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Scott L. Mingus Sr. and Eric J. Wittenberg, the authors of more
than forty Civil War books, have once again teamed up to present a
history of the opening moves of the Gettysburg Campaign in the
two-volume study "If We Are Striking for Pennsylvania": The Army of
Northern Virginia's and Army of the Potomac's March to Gettysburg.
This compelling study is one of the first to integrate the
military, media, political, social, economic, and civilian
perspectives with rank-and-file accounts from the soldiers of both
armies as they inexorably march toward their destiny at Gettysburg.
This first installment covers June 3-22, 1863, while the second,
spanning June 22-30, completes the march and carries the armies to
the eve of the fighting. Gen. Robert E. Lee began moving his
victorious Army of Northern Virginia from the Old Dominion into
Pennsylvania on June 3, 1863. Lee believed his army needed to win a
major victory on Northern soil if the South was to have a chance to
win the war. Transferring the fighting out of war-torn Virginia
would allow the state time to heal while he supplied his army from
untapped farms and stores in Maryland and the Keystone State. Lee
had also convinced Pres. Jefferson Davis that his offensive would
interfere with the Union effort to take Vicksburg in Mississippi.
The bold movement would trigger extensive cavalry fighting and a
major battle at Winchester before culminating in the bloody
three-day battle at Gettysburg. As the Virginia army moved north,
the Army of the Potomac responded by protecting the vital roads to
Washington, D.C., in case Lee turned to threaten the capital.
Opposing presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, meanwhile,
kept a close watch on the latest and often conflicting military
intelligence gathered in the field. Throughout northern Virginia,
central Maryland, and south-central Pennsylvania, meanwhile,
civilians and soldiers alike struggled with the reality of a mobile
campaign and the massive logistical needs of the armies. Thousands
left written accounts of the passage of the long martial columns.
Mingus and Wittenberg mined hundreds of primary accounts,
newspapers, and other sources to produce this powerful and gripping
account. As readers will quickly learn, much of it is glossed over
in other studies of the campaign, a campaign which cannot be fully
understood without a firm appreciation of what the armies did on
their way to the small crossroads town in Pennsylvania.
This Civil War enthusiast's sourcebook organizes the crucial
details of the war in an inventive format designed to enhance the
reader's knowledge base and big-picture understanding of key events
and outcomes. The war's causes, political and economic issues,
important personalities, campaigns and battles are examined. Nearly
200 reader challenges stimulate review of critical moments, with
suggested reading for further exploration. Photographs and maps
have been carefully selected to supplement the topic being
explored.
Unlike Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. William T. Sherman, whose
controversial Civil War-era reputations persist today, Maj. Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan has been largely untouched by controversy. In
"Little Phil," historian Eric J. Wittenberg reassesses the war
record of a man long considered one of the Union Army's greatest
generals.From his earliest days at West Point, Phil Sheridan
refused to play by the rules. He was fortunate to receive merely a
suspension, rather than expulsion, when as a cadet he charged a
superior officer with a bayonet. Although he achieved fame as a
cavalryman late in the Civil War, Sheridan actually began the
conflict as an infantry commander and initially knew little of the
mounted service. In his first effort as a cavalry commander with
the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1864, he gave a
performance that Wittenberg argues has long been overrated. Later
that year in the Shenandoah Valley, where Sheridan secured his
legendary reputation, he benefited greatly from the tactical
ability of his subordinates and from his huge manpower advantage
against the beleaguered Confederate troops of Lt. Gen. Jubal
Early.Sheridan was ultimately rewarded for numerous acts of
insubordination against his superiors throughout the war, while he
punished similar traits in his own officers. Further, in his combat
reports and postwar writings, he often manipulated facts to show
himself in the best possible light, ensuring an exalted place in
history. Thus, Sheridan successfully foisted his own version of
history on the American public. This controversial new study
challenges the existing literature on Phil Sheridan and adds
valuable insight to our understanding of this famous, butaltogether
fallible, warrior.
