American Civil War

#1 NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLERThe author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War in this 'riveting reexamination of a nation in tumult' (Los Angeles Times).On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fuelled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter.Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln's election and the Confederacy's shelling of Sumter - a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were 'so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them'.At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter's commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardour at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between both. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous Secretary of State, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable - one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink - a dark reminder that we often don't see a cataclysm coming until it's too late.

"Fort Sumter's Flame: How Secession and Lincoln's Election Lit the Civil War" delves deep into the turbulent months leading up to the American Civil War, when the nation teetered on the edge of destruction. This meticulously researched book traces the chain of events that began with Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860, which sent shockwaves through the Southern states, igniting their cries for secession. As tensions escalated, the focus of the nation's turmoil turned to Fort Sumter, a small federal outpost in Charleston Harbor. Here, the first shots of the Civil War were fired, sparking a conflict that would define the nation's future. Authoritative and compelling, "Fort Sumter's Flame" explores the political and social factors that fueled the secessionist movement and brings to life the key figures whose decisions set the stage for war. The book vividly portrays a divided nation where compromise seemed impossible and conflict inevitable. From the bitter debates in Congress to the anxious uncertainty of everyday Americans, this book captures the passion, fear, and resolve that led to the Civil War. Through gripping narratives and insightful analysis, "Fort Sumter's Flame" offers readers a front-row seat to the events that transformed the United States forever. It's an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the origins of America's most devastating conflict and the enduring legacy of the Civil War.

On November, 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln rose before the gathered crowd at the dedication of the new Gettysburg National Cemetery to deliver his immortal address. Lincoln praised the 4,000 "honored dead" there, who had given their lives that the nation might live. But who were these men individually who had made this ultimate sacrifice? This new book seeks to resurrect the identities of the 2,000 of those Gettysburg dead, who were fortunate with having their names preserved for their gravestones.In capsulized biographies, author James A. Christian presents findings from his National Archives research, specifying details from these soldiers' lives, such as: their U.S. birthplaces or immigrant backgrounds; their residences and occupations before enlisting into the army; their enlistment dates and into which army units; their promotions, detachments, or absences due to Confederate capture or prior battlefield wounding; and most significantly, their ages at the time of their deaths at Gettysburg. The book particularly highlights minor enlistees who would be killed before reaching their eighteenth birthday. The book identifies one such boy soldier who was killed at only fourteen years of age.Other compelling stories highlighted in the book include the names of soldiers who fought and died under aliases and the names of the nine acknowledged Confederate soldiers mistakenly buried in this Union cemetery. As a convenience to visitors to the Gettysburg cemetery, the soldiers' profiles within each book chapter are indexed by their row and space location within the state plots. Over 300 footnotes are appended throughout the book, highlighting absorbing circumstances in the soldiers' lives and deaths. Many of the capsulized biographies also present U.S. Pension Office information, specifying the names of claimant widows and their children, if any, along with the ages of these claimants at the time of the soldiers' deaths. Widows' certificate numbers are presented for 700 of these U.S. Pension Office files, facilitating further review on the subscription Fold3.com website. At the end of each state's chapter, the book presents a technical illustration of a monument present today on the Gettysburg battlefield. These illustrations are captioned with commentary expounding upon the monuments' significance for the veterans who oversaw their erections some twenty years after the battle. This book is a captivating overview for individuals interested in going beyond the heroic portrayals of the Battle of Gettysburg for the real human drama of the lives lost there.

In America's collective unconscious, the Haudenosaunee, known to many as the Iroquois, are viewed as an indelible part of New York's modern and democratic culture. From the Iroquois confederacy serving as a model for the US Constitution, to the connections between the matrilineal Iroquois and the woman suffrage movement, to the living legacy of the famous "Sky Walkers," the steelworkers who built the Empire State Building and the George Washington Bridge, the Iroquois are viewed as an exceptional people who helped make the state's history unique and forward-looking. John C. Winters contends that this vision was not manufactured by Anglo-Americans but was created and spread by an influential, multi-generational Seneca-Iroquois family. From the American Revolution to the Cold War, Red Jacket, Ely S. Parker, Harriet Maxwell Converse (adopted), and Arthur C. Parker used the tools of a colonial culture to shape aspects of contemporary New York culture in their own peoples' image. The result was the creation of "The Amazing Iroquois," an historical memory that entangled indigenous self-definition, colonial expectations about racial stereotypes and Native American politics, and the personalities of the people who cultivated and popularized that memory. Through the imperial politics of the eighteenth century to pioneering museum exhibitions of the twentieth, these four Seneca celebrities packaged and delivered Iroquoian stories to the broader public in defiance of the contemporary racial stereotypes and settler colonial politics that sought to bury them. Owing to their skill, fame, and the timely intervention of Iroquois leadership, this remarkable family showcases the lasting effects of indigenous agents who fashioned a popular and long-lasting historical memory that made the Iroquois an obvious and foundational part of New Yorkers' conception of their own exceptional state history and self-identity.

Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army - Volume 1, a classical book, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

The Lincoln Year Book: Axioms and Aphorisms from the Great Emancipator, has been acknowledged as a major work throughout human history, and we have taken precautions to assure its preservation by republishing this book in a modern manner for both present and future generations. This book has been completely retyped, revised, and reformatted. The text is readable and clear because these books are not created from scanned copies.

This is the first full-length biography of the Civil War general who saved the Union army from catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, and went on to play major roles in the Chattanooga and Mobile campaigns. Immediately after the war, as commander of U.S. troops in Texas, his actions sparked the "Juneteenth" celebrations of slavery's end, which continue to this day.Granger's first battle was at Wilson's Creek, Missouri, and he soon thereafter rose through the ranks--cavalry, then infantry--in early 1863 vying with Forrest and Van Dorn for control of central Tennessee. The artillery platform he erected at Franklin, dubbed Fort Granger, would soon overlook the death knell of the main Confederate army in the west.Granger's first fame, however, came at Chickamauga, when the Rebel Army of Tennessee came within a hair's-breadth of destroying the Union Army of the Cumberland. Without orders--even defying them--Granger marched his Reserve Corps to the scene of the hottest action, where Thomas was just barely holding on with the rump of Rosecrans' army. Bringing fresh ammunition and hurling his men against Longstreet's oncoming legions, Granger provided just enough breathing space to prevent that Union defeat from becoming the worst open-field battle disgrace of the war.Granger was then given command of a full infantry corps, but just proved too odd of a fellow to promote further. At Chattanooga he got on the nerves of U.S. Grant for going off to shoot cannons instead of commanding his troops (he'd actually indulged this impulse also at Chickamauga) and Sherman had no use for him either. So he went down to join Farragut in the conquest of Mobile, Alabama, leading land operations against the Confederate forts.This long-overdue biography sheds fascinating new light on a colorful commander who fought through the war in the West from its first major battles to its last, and even left his impact on the Reconstruction beyond.

2022 Reprint of the two volume 1926 edition. Illustrated. Full facsimile of the original edition and not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. This is the first installment of Sandburg's Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Lincoln. These first two volumes, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, were published in 1926 and cover the period from Lincoln's birth through his inauguration as president. The two volumes are published in one in the present edition. Originally published in six volumes, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln was called "the greatest historical biography of our generation." By gleaning every possible reference from history, literature, and popular lore, Sandburg successfully captures not only the legendary president, but also Lincoln the man. He reveals exactly who Lincoln was, and what forces in his life shaped his personality.Profusely illustrated with black-and-white historical photographs and line engravings that depict Lincoln, the places he went, and the people who knew him.

The personal letters of Americans during the Civil War preserve first-person accounts of the trials and tribulations of this significant period in the nation's history. These records of news, people, and emotions humanize the horrific events of the Civil War and provide unique insights into the conflict's effects on individuals, families, communities, and America. Often, only the letters sent home survived, leaving half of the story missing, but the Walters family's letters in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum includes the exchange of correspondence between the home front and front line, a perspective not often seen in published anthologies.My Dear Companion gives us a glimpse into the poignant questions, answers, and sentiments Private David Walters of the 5th Indiana Calvary and his wife Rachel shared in their correspondence. The letters from David give details about some of the lesser-known actions of the Western theater of combat, such as Morgan's Raid. The letters by Rachel Walters at home show how she became the hub of communication for the family, often receiving missives from David's brothers, Isaac and John Wesley, both of whom served with Indiana units, and relaying the information to others. In order to gather more information about her husband, Rachel Walters turns to letter writing, including seeking assistance from Clara Barton's Missing Soldiers Office. Through her post-war correspondence with veterans, Rachel gathers the proof necessary for her and her young son to secure a much-needed survivor's pension.From the early letters describing a Civil War soldier's enlistment to his widow's struggle in the aftermath of the war, the letters of the Walters family add incomparable details to the study of the Civil War. Lynn Heidelbaugh and Thomas Paone of the Smithsonian Institution meticulously and lovingly transcribe and annotate the letters, providing valuable historical context of the events, people, and material culture described in the letters.

