Herein, for the first time, is revealed the impact and scope of the basic repeating rifle in the Civil War. Well documented, and supported by exciting on-the-spot reports, the author presents convincing evidence that the Spencer seven-shooter was a major factor-possibly the major factor in winding up the war which cost far more American lives than World War II. Christopher Spencer, the inventor and manufacturer, personally demonstrated the arm to President Lincoln on the White House lawn. Lincoln himself did considerable shooting with it, and he was so impressed by the performance of the seven-shooter that he directed procurement by the Ordnance Department. Lee is shown losing at Gettysburg, largely through the multiple-firepower of some 3,500 seven-shooters in the hands of the reorganized Federal cavalry. Seven Spencer-armed regiments are described as blasting a path for Grant out of the Wilderness, and a handful of seven-shooting regiments win Cold Harbor for him in a five-minute charge. Much of Sheridan'

A major Civil War battle-and Lee's triumph
The Battle of Chancellorsville was one of the principal engagements of the American Civil War. It was fought between Hooker's Army of the Potomac and Lee's Army of Northern Virginia which was half the size of the enemy. Battle was joined in Spotsylvania County, Virginia on April 30th 1863 and it raged until May 6th. Irrespective of the eventual outcome of the war, Chancellorsville has remained a text book battle for military historians. Lee, always renowned for command capability, here showed military nerve and audacity by dividing his army in the face of a vastly numerically superior enemy. Further, he demonstrated the maxim of 'know your opponent' for he clearly had the measure of the timid prevaricating Hooker. The outcome was an overwhelming Confederate victory and won the accolade, 'Lee's Perfect Battle'. The edge was taken off the success by the death of 'Stonewall' Jackson-a military genius both Lee and the Confederate cause could ill afford to lose. Dodge's history, written from a Union perspective, provides interesting mitigating circumstances concerning Federal actions and personalities-usually absent from later histories-for the student of the period to evaluate.

In 1859, a thirteen-year-old-girl began a diary, detailing the emotions and events of everyday life. Daily life in her small hometown of Cleveland, Tennessee was not destined to remain quiet and routine, however. When the Civil War began, the diary entries provide a firsthand account of the sorrows inflicted when the Civil War tore families apart in the border South. Myra, a staunch Confederate, gave a vivid account of the war, how it divided her community and left misery in its wake. Her diary became a bosom friend to whom she could confide her pain and grief. While she never knew the historical importance of her diary, her descendants did, and preserved this precious legacy.

Like the famous diary of Anne Frank, Myra Inman's diary begins with ordinary events and proceeds to tell the story of a child's view of the horrors of war. This book offers a unique perspective on the Civil War -- that of a child in the borderlands, where families were torn apart by differing loyalties.

This extensive two-way exchange of letters between Rufus Robbins and members of his family provides a highly personalized view of the life of a Union soldier, as well as life on the home front in South Abington, Massachusetts, an important source of war materiel. Enlisting in the Seventh Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment at the seasoned age of 31, Rufus carefully crafts letters that are articulate, graphic, and often witty and that contribute much to our understanding of the daily course of the war. Notes from home reflect the Robbins family's ever-present worry and concern for Rufus' well-being. His brothers detail their involvement in the sewing of army boots, an activity for which South Abington held a large contract.

As a confirmed Universalist, Rufus struggled to live a life of faith in the midst of war. His letters demonstrate the depth of his character, showing both maturity and confidence. However, as the war continued, one sees his belief in the righteousness of the Union cause, his confidence in God, and his sometimes naive simplicity replaced with a more realistic form of idealism. In this collection, those interested in military affairs can learn about the economic workings of the camps, the recreational outlets for the soldiers, and the grim realities of the Peninsula Campaign, while scholars focussing on civilian life will gain a greater understanding of the impact of the war on the families and friends left behind.

This exciting and groundbreaking collection of essays looks at the lives and command decisions of eight Confederates who held the rank of full general and at the impact they had on the conduct, and ultimate outcome, of the Civil War. Old myths and familiar assumptions are cast aside as a group of leading Civil War historians offers new insight into the men of the South, on whose shoulders the weight of prosecuting the war would wall.

No other general in American history has attracted the attention and adoration accorded to Robert Edward Lee, the peerless chieftain of the Confederacy. Indeed, in all of history, only Napoleon can vie with Lee for the hold he maintains on the imagination of students and admirers around the globe. Succeeding generations have invented and reinvented Lee, trying to make him a man for their own times, and year after year the writings of worshipers and revisionists-and occasionally even revilers-continue to come out. It is time for a step back, to take a reflective look at Lee through neither the eyes of adoration nor iconoclasm, and that is what eminent Southern historian Charles P. Roland does in Reflections on Lee: A Historian's Assessment. One of the country's most distinguished students of the South and the Civil War, Roland used the accumulated wisdom of a long career to draw a fresh picture of Lee-the man, the soldier, the symbol. Reflections on Lee is not a conventional biography, though the outline