"West Virginia was the child of the storm," concluded early
Mountaineer historian and Civil War veteran, Maj. Theodore F. Lang.
The northwestern third of the Commonwealth of Virginia finally
broke away in 1863 to form the Union's 35th state. In Seceding from
Secession: The Civil War, Politics, and the Creation of West
Virginia, authors Eric J. Wittenberg, Edmund A. Sargus, and Penny
L. Barrick chronicle those events in an unprecedented study of the
social, legal, military, and political factors that converged to
bring about the birth of the West Virginia. President Abraham
Lincoln, an astute lawyer in his own right, played a critical role
in birthing the new state. The constitutionality of the mechanism
by which the new state would be created concerned the president,
and he polled every member of his entire cabinet before signing the
bill. Seceding from Secession includes a detailed discussion of the
1871 U.S. Supreme Court decision Virginia v. West Virginia, in
which former Lincoln cabinet member Salmon Chase presided as chief
justice over the court that decided the constitutionality of the
momentous event. Seceding from Secession is grounded in a wide
variety of sources and persuasively presented. Add in a brilliant
Foreword by Frank J. Williams, former Chief Justice of the Rhode
Island Supreme Court and Chairman Emeritus of the Lincoln Forum,
and it is an indispensable source for everyone interested in
understanding the convergence of military, political, social, and
legal events that brought about the birth of the state of West
Virginia.
Avery fought in the legendary Michigan Cavalry Brigade, commanded
by George Armstrong Custer * Avery's battles included Gettysburg,
The Wilderness, Yellow Tavern, Haws Shop, Tom's Brook, Cedar Creek,
and Trevilian Station George Armstrong Custer's fabled Fifth
Regiment fought with great distinction throughout the war and
suffered the third highest total of men killed in the entire Union
cavalry. A twenty-four-year-old farmer and new father from Hopkins,
Michigan, named James Henry Avery was one of Custer's feared
Wolverines. Besides eloquently describing his personal experiences,
Sergeant Avery's wartime journals and postwar reminiscences provide
uniquely detailed descriptions of Civil War cavalry movements and
the only known account that addresses the escape of elements of the
Fifth Michigan Cavalry on the first day of the Battle of Trevilian
Station.
After the ferocious fighting at Cold Harbor, Virginia, in June
1864, Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered his cavalry,
commanded by Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, to distract the
Confederate forces opposing the Army of the Potomac. Glory Enough
for All chronicles the battle that resulted when Confederate
cavalry pursued and caught their Federal foes at Trevilian Station,
Virginia, perhaps the only truly decisive cavalry battle of the
American Civil War. Eric J. Wittenberg tells the stories of the men
who fought there, including eight Medal of Honor winners and one
Confederate whose death at Trevilian Station made him the third of
three brothers to die in the service of Company A of the Fourth
Virginia Cavalry. He also addresses the little-known but critical
cavalry battle at Samaria (Saint Mary's) Church on June 24, 1864,
where Union Brig. Gen. David N. Gregg's division was nearly
destroyed. The only modern strategic analysis of the battle, Glory
Enough for All challenges prevailing interpretations of General
Sheridan and of the Union cavalry. Wittenberg shows that the
outcome of Trevilian Station ultimately prolonged Grant's efforts
to end the Civil War. Eric J.Wittenberg is the author of
Gettysburg's Forgotten Cavalry Actions and the coauthor of Plenty
of Blame to Go Around, among numerous books. Gordon C. Rhea is the
author of several books on the Civil War, including To the North
Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13-25, 1864 and The Battle of the
Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864.
