He worked for two seasons as site interpreter at the Grant Cottage historic site in Saratoga County. He lives in Ballston Spa. This is the first biography of a little-known but crucial figure in the Civil War. He saved the Union Army from catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, and went on to play major roles in the Chattanooga and Mobile campaigns. Issued while he served as commander of all U.S. troops in Texas in 1865, his June 19 order abolishing slavery in the state was one of the most significant documents of Reconstruction, sparking "Juneteenth" celebrations that continue to this day all over the United States. Casemate, 2013 264 pages, $32.95