REBEL CORRESPONDENT is the true story of a young man who joined the Confederate army days after his eighteenth birthday and served bravely until the war ended. Wounded twice, he emerged a changed person. But he wasn't just a returning veteran; he was also a writer.At the beginning of the 20th century, Arba F. Shaw was a fifty-seven-year-old farmer. On a chilly December day in 1901, he put pen to paper to write his memories of being a Rebel private in the 4th Georgia Cavalry (Avery), CSA. He completed writing his account in February 1902. His local newspaper, the Walker County Messenger, in Lafayette, Georgia, published his account in a series of over 50 articles from 1901 to 1903.Then it was all but forgotten. Until now.

Although he took command of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the first shots were fired at Gettysburg, Union general George G. Meade guided his forces to victory in the Civil War's most pivotal battle. Commentators often dismiss Meade when discussing the great leaders of the Civil War. But in this long-anticipated book, Kent Masterson Brown draws on an expansive archive to reappraise Meade's leadership during the Battle of Gettysburg. Using Meade's published and unpublished papers alongside diaries, letters, and memoirs of fellow officers and enlisted men, Brown highlights how Meade's rapid advance of the army to Gettysburg on July 1, his tactical control and coordination of the army in the desperate fighting on July 2, and his determination to hold his positions on July 3 insured victory. Brown argues that supply deficiencies, brought about by the army's unexpected need to advance to Gettysburg, were crippling. In spite of that, Meade pursued Lee's retreating army rapidly, and his decision not to blindly attack Lee's formidable defenses near Williamsport on July 13 was entirely correct in spite of subsequent harsh criticism. Combining compelling narrative with incisive analysis, this finely rendered work of military history deepens our understanding of the Army of the Potomac as well as the machinations of the Gettysburg Campaign, restoring Meade to his rightful place in the Gettysburg narrative.

Did Abraham Lincoln hate his father so much that he would not visit him on his deathbed or buy him a tombstone? Is it true that Ann Rutledge, who died tragically young, was the real love of his life? Did he order the murder of thirty-eight Dakota Sioux warriors because of his hatred of Native Americans? Noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. sets the record straight in this engaging and authoritative book, analyzing the facts and clarifying some of the most prominent misconceptions about the sixteenth president's life. He investigates claims that have found a foothold in mainstream lore, ranging from the contention that Lincoln had a troubled and perhaps scandalous early adulthood in Springfield, to more serious attacks on his character, such as the accusation that he was reluctant to emancipate enslaved people and held racist beliefs. Drawing on his background in health science, Steers also examines allegations that Lincoln suffered numerous illnesses--from endocrine disorders to syphilis.Much of the recent revisionist history about Abraham Lincoln relies on selective sources that provide a false image of the man. His law partner of twenty-one years, close friend, and early biographer William Herndon described Lincoln as "the most shut-mouthed man" he ever knew, and yet volumes have been written on Lincoln's musings, beliefs, and private thoughts in general. His life and deeds have been heavily researched, interpreted, and reinterpreted time and again until the interpretations themselves have become untrustworthy.In this book, Steers relies on primary textual evidence to address each legend at the source and maintains caution when reviewing the potentially biased reminiscences of historic figures close to the president. The result is a fascinating forensic exploration of some of the persistent hoaxes and myths related to America's most revered president.

Letters from soldiers to their families often provide prominent narratives of the Civil War. But what about the messages from the women who maintained homes and farmsteads alone, all while providing significant emotional support to their loved ones at the front? The letters and diaries of these eight women echo the ever-growing horrors of the conflict and reveal the stories of the Wisconsin home front. Twenty-one-year-old Emily Quiner sought a way to join the war effort that would feed her heart and mind. Annie Cox wrote to her pro-slavery fiancÉ to staunchly defend her abolitionist principles. Sisters Susan Brown and Ann Waldo faced the unexpected devastation that each battle brought to families.<BR>In Such Anxious Hours, Jo Ann Daly Carr places this material in historical context, detailing what was happening simultaneously in the nation, state, and local communities. Civil War history enthusiasts will appreciate these enlightening perspectives that demonstrate the variety of experiences in the Midwest during the bloody conflict.

The story of the ‘Siren of the Shenandoah’ in her own wordsIsabella Maria Boyd (1844-1900) was one of the most famous and notorious female Confederate spies at work during the American Civil War. Best known as ‘Belle’, she operated from an hotel owned by her father in the town of Front Royal, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and is credited with providing information valuable to her cause particularly to General ‘Stonewall’ Jackson in 1862. Belle appeared to have a charmed life for she managed on several occasions to narrowly avoid being shot or incarcerated despite being arrested by the Union on six occasions. She was eventually captured but released when she fell ill. Perhaps Belle Boyd wrote her memoirs ‘with advantages’ to be fully equal to her reputation, but they nonetheless provide a highly entertaining insight into the life of one of the American Civil War’s most enduring characters. Originally published in two volumes, Belle Boyd’s entire book is here offered in a single, good value Leonaur edition.Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.