is more fun and interesting than any book by an insurance man should be. Robert Critchell served on the Union gunboat USS Silver Cloud. His adventures in the war are narrated in a lively style and he weaves them in with his burgeoning career as one the top insurance men of the late 19th century. It wasn't all fun and games. The Silver Cloud crew were among the first to discover the horrible massacre at Fort Pillow, where African American soldiers were mercilessly gunned down as Confederate troopers attacked the fort. Critchell wrote an impassioned letter to Congressman Henry Taylor Blow of Missouri, describing the crew's fury at seeing what had been done, since the Silver Cloud itself had Black sailors on board. Critchell's adventures continued after the war, including trips to Europe and meeting Teddy Roosevelt when the latter was Asst. Secretary of the Navy.