I own a couple of his pieces, Battle of Manassas, and something else.  Was
not prompted to learn them after receiving them from that reprint company
that sells xerox copies of virtuoso works for piano - can't think of the
name of it at the moment.  I would rate them somewhat below Gottschalk,
and his is not great music, just very, very difficult.

One of my friends just pointed out that if I had any technique, I
would be able to make the Battle of Manassas sound like music.  Well, that
could be true.  Furthermore, I want to admit that I was very impudent to
have sat in judgement on the quality of Gottschalk's music.  If you have
ever heard Leon Orkis' recording of Gottschalk played on the Smithsonian's
1865 Chickering Concert Grand, Gottschalk's piano of choice, then you have
heard it the way the composer must have intended.  And it is fascinating.
It is said that Gottschalk travelled to the west coast in a wagon with two
10-foot Chickerings during the Civil War, giving recitals along the way.
Sombody else probably knows more about this.  Also would like to throw in
a plug for the danza puertorriquena, a genre highly influenced by
Gottschalk in his travels with Jenny Lind to South America and the
Caribbean.  Composers such as Juan Morel Campos, Manuel Tavares, etc., some
50 or more composers for that island alone.  Anybody interested should
check the Danza Puertorriquena page.  Lots of midi samples of the danzas,
of course, the midi doesn't do them justice.  It really took Jesu's Mari'a
Sanroma' to do that!  Sorry to ramble.  That reprint company from whence
come the Blind Tom pieces advertises in the classifieds of Fanfare.

Ralph D. White