In the tradition of the great regimental histories of the past, this book records the fire which seared the ranks of the Twenty-Four Michigan Regiment of the legendary "Iron Brigade." Born as the result of a riot, led by a Virginian, met with coldness and hostility by the black-hatted veterans of the brigade, the Twenty-Fourth swore it would win their respect...and so they did with a vengeance. At Fredericksburg, in "artillery hell" and under a murderous crossfire from the guns of "Stonewall" Jackson and "Jeb" Stuart, they performed the manual of arms to stead the line. The first day at Gettysburg they sparked this remark from the confederate ranks..."That ain't no milishy, there's those damn black hats again." With the immortal First Corps they were ordered west of the town to hold long enough for the army to occupy the strategic heights behind them. They held, and by evening they had lost more men than any of the 400-odd Union regiments engaged in the battle. Still later they marched down "that crimson strip

Revered in his lifetime, Robert E. Lee achieved legendary status after his death. This memoir by Lee's son gathers a wealth of material written by the General, offering rare glimpses of the man behind the uniform, with scenes from family life and touching letters from a loving husband and father.

This book tells the life story of William T. Sherman, one of the Civil War's most accomplished generals and an American military professional who changed how wars were fought. William T. Sherman: A Biography provides readers with a glimpse into the life of one of America's foremost military leaders and a top Union general in the Civil War. From his early life and military education, to his Civil War service and beyond, this book examines the career of a military professional who changed the way wars were fought. Prolific military history author Robert P. Broadwater follows Sherman's early development in the war and examines his most famous campaigns: the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, and the Carolinas Campaign. An engaging read, the book details how the iconic leader hailed as the first "modern" general achieved the military successes that enabled the North to achieve victory and bring the war to a close. Uses Sherman's own words to give readers insight as to what he felt and thought Provides easy-to-read commentary of events in Sherman's life Describes interaction between Sherman and his peers that contributed to the outcome of battles Analyzes Sherman's accomplishments and failures in a fair and balanced manner

"Custer had been usually effective as an Indian fighter for several years... He was adept in bringing off surprise attacks that crushed and paralyzed resistance. Both his reputation and his experience as an Indian campaigner were second to none; and the Seventh Cavalry...was held one of the best regiments in the service. It was but natural, then, that when the regiment marched proudly away from the mouth of the Rosebud on its mission, Terry could and did feel confident that if he could but catch the recalcitrant braves of Sitting Bull between Custer and Gibbon, he would certainly crush and capture them; and if, perchance, Custer found them elsewhere than was expected, the Seventh Cavalry, under such a leader, would be more than equal to any emergency." From the Story of the Little Big Horn In June 1876, General George A Custer was detailed to a column under General Alfred H. Terry. After being sent ahead of General George Crook at the Rosebud River, Custer and the Seventh Cavalry discovered a Souix encampment on

The Civil War that so devastated the United States began a century and a half ago; even so, people continue to disagree on why the North and South went to war.

By examining President Abraham Lincoln's speeches, along with those of other politicians during the time period, it is possible to identify historical misrepresentations and distortions that have made their way into textbooks.

Author Jack Pennington, a historian and retired school teacher, seeks to answer three main questions: Were the lives of the blacks in the South better off following the war and Reconstruction? Are blacks still suffering from the remnants of Jim Crow laws? Would the natural time eradication of slavery, as predicted by Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and other leading figures, have been more effective in bringing about equality and racial tolerance?

Discover the true nature of Lincoln's actions and his primary motivations, and explore the politics and attitudes that led the North and South to split. Pennington seeks to explore the truth behind common misconceptions and illuminate The Real Cause of the Civil War.

The Harrisburg Telegraph says: "...an unique and authoritative book, The Story of the Battles at Gettysburg" will arouse great interest among military men throughout the country." It is not generally known that the three-day battle of Gettysburg, one of the most important and significant engagements of the Civil War, is included in the course of training of student officers in practically all the European war colleges as an outstanding example of tactics and strategy. Once a year the students of the West Point Military Academy spend several days at Gettysburg in studying the battle problems during the first three days of July 1863. The outstanding features to the military, are the maps of the battlefield...these maps are drawn to scale with careful fidelity and the position of each regiment and branch of service is shown every hour of the day at different stages in the progress of the battles.

The legendary feats of Davy Crockett, who could tree a ghost, ride his thirty-seven-foot-long alligator up Niagara Falls, and drink up the Mississippi River, are common knowledge to devotees of this nineteenth-century comic superhero. But what may come as a surprise to many is that the legendary frontiersman also served as the fictional narrator of a collection of outrageous tall tales about women in the same Crocket Almanacs in which he "recorded" his own adventures. Conceived as a marketing device by nineteenth-century publishers hoping to gain a share of the lucrative almanac market, such stories made these slim volumes the best-selling and longest-running series of comic almanacs published in the United States before the Civil War. Booking back at them now, the Crocket Almanacs offer a true "fun house mirror" view of the culture of antebellum America.

