Books by Chester G. Hearn

Most written accounts of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, during the Civil War era begin and end with John Brown's raid in 1859 and his subsequent hanging. In Six Years of Hell, Chester Hearn recounts the harrowing story of Harpers Ferry's tumultuous war years - during which it changed hands more often than any town but Winchester, Virginia.

Soon after the start of the Civil War, celebrated civil engineer Charles Ellet, Jr, formed the Ram Fleet under US secretary of war Edwin Stanton. Perhaps the most bizarre unit organized by the Union, the rams were shunned by both the army and navy. In this study, Chester Hearn revives the history of this fascinating but forgotten brigade.

On April 24, 1862, Federal gunboats made their way past two Confederate forts to ascend the Mississippi River, and the Union navy captured New Orleans. News of the loss of the City came to Jefferson Davis as an absolute shock. In this study, Chester Hearn examines the decisions, actions, individuals, and events to explain why.

Some historians extol Major General Benjamin Butler as a great humanitarian, whereas others vilify him as a brazen opportunist. In this examination of Butler's administration of New Orleans during the Civil War, historian Chester G. Hearn reveals that both assessments are correct.

Since World War II, there have been no engagements between carrier air groups, but flattops have been prominent and essential in every war, skirmish, or terrorist act that could be struck from planes at sea.

This book tells the story of the scientific talent and technological prowess of two nations who joined forces to connect themselves with a communications cable that would change the world. In 1855 an American visionary named Cyrus West Field sought to establish a monopoly on telegraphic revenues between North America and Europe. Field and the wealthy New Yorkers who formed the first Atlantic cable-laying company never suspected that spanning the vast and stormy Atlantic would require 11 years of frustration and horrific financial sacrifice. The enterprise would eventually engage some of the most brilliant minds in England, Scotland, and the United States, attracting men of science, men of wealth, and men of curiosity.