John F. Marszalek 
Major Works
- Assault at West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson
Whittaker 1994
- The Diary of Miss Emma Holmes, 1861-1866, 1979
- A Black Businessman in White Mississippi, 1886-1974
(with Sadie Weir)
- Sherman's Other War: The General and the Civil War
Press, 1981
- The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and
Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House 1998
- American Political History, The State of Discipline
- A Black Physician's Story: Bringing Hope in Mississippi
(with Douglas Conner) 1986
- Court Martial: A Black Man in America:
The Army vs. Johnson Whittaker. An account of the ordeal of
a black cadet at West Point in 1881,1972
- Encyclopedia of African-American Civil Right: From
Emancipation to the Present 1992
- Grover Cleveland: A Bibliography (Bibliographies
of the Presidents of the United States) 1988
- The Greenwood Encyclopedia of African American
Civil Rights [Two Volumes]: From
Emancipation to the Twenty-First Century by
Charles D. Lowery, John F. Marszalek, and Thomas Adams Upchurch,
2003
- Simple Story Of A Soldier: Life And Service
in the 2d Mississippi Infantry by Samuel W.
Hankins (1912) and John F. Marszalek
- Commander of All Lincoln's Armies : A Life
of General Henry W. Halleck 2004
- Sherman's March To The Sea (Civil
War Campaigns & Commanders) 2005
- A Black Congressman in the Age of Jim Crow:
South Carolina's George Washington Murray (New
Perspectives on the History of the South) 2006
- Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order 1993,
2007
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Biography of John F. Marszalek
By Heather Gantt (SHS)
 John F. Marszalek, author of Assault at West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker,
is recognized as a highly acclaimed writer, not only in
Mississippi, but throughout the United States. Editing and writing
eight books and having a Showtime movie based on one of his books, have
help contribute to his success as a writer. Because his works are so
compelling and dramatic, they touch everyone who reads them.
John Francis Marszalek Jr., was born on July 5, 1939, in Buffalo,
New York. He is the son of John F. ( a grocer ) and Regina (
Sierakowski ) Marszalek. He went to Canisus College in 1961.
He married Jeanne A. Kozmer on October 16, 1965, and together
they have three sons, Christopher H., James S., and John F.
III. After his marriage, he went to the University of Notre
Dame where he received a Ph.D., in 1968. Marszalek and his wife
currently live in Starkville, Mississippi.
John F. Marszalek has held many important positions at various
colleges. He first was an instructor at Canisus College, in
Buffalo, New York, between 1967 and 1968. He next went to Gannon
University, in Eerie, Pennsylvania, and between 1968 and 1972,
became assistant professor. And from 1972 to 1973, he was the
associate professor of history. He then went to Mississippi
State University, in Starkville, Mississippi, as an associate
professor between 1973 and 1980. He became a full professor
of history at Mississippi State University in 1980, where he
still teaches. (See update below.)
 Marszalek's
works are anchored by significant American historical events,
emphasizing the human side of history, specifically blacks.
He is quoted is Contemporary Authors (Volume 14),
as saying, " I am a teacher and writer of American history.
I aim to produce accurate, objective accounts of the American
past with emphasis on the human side of history. In my writings,
I try to tell the stories of individuals, some well known, others
not, whose lives were not only significant in themselves, but
who also illuminated the ages in which they lived."
John Marszalek has received numerous awards and honors. He
received the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Award
for Younger Humanities in 1971. He also won the American Council
of Learned Societies travel grant between 1973 and 1974. He
received another travel grant in 1984. He received a travel
grant from the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism
from the University of Notre Dame ( Marszalek is a Roman catholic
). In 1992, his book, Sherman: A Passion for Order,
was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and was featured as an Alternate
Book-of- the-Month Club selection. He has written a book with
Douglas Conner called Bringing Hope: The Autobiography
of a Black Physician, a biography of General William
T. Sherman, and articles on nineteenth century blacks as well
as Civil War topics. His book Assault at West Point: The
Court Martial of John Whittaker was made into a movie
by Showtime.
John Marszalek's dedication to producing accurate and objective
accounts of the American past has helped him to become a well-
recognized writer throughout the United States. His dramatic
writings, which deal with the human side of history, especially
blacks, help Americans recollect important historical events
that had an impact on the future. Because his writings are so
compelling, they leave an impact on all who read them, not only
in their minds, but also in their hearts.
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2008 UPDATE: John Marszalek has published numerous
books since 1999. The books are listed above under major works.
In 2002 he retired from his faculty position at Mississippi
State, but he continues to work on articles, books, essays,
talks, and is a consultant for several historical commissions.
Photo
above: Michael Ballard (historian), Harry Freeman (Starkville
Reads) and John F. Marszalek. Photo by N. Jacobs
Biography of John F. Marszalek
By Julius Jones (SHS)
John F. Marszalek, author of Assault at West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker (which
was made into a TV movie by Showtime), was born on July 5, 1939. The
son of John F. and Regina Marszalek, he is married to Jeanne A. Kozmer.