Unlike Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Gen. William T. Sherman, whose
controversial Civil War-era reputations persist today, Maj. Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan has been largely untouched by controversy. In
"Little Phil," historian Eric J. Wittenberg reassesses the war
record of a man long considered one of the Union Army s greatest
generals.From his earliest days at West Point, Phil Sheridan
refused to play by the rules. He was fortunate to receive merely a
suspension, rather than expulsion, when as a cadet he charged a
superior officer with a bayonet. Although he achieved fame as a
cavalryman late in the Civil War, Sheridan actually began the
conflict as an infantry commander and initially knew little of the
mounted service. In his first effort as a cavalry commander with
the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1864, he gave a
performance that Wittenberg argues has long been overrated. Later
that year in the Shenandoah Valley, where Sheridan secured his
legendary reputation, he benefited greatly from the tactical
ability of his subordinates and from his huge manpower advantage
against the beleaguered Confederate troops of Lt. Gen. Jubal
Early.Sheridan was ultimately rewarded for numerous acts of
insubordination against his superiors throughout the war, while he
punished similar traits in his own officers. Further, in his combat
reports and postwar writings, he often manipulated facts to show
himself in the best possible light, ensuring an exalted place in
history. Thus, Sheridan successfully foisted his own version of
history on the American public. This controversial new study
challenges the existing literature on Phil Sheridan and adds
valuable insight to our understanding of this famous, but
altogether fallible, warrior.
There are countless volumes celebrating the best teams in
professional baseball. Unfortunately, winning represents only one
side of the game. For every champion's record-setting season, there
has been an equally memorable story of defeat. These teams and
their shameful contributions to America's national pastime have
been a neglected topic in baseball history. Until now. In You
Stink! , two fanatical historians (or historian fans), Michael
Aubrecht and Eric Wittenberg, give credit where it is far overdue
with a statistically backed, satiric look at the worst teams and
individuals ever to set foot on a diamond. You Stink! includes
franchise origins, detailed stats, player profiles, photos, and
more, as well as a collection of long-format essays in a ""Hall of
Shame"" that recognizes some of the worst moments ever witnessed on
a ball field. The first half of the book is based entirely on
statistical data; in the second half, the authors give their
personal opinions. With an insightful foreword by Dave Raymond, the
original ""Philly Phanatic,"" You Stink! showcases disappointments
on the diamond dating as far back as 1889. Readers are treated to
stories of the worst teams, players, owners, calls, fans, plays,
and more. A timeline of Major League terribleness and an assortment
of quotations about losing complement this unique survey of shame.
Ultimately, You Stink! celebrates a sport that gives us more than
just wins and losses and drives to the heart of what all of us love
about baseball. Fans bond with their teams, and everyone can relate
to suffering through slumps. Watching our heroes stumble through
ineptitude, boneheaded plays, and heartbreaking losses makes the
celebration all the sweeter when victory finally comes.
June 1863, and the Gettysburg Campaign is in its opening hours.
Harnesses jingled and hooves pounded as Confederate cavalryman
James Ewell Brown Stuart leads his three brigades of troopers on a
ride that triggers one of the Civil War's most bitter
controversies. Instead of finding glory and victory, Stuart reaped
stinging criticism and substantial blame for one of the
Confederacy's most stunning and unexpected battlefield defeats.
Stuart left Virginia acting on Gen. Robert E. Lee's discretionary
orders to advance into Maryland and Pennsylvania, where he was to
screen Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell's marching infantry corps and report
on enemy activity. The mission jumped off its tracks from virtually
the moment it began when one unexpected event after another
unfolded across Stuart's path. For days, neither Lee nor Stuart had
any idea where the other was, and the enemy blocked the horseman's
direct route back to the Confederate army, which was advancing
nearly blind north into Pennsylvania. By the time Stuart reached
Lee on July 2, the armies had unexpectedly collided at Gettysburg
and one of the campaign's greatest controversies was born. Did the
plumed cavalier disobey Lee's orders by stripping the army of
its"eyes and ears?" Was Stuart to blame for the unexpected combat
that broke out at Gettysburg on July 1? Authors Wittenberg and
Petruzzi, widely recognised for their study and expertise of Civil
War cavalry operations, have drawn upon a massive array of primary
sources, many heretofore untapped, to fully explore Stuart's ride,
its consequences, and the intense debate among participants shortly
after the battle, early post-war commentators, and modern scholars.
