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This sweeping new history recognizes that the Civil War was not
just a military conflict but also a moment of profound
transformation in Americans' relationship to the natural world. To
be sure, environmental factors such as topography and weather
powerfully shaped the outcomes of battles and campaigns, and the
war could not have been fought without the horses, cattle, and
other animals that were essential to both armies. But here Judkin
Browning and Timothy Silver weave a far richer story, combining
military and environmental history to forge a comprehensive new
narrative of the war's significance and impact. As they reveal, the
conflict created a new disease environment by fostering the spread
of microbes among vulnerable soldiers, civilians, and animals; led
to large-scale modifications of the landscape across several
states; sparked new thinking about the human relationship to the
natural world; and demanded a reckoning with disability and death
on an ecological scale. And as the guns fell silent, the change
continued; Browning and Silver show how the war influenced the
future of weather forecasting, veterinary medicine, the birth of
the conservation movement, and the establishment of the first
national parks. In considering human efforts to find military and
political advantage by reshaping the natural world, Browning and
Silver show not only that the environment influenced the Civil
War's outcome but also that the war was a watershed event in the
history of the environment itself.
In the spring of 1862, Union forces marched into neighbouring
Carteret and Craven Counties in southeastern North Carolina,
marking the beginning of an occupation that would continue for the
rest of the war. Focusing on a wartime community with divided
allegiances, Judkin Browning offers new insights into the effects
of war on southerners and the nature of civil-military relations
under long-term occupation, especially coastal residents'
negotiations with their occupiers and each other as they forged new
social, cultural, and political identities. Unlike citizens in the
core areas of the Confederacy, many white residents in eastern
North Carolina had a strong streak of prewar Unionism and appeared
to welcome the Union soldiers when they first arrived. By 1865,
however, many of these residents would alter their allegiance,
developing a strong sense of southern nationalism. African
Americans in the region, on the other hand, utilised the presence
of Union soldiers to empower themselves, as they gained their
freedom in the face of white hostility. Browning's study ultimately
tells the story of Americans trying to define their roles, with
varying degrees of success and failure, in a reconfigured country.
Community is an evolving and complex concept that historians have
applied to localities, counties, and the South as a whole in order
to ground larger issues in the day-to-day lives of all segments of
society. These social networks sometimes unite and sometimes divide
people, they can mirror or transcend political boundaries, and they
may exist solely within the cultures of like-minded people. This
volume explores the nature of southern communities during the long
nineteenth century. The contributors build on the work of scholars
who have allowed us to see community not simply as a place but
instead as an idea in a constant state of definition and
redefinition. They reaffirm that there never has been a singular
southern community. As editors Steven E. Nash and Bruce E. Stewart
reveal, southerners have constructed an array of communities across
the region and beyond. Nor do the contributors idealize these
communities. Far from being places of cooperation and harmony,
southern communities were often rife with competition and discord.
Indeed, conflict has constituted a vital part of southern communal
development. Taken together, the essays in this volume remind us
how community-focused studies can bring us closer to answering
those questions posed to Quentin Compson in Absalom, Absalom!:
"Tell [us] about the South. What's it like there. What do they do
there. Why do they live there. Why do they live at all."
Written in a clear and engaging narrative style, this book analyzes
the pivotal campaign in which Robert E. Lee drove the Union Army of
the Potomac under George B. McClellan away from the Confederate
capital of Richmond, VA, in the summer of 1862. The Seven Days'
Battles: The War Begins Anew examines how Lee's Confederate forces
squared off against McClellan's Union Army during this week-long
struggle, revealing how both sides committed many errors that could
have affected the outcome. Indeed, while Lee is often credited with
having brilliant battle plans, the author shows how the Confederate
commander mismanaged battles, employed too many complicated
maneuvers, and overestimated what was possible with the resources
he had available. For his part, McClellan of the Union Army failed
to commit his troops at key moments, accepted erroneous
intelligence, and hindered his campaign by refusing to respect the
authority of his civilian superiors. This book presents a synthetic
treatment that closely analyzes the military decisions that were
made and why they were made, analyzes the successes and failures of
the major commanders on both sides, and clearly explains the
outcomes of the battles. The work contains sufficient depth of
information to serve as a resource for undergraduate American
history students while providing enjoyable reading for Civil War
enthusiasts as well as general audiences.
During the Civil War, William H. Gregg served as William Clarke
Quantrill's de facto adjutant from December 1861 until the spring
of 1864, making him one of the closest people to the Confederate
guerrilla leader. "Quantrill's raiders" were a partisan ranger
outfit best known for their brutal guerrilla tactics, which made
use of Native American field skills. Whether it was the origins of
Quantrill's band, the early warfare along the border, the planning
and execution of the raid on Lawrence, Kansas, the Battle of Baxter
Springs, or the dissolution of the company in early 1864, Gregg was
there as a participant and observer. This book includes his
personal account of that era. The book also includes correspondence
between Gregg and William E. Connelley, a historian. Connelley was
deeply affected by the war and was a staunch Unionist and
Republican. Even as much of the country was focusing on
reunification, Connelley refused to forgive the South and felt
little if any empathy for his Southern peers. Connelley's
relationship with Gregg was complicated and exploitive. Their bond
appeared mutually beneficial, but Connelley manipulated an old,
weak, and naive Gregg, offering to help him publish his memoir in
exchange for Gregg's inside information for a biography of
Quantrill.
During the Civil War, William H. Gregg served as William Clarke
Quantrill's de facto adjutant from December 1861 until the spring
of 1864, making him one of the closest people to the Confederate
guerrilla leader. "Quantrill's raiders" were a partisan ranger
outfit best known for their brutal guerrilla tactics, which made
use of Native American field skills. Whether it was the origins of
Quantrill's band, the early warfare along the border, the planning
and execution of the raid on Lawrence, Kansas, the Battle of Baxter
Springs, or the dissolution of the company in early 1864, Gregg was
there as a participant and observer. This book includes his
personal account of that era. The book also includes correspondence
between Gregg and William E. Connelley, a historian. Connelley was
deeply affected by the war and was a staunch Unionist and
Republican. Even as much of the country was focusing on
reunification, Connelley refused to forgive the South and felt
little if any empathy for his Southern peers. Connelley's
relationship with Gregg was complicated and exploitive. Their bond
appeared mutually beneficial, but Connelley manipulated an old,
weak, and naive Gregg, offering to help him publish his memoir in
exchange for Gregg's inside information for a biography of
Quantrill.
Community is an evolving and complex concept that historians have
applied to localities, counties, and the South as a whole in order
to ground larger issues in the day-to-day lives of all segments of
society. These social networks sometimes unite and sometimes divide
people, they can mirror or transcend political boundaries, and they
may exist solely within the cultures of like-minded people. This
volume explores the nature of southern communities during the long
nineteenth century. The contributors build on the work of scholars
who have allowed us to see community not simply as a place but
instead as an idea in a constant state of definition and
redefinition. They reaffirm that there never has been a singular
southern community. As editors Steven E. Nash and Bruce E. Stewart
reveal, southerners have constructed an array of communities across
the region and beyond. Nor do the contributors idealize these
communities. Far from being places of cooperation and harmony,
southern communities were often rife with competition and discord.
Indeed, conflict has constituted a vital part of southern communal
development. Taken together, the essays in this volume remind us
how community-focused studies can bring us closer to answering
those questions posed to Quentin Compson in Absalom, Absalom!:
"Tell [us] about the South. What's it like there. What do they do
there. Why do they live there. Why do they live at all."
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