New book fills a void in coverage of Michigan’s Civil War governor

The imposing statue of the late Michigan Gov. Austin Blair often photobombs tourists’ pictures of the state Capitol. The statue is the only depiction of a real person on the manicured grounds, standing as a sentinel of the public square since 1898.

Blair served as governor from January 1861 to January 1865, nearly the entirety of the Civil War. After his death, loyal soldiers began lobbying for a statue in his honor.

More than 25,000 visitors streamed into Lansing for the dedication, and throughout history, scores of demonstrators have climbed onto the statue, from bikers rallying against a helmet requirement to anti-Vietnam War protesters.

A few of them may have glanced at the three quotes from Blair on the back of the statue.

One quote reads, “All the blood and carnage of this terrible war, all the heart-rending casualties of battle and the sad bereavement occasioned by them, have the same cause — slavery. The greatest, vilest criminal of the world; it must perish.”

Courtesy photo Historian Jack Dempsey said very little has been written about Michigan’s Civil War governor, Austin Blair. Dempsey dives deep into the subject in his new book, “Radical of Radicals,” which tells the story of Blair’s Civil War years through his speeches and public pronouncements.

Blair delivered these words in 1863. His message may seem obvious, but a 2021 City Pulse article pointed out that of the 50 monuments nationwide that include the word “slavery,” only two identify slavery as the cause of the Civil War: The Lincoln Memorial and the Blair statue.

Civil War historian Jack Dempsey, editor of the new book “Radical of Radicals: Austin Blair — Civil War Governor — in His Own Words,” said very little has been written about Blair. He believes that’s because Michigan doesn’t “spend enough public resources on our history.”

The new book, part one of a two-volume set, primarily tells the story of Blair’s Civil War years through his speeches and public pronouncements.

“He was a fabulous public speaker, but the volume of his speeches was unexpected,” said Dempsey, who has written and edited several books on Michigan’s role in the Civil War. The second volume on Blair, covering his post-Civil War years, will be out in 2027.

In reviewing Blair’s prodigious number of speeches, Dempsey found that he “did not mince words, and he was not politically correct for the era.”

Hence the title “Radical of Radicals.” Blair was an early proponent of women’s right to vote, ending slavery and prohibiting capital punishment.

According to Dempsey, Blair’s contribution to Union victory in the Civil War was noteworthy, even though he never served on the battlefield. The author said he was responsible for raising 90,000 troops from Michigan.

“In essence, the U.S. had no military at the time, and the governors were tasked with raising troops to fight,” Dempsey said. “At the time, the state’s population was only three-quarters of a million.”

The book reveals that Blair even made trips to the front to review the troops. Dempsey said he visited both Bull Run and Shiloh.

“He put himself in great danger to show his support,” the author said. “Blair also made sure that public policy contributed to victory and that there would be no negotiating. His goal was to put secession down.”

The book also underlines the great personal tragedies Blair faced, including the death of two spouses and two children. His final spouse was greatly loved by the Civil War troops who bivouacked near the family’s home in Jackson. Following the war, they presented her with a regimental flag that now resides in the state of Michigan’s extensive Civil War battle flags collection.

Two tidbits I’ve learned about Blair are that he served in all three state capitols — one in Detroit and two in Lansing — and is the only governor to have been both president of Michigan Agriculture College and a regent of the University of Michigan.