The Marszaleks have three sons. John Marszalek, a Catholic, graduated
from Canisius College in 1961 and received his Ph. D. from the
University of Notre Dame in 1963. Marszalek has taught in the MSU
History Department at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi since 1972. Previously
he taught at Canisus College in Buffalo, New York, from 1967 to 1968,
and at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1968 to 1972. From
1965 to 1967 Marszalek was a captain in the U. S. army.  Marszalek was doing research for his award-winning Sherman, A Soldier's Passion for Order
when he discovered a collection of letters at the Ohio Historical
Society which mentioned Johnson Chesnut Whittaker, one of West Point
Academy's first black cadets. He and his wife Jeanne began a
multi-state search which resulted in the book Assault at West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker
in 1972, the Showtime movie of the same name, and Collier Books
publication of a paperback edition of the book. In all, Marszalek has
written numerous articles and the following books: A Black Businessman in White Mississippi, 1886-1974 (with Sadie Weir), Court Martial: A Black Man in America (original publication by Scribner of Assault at West Point), The Diary of Miss Emma Holmes, 1861-1866, Sherman's Other War: The General and the Civil War Press, Bringing Hope: The Autobiography of a Black Physician (with Douglas Conner) and Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order (nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1992 and featured as an Alternate Book-of-the-Month Club selection). He is quoted in Contemporary Authors,
Volume 14, as saying, "In my writings, I try to tell the stories of
individuals, some well known, others not, whose lives were not only
significant in themselves, but who also illuminated the ages in which
they lived " (309).
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A Review
of Assault At West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker
by Heather Gantt (SHS)
 Assault
At West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker
by John F. Marszalek is filled with dramatic and riveting events
that occurred at the West Point Academy in the 1880's. This
story focuses on Johnson Whittaker, the third black to enter
the Academy. During his time at West Point, he was ostracized
and finally found in his room, unconscious, tied to his bed
with blood everywhere. The story tells of his trial that accused
fellow cadets of committing this crime. However, most of the
public and West Point officials felt Whittaker had faked the
whole incident to receive sympathy and attention from the public.
The
main conflict in this story is Whittaker's word versus the public.
During his trial, he continually states that three fellow cadets
attacked him and mutilated his body. However, most believed that
Whittaker staged the whole event himself to receive public attention
and sympathy. They also believed he did it to avoid taking his exams
because he was not achieving academically. As stated in the novel, "
Oh, it's just like a nigger, you know.' ' Just the sort of thing he
would do to get sympathy to tide him over his examinations.'" Others
felt that no one at the Academy could have possibly committed such a
brutal act. Another statement in the novel says, " Why, he's a nigger,
and niggers are capable of anything." Because of the hardships
Whittaker faced due to his color, convincing a jury to believe fellow
cadets committed the crime was almost impossible to accomplish. This
was too difficult for a black man during this period of time. The story begins in South Carolina, on the Camden
plantation of senior James Chestnut. Maria J. Whittaker, a house slave,
was the wife of freedman James Whittaker and mother of Johnson
Whittaker, who was born on August 23, 1858, along with his twin
Alex. Johnson Chestnut Whittaker was born
into slavery and named after three important white families in the
Camden area, the Johnsons, the Chestnuts, and the Whitakers. Johnson
changed his last name to two t's later on in his life. On August 23, 1876, Johnson Whittaker's birthday,
Whittaker arrived at West Point. He was nominated by carpetbagger
Congressman S.L. Hodge. Whittaker was eighteen years old, five feet
eight inches tall, and 110 pounds. He was very shy and religious. He
kept mostly to himself, except when he talked to two black servant
posts, Louis Simpson and Walter Mitchell. After two black cadets left
the Academy, he was the only black left. He stayed alone in his barrack
and read his Bible every night. He highlighted passages throughout it
mainly about loneliness. He had average academic achievement and stayed
at the bottom half of his class. Here at West Point, Whittaker was
completely on his own. However, his life changed on April 6, 1880. That morning, all the cadets were lined up ready to
begin another day when they noticed Whittaker was missing. George R.
Burnett, a fellow cadet was told to go find him. When he arrived at his
barrack, he found a surprising sight. Johnson Whittaker lay bleeding
and unconscious on the floor. The cadet immediately ran for help. As
everyone eventually made his way into his barrack, they found Whittaker
badly beaten.
 Whittaker,
dressed in his underclothes, was lying on his back, partially
on his right side with the right side of his face on a pillow.
His feet were tied to his bed with cut-down cadet belting. His
wrists were tied together ,and there was blood everywhere. His
right ear lobe was slashed, causing intense bleeding. The left
ear lobe had a small piece cut off of it. There were two cuts
on the little toe of his foot and a scratch on his left hand.
His hair had been cut and articles lay on the floor surrounding
him. His Bible had pages ripped out and burned, there was a
broken mirror beside him, a pocket knife, and a pair of scissors.