Between 1800 and the Civil War, the American West evolved from a region to territories to states. This book depicts the development of the antebellum West from the perspective of a resident of the Western frontier. What happened in the West in the lead-up to and during the American Civil War? The Civil War and the West: The Frontier Transformed provides a clear and complete answer to this question. The work succinctly overviews the West during the antebellum period from 1800 to 1862, supplying thematic chapters that explain how key elements and characteristics of the West created conflict and division that differed from those in the East during the Civil War. It looks at how these issues influenced the military, settlement, and internal territorial conflicts about statehood in each region, and treats the Cherokee and other Indian nations as important actors in the development of a national narrative. Provides both a historical overview of the antebellum West and detailed examinations of specific issues that shaped Western responses to the Civil War, serving students in Western American history and general American survey courses as well as students of the Civil War Explains how unique elements of the West, such as international influences, the military, the Indians, and settlement and legislation, created conflict that differed from what was experienced in the East during the Civil War

This is one volume in a library of Confederate States history, in twelve volumes, written by distinguished men of the South, and edited by Gen. Clement A. Evans of Georgia. A generation after the Civil War, the Southern protagonists wanted to tell their story, and in 1899 these twelve volumes appeared under the imprint of the Confederate Publishing Company. The first and last volumes comprise such subjects as the justification of the Southern States in seceding from the Union and the honorable conduct of the war by the Confederate States government; the history of the actions and concessions of the South in the formation of the Union and its policy in securing the territorial dominion of the United States; the civil history of the Confederate States; Confederate naval history; the morale of the armies; the South since the war, and a connected outline of events from the beginning of the struggle to its close. The other ten volumes each treat a separate State with details concerning its peculiar story, its own devotion, its heroes, and its battlefields. Volume 9 is Kentucky and Missouri.

Examining refugees of Civil War-era North Carolina, Driven from Home reveals the complexity and diversity of the war's displaced populations and the inadequate responses of governmental and charitable organisations as refugees scrambled to secure the necessities of daily life. In North Carolina, writes David Silkenat, the relative security of the Piedmont and mountains drew pro- Confederate elements from across the region. Early in the war, Union invaders established strongholds on the coast, to which their sympathisers fled in droves. Silkenat looks at five groups caught up in this flood tide of emigration: enslaved African Americans who fled to freedom; white Unionists; pro-Confederate whites-both slave owners (who often forced their slaves to migrate with them) and non-slave owners; and young women, often from more besieged areas of the South, who attended the state's many boarding schools. From their varied experiences, a picture emerges of a humanitarian crisis driven by mobility, shaped by unprecedented economic pressures and disease vectors, and exacerbated by governments unwilling or unable to provide meaningful relief. For anyone seeking context to current refugee crises, Driven from Home has much to say about the crushing administrative and logistical challenges of aid work, the illusory nature of such concepts as home fronts and battle lines, and the ongoing debate over links between relief and dependence.

The last name spoken on their deathbeds by R. R. Lee and Stonewall Jackson was that of their great subordinate, A. P. Hill. Lee's final words, "Tell A. P. Hill to come up" keynote the story of the Culpeper redhead and his hard hitting light division. For the Light Division always did come up at the critical moment to save the day for the Army of Northern Virginia. The gallantry and dash of Powell Hill's Cavalier ancestors characterized his own career and death on the battlefield. He and his officers and men saw more frontline action than most of lee's army. But their dreadful losses and other vicissitudes of campaigning left a searing imprint on the former U.S. Army captain whose normally friendly spirit had to be submerged by the stern requirements of combat leadership. In less than three years he rose to the rank of corps commander and at the end was Lee's closets adviser. Hill's officers and men returned the loyalty and esteem which he game them and, responding to the flame of his unquenchable fighting s

At the outbreak of war, twenty-year-old Francis Adams Donaldson enlisted in the 1st California Regiment (later known as the 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers) of the famous Philadelphia Brigade of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac. He fought at Ball's Bluff (where he was captured) and participated in the Peninsula Campaign until he was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Upon his recovery, Donaldson reluctantly accepted promotion to a captaincy I the Corn Exchange Regiment (also known as the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers), which served throughout its existence in the V Corps. In his new position, Donaldson participated in all the major campaigns and battles in the East through late 1863, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, and Mine Run. Although Donaldson made no secret of his distaste for writing he consistently sent home some of his letters filled as many as fifty pages of writing paper. Nearly all of his letter were written in camp of while on active campaign, im

This is a biography of an antihero, Samuel Martin writes in his prologue. Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was one of the most notorious scoundrels in the Union army. He lied, thieved, and whored his way through the Civil War, yet managed to attain the stars of a major general. But despite his faults-or perhaps because of them-he is a fascinating character. Description from Amazon: Nicknamed "Kill-Cavalry" because of the unusually high casualty rate among his men, cavalry commander Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was also the most notorious scoundrel in the Union army. Kilpatrick lied, thieved, and whored his way through the Civil War, yet managed to attain the stars of a major general. But despite his faults-or perhaps because of them-he is a fascinating character. This exceptionally well-researched biography (all the more remarkable given that Kilpatrick's daughter destroyed all her father's papers after his death) profiles one of the most interesting soldiers to ever wear Union blue.