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In ""A Place Called Appomattox"", William Marvel turns his extensive Civil War scholarship toward Appomattox County, Virginia, and the village of Appomattox Court House, which became synonymous with the end of the Civil War when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant there in 1865. Marvel presents a formidably researched and elegantly written analysis of the county from 1848 to 1877, using it as a microcosm of Southern attitudes, class issues, and shifting cultural mores that shaped the C...

Lincoln's significance in the history of slavery and emancipation, the Union's preservation and the formation of a new national vision is unquestionably crucial to comprehending the antebellum and Civil War periods in American history. This is a one-of-a-kind hybrid reference work that combines chronology with almost 400 primary source papers to contextualize Lincoln's life within his historical era. These written materials serve as the foundation upon which historians can construct a picture o...

This extensive and unique collection, consisting of over 180 letters and hundreds of drawings, covers Reed's period of service (1862-65) and provides the modern reader a wealth of information on the role of the Union army in the eastern theater, the events in the life of the Civil War soldier, and the war in general. A native of Boston, Reed served as bugler of the Ninth Massachusetts Battery, whose desperate holding action at Gettysburg ranks as one the most heroic actions of the war. During t...

The first major battle in the Western theater of the American Civil War, Shiloh came as a shock to American soldiers and civilians alike. For the first time North America recognised the terrible price that would be paid for the preservation of the Union. On April 6, 1862 the Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston caught Grant and Sherman by surprise and very nearly drove them into the River Tennessee, but was mortally wounded in the process. Somehow Grant and Sherman hung on and the next day...

Since the first histories of the Civil War appeared after Appomattox, the cavalry has received intermittent, uneven, and even romanticized coverage. Historian Edward G. Longacre has corrected this oversight. Lee's Cavalrymen, not only details the organizational and operational history of the mounted arm of the Army of Northern Virginia but also examines the personal experiences of officers and men. Longacre chronicles the salient characteristics of the regiments, brigades, and divisions,...

Lauded for gallantry at Antietam and demoted for insubordination after Fredericksburg, Major General William "Baldy" Smith remains a controversial figure of the Civil War. His criticism of the Union high command made him unpopular with both peers and superiors. Yet his insight as an officer and an engineer enabled him to offer effective solutions to challenges faced by fellow generals. In this first comprehensive biography, Smith emerges as a field commander with deep concern for his men and a f...

This reference work lists sheet music that is no longer extant, gives complete lyrics for all the extant songs and offers a brief historical background for many of the songs. As far as possible, each entry contains the title, lyricists, composers, publishers and dates and cities of publication.

During the Civil War, humans impacted plants and animals on an unprecedented scale as soldiers on both sides waged the most environmentally destructive war ever on American soil. Refugees and armies alike tramped across the landscape foraging for food, shelter, and fuel. Wild plants and animals formed barriers for armies and carried disease, yet also provided medicine and raw materials necessary to implement war, greatly influencing the day-to-day life of soldiers and civilians. Of the thousands...