It definitely looked as if someone had attacked Whittaker.
When Whittaker became conscious, he told the
officers that three cadets had come in late at night, tied him down and
mutilated his body. He said he had received two threatening letters
before the attack. It seemed like a logical story, but because there
was no evidence pointing to a suspect and because he was black, the
officials did not believe his story. The official report stated that Whittaker had staged
the event himself to receive attention and to delay his exams, since he
had already failed once. It did offer Whittaker a chance to have a
court-martial, which he chose. However, the court martial did little
good for Whittaker's case. The public and jury felt the same way as the
officers at West Point Academy. Throughout Whittaker's testimony, he
was unsuccessful in making the jury believe his story. The jury sided
with the prosecution which argued that Whittaker had staged the event
himself. So, at noon, June 10, 1881, the jury found Whittaker guilty of
staging the act himself and lying to the court. This verdict was a major disappointment to
Whittaker. He was discharged from the Academy after Abraham Lincoln's
nephew found out he had failed his examinations. The three cadets
responsible for the crime were never court-martialed, and Whittaker
eventually moved on with his life and became a teacher and principal. The book itself us written with heart, compassion
and feeling. At times, the reader will feel as if he is there in the
courtroom witnessing the trial. John Marszalek writes with such
integrity and detail that the reader can actually sympathize with
Whittaker as he goes through this painful time. It really shows how a
black man in a high place was treated at this time because of his
color. The novel brings the trial back to life because of the dramatic
accounts and the riveting events Marszalek reveals. It helps Americans
see the impact racism had on individuals and society at that time.
Many themes are important in this story. It is about how one
man can make an impact on society because of troubles he went
through in his life. It also shows how during this period of
time blacks were treated as inferior and whites were considered
the "superior race." However, Whittaker was able to rise from
that status, and he did go to a prestigious academy with whites,
which seemed impossible at the time. The main theme shows that
no matter what kind of struggles a person goes through, if he
has the determination, strength, and will power, he can accomplish
anything; and he can overcome any obstacles in his way.
In his book Marszalek attempts to bring one black
man's story of faith, perseverance, and struggle to become accepted in
a white man's world to life. Johnson Whittaker's ordeal at West Point
Academy was not only humiliating, but it as also an example of racial
discrimination. Despite the outcome of his trial, everyone who reads
this book will be convinced of Whittaker's innocence and touched by
Whittaker's strength and determination to overcome his attack and move
on with his life. A Review of Assault At West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker
by Julius Jones (SHS)
Assault at West Point by John F. Marszalek is the story of Johnson Chesnut Whittaker,  one
of the first black cadets at West Point Academy. The book tells the
true story of how Johnson Whittaker was bound to his bed and beaten by
four of his fellow cadets. Whittaker requested a court martial, which
was granted; but in the trial the prosecution claimed that Whittaker
had staged the entire event himself in order to avoid exams. Abraham
Lincoln's nephew discharged Whittaker from West Point after being told
that Whittaker had failed his exams. The four cadets responsible were
never court martialed, and Whittaker later went on to become a teacher
and a principal.
I found this book interesting because I found it is hard to
believe that anyone actually could believe that Whittaker, who
received a dishonorable discharge and never graduated from West
Point, actually would have staged this event just to avoid exams.
This book shows how racism can cause one who is racist to openly
support a ridiculous idea. Although the book is about a real
event, the story is told so well that it holds the reader's
attention like a novel. In fact, Showtime made a movie of the
story. The book presents an excellent example of racism in the
post-Civil War period. I liked this book, and I think that others
should definitely read it because it is a story that needs to
be heard.
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Related Websites
A book by history professor John Marszalek was recommended for reading recently in the New York Times Book Review.
Marszalek's Sherman biography honored with Ohioana Award: Dr. John Marszalek was presented the 1993 Ohioana Book Award for Non-fiction for Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order at the association's Oct. 23 meeting in Columbus, Ohio.
The Diary of Miss Emma Holmes, 1861-1866,
published by the Louisiana State University Press, was edited by
Dr. John Marszalek, who also wrote a new introduction for the
paperback. The book originally was published in hard cover in 1979. The
proceeds from the book will fund a scholarship. John Marszalek and Lewis Nordan received the Mississippi Authors' Awards for non-fiction and fiction, respectively.
In
a seminar on campus last week, President Donald Zacharias and
history professor John Marszalek were reunited with their
major professors from doctoral student days. Includes picture
of John F. Marszalek.
John Marszalek, history, spoke at the second annual West Palm Beach Civil War Symposium on "Sherman and Johnston in the Atlanta Campaign: An Exchange of Views" and "Sherman Marches Through Georgia."
History professor John Marszalek is joining the board of advisers of a national organization dedicated to the study of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.
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Bibliography
Marszalek, John F. Assault at West Point: The Court Martial of Johnson Whittaker. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 1994. 77.
"Marszalek, John F. " Contemporary Authors: New Revision Series. Vol. 14. Gale Publications. 1989.
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