During the Civil War, James Harvey Kidd fought along side the
General George Armstrong Custer as a member of the 6th Michigan
Cavalry, the Wolverines. A student at the University of Michigan at
the outbreak of the ear, Kidd enlisted in 1862 and was elected
captain, commanding a company of Wolverines. Within two years he
was promoted to colonel and took command of the regiment. In the
fall of 1864, he succeeded Custer as commander of the Michigan
Cavalry Brigade and eventually received a brevet to brigadier
general of volunteers. After the war, Kidd served as brigadier
general in the Michigan National Guard and, upon returning to his
civilian career as a newspaperman, published two newspapers in his
hometown of Ionia, Michigan. He also wrote a memoir of his service
Personal Reminiscences of a Cavalryman in Custer's Michigan
Brigade, a classic of Civil War literature. Eric J. Wittenberg
presents many of this newspaperman?s captivating writings in their
original form in At Custer's Side: The Civil War Writings of James
Harvey Kidd, Kidd wrote eloquently about his Civil War experiences,
especially his service with Customer. His speech given at the
dedication of the Customer monument in Monroe, Michigan, is
particularly important, as it provides readers with one of the
first revisionist views of the tragedy that befell Custer at Little
Big Horn. Much like Wittenberg's first book of Kidd's writings, One
of Custer's Wolverines: The Civil War Letters of Brevet Brigadier
General James H. Kidd, 6th Michigan Cavalry (Kent State University
Press, 2000), this latest collection offers insightful, articulate,
and entertaining commentary on what it ws like to serve in the
Civil War and with "the boy general".
July 1863 was a momentous month in the Civil War. News of
Gettysburg and Vicksburg electrified the North and devastated the
South. Sandwiched geographically between those victories and lost
in the heady tumult of events was news that William S. Rosecrans's
Army of the Cumberland had driven Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee
entirely out of Middle Tennessee. The brilliant campaign nearly
cleared the state of Rebels and changed the calculus of the Civil
War in the Western Theater. Despite its decisive significance, few
readers even today know of these events. The publication of
Tullahoma: The Forgotten Campaign that Changed the Course of Civil
War, June 23 - July 4, 1863 by award-winning authors David A.
Powell and Eric J. Wittenberg, forever rectifies that oversight. On
June 23, 1863, Rosecrans, with some 60,000 men, initiated a classic
campaign of maneuver against Bragg's 40,000. Confronted with rugged
terrain and a heavily entrenched foe, Rosecrans intended to defeat
Bragg through strategy rather than bloodshed by outflanking him and
seizing control of Bragg's supply line, the Nashville&
Chattanooga Railroad, at Tullahoma and thus force him to fight a
battle outside of his extensive earthworks. It almost worked. The
complex and fascinating campaign included deceit, hard marching,
fighting, and incredible luck - both good and bad. Rosecrans
executed a pair of feints against Guy's Gap and Liberty Gap to
deceive the Rebels into thinking the main blow would fall somewhere
other than where it was designed to strike. An ineffective
Confederate response exposed one of Bragg's flanks - and his entire
army - to complete disaster. Torrential rains and consequential
decisions in the field wreaked havoc on the best-laid plans. Still
Bragg hesitated, teetering on the brink of losing the second most
important field army in the Confederacy. The hour was late and time
was short, and his limited withdrawal left the armies poised for a
climactic engagement that may have decided the fate of Middle
Tennessee, and perhaps the war. Finally fully alert to the mortal
threat facing him, Bragg pulled back from the iron jaws of defeat
about to engulf him and retreated - this time all the way to
Chattanooga, the gateway to the rest of the Southern Confederacy.
Powell and Wittenberg mined hundreds of archival and firsthand
accounts to craft a splendid study of this overlooked campaign that
set the stage for the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, the
removal of Rosecrans and Bragg from the chessboard of war, the
elevation of U.S. Grant to command all Union armies, and the early
stages of William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Tullahoma - one of
the most brilliantly executed major campaigns of the war-was
pivotal to Union success in 1863 and beyond. And now readers
everywhere will know precisely why.
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