Maryland Campaign of Sept 1862, Vol II
583998
Outstanding effort here by Dr. Thomas Clemens. It is obvious that his expertise added much to this book as it did for Volume I. Any serious student of the campaign and battle needs to have this in their library. The publisher, Savas Beatie, did a superb job with the production of the book itself. Their volumes are some of the best put together pubs in the market including the cover illustrations/make-up. A few years ago, it was very difficult to access this work by Ezra Carman. Now, available to everyone is not only Carman's original manuscript but commentary by one of the foremost historians on the Maryland Campaign of 1862.
1669648
An amazingly well researched and quoted account of the battles at Washington and Baltimore during the War of 1812.  When reading this you fully realize how poorly these events are skimmed over in our history.  It should be required reading for all history classes and American History enthusiasts.
895984
This is a bound volume of _Punch_ issues from January 4, 1862 to June 28, 1862.

It has the expected fox-hunting cartoons, largely incomprehensible to Americans of any time and probably to the English of today.  It has political cartoons ditto.  I get a strong sense that the magazine is aimed at a small community of people who know each other by name and reputation and who share a huge amount of context.  The community "feels" about the size of the alumni community for a medium-sized college.

There is a prize in this volume for those interested in history: it includes cartoons and poems resulting from the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the "Monitor and the Merrimack" battle, the first between ironclads.  The political result was the start of a crash program to convert the British Navy to ironclads.  The result in _Punch_ was a number of cartoons (e.g., "Vulcan arming Neptune") and some poems about the navy of the future.

  -John
2998117
Go Wolverines!! Being a Michigander I am very interestered in the Custer brigade. Kidd was a student at Ann Arbor when the war broke out. The book is a wonderful recollection of his service with it. Covers daily routines as well as battles. My favorite is Custers attack on Jeb Staurts cavalry at Gettysburg. Fasinating reading. I like it.
3241997
I found this book to be one of the best in covering the Battle of Antietam in a general form.  In order to study the battle with more detail one must select those available as to individual units, armies or individuals.

The publisher, Osprey Publishing,has provided an excellent and attractive format.  Mr. Norman Stevens is to congratulated on this his first publication at least with this publisher.  The details such as maps, illustrations and list of units in "Order of Battle" are excellent.

I would recommend this book for any student of the war.
3464080
Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! is an excellent overall view of the post Antietam actions of both the Federal and Confederate armies as they maneuvered to and ultimately confronted each other at the important but little publicized Civil War battle of Fredericksburg. George Rable has combined a fairly detailed battle summary along with an enormous amount of "everyday soldier" feeling to give an accurate as well as highly readable account of this predecessor to the bloody battle at Chancellorsville. The story starts with the Union troops stalled at Warrenton Va. following the delayed pursuit of the Rebel army after the monolithic battle at Antietam. Abraham Lincoln, finally resigned to the fact that George McClellan will not agressively fight Robert E. Lee, appoints the ambivalent Ambrose Burnside to command the Federal forces. After Burnside reluctantly agrees to the post (he's refused command twice before) he marches his troops with lightening quickness to Falmouth with the idea of crossing the Rappahannock River to Fredericksburg and ultimately to Richmond to capture the Rebel capital. Upon arrival at Falmouth, however, he discovers that the War Department has forgotten to provide bridge material for the river crossing and he's forced to wait...giving Lee valuable time to countermarch and entrench his troops outside Fredericksburg. Rable then takes an opportunity to really describe Union and Confederate camp life...the reader gets many first hand accounts of the incredibly horrible conditions there (this camp has been called the Valley Forge of the Civil War) and how the troops ultimately prepared for the coming battle. Rable's battle and tactics descriptions of the engagements at Prospect Hill (south of town) and the incredible encounters at the stone wall at the base of Marye's Heights are concise and expository...clearly, this confrontation was a major mistake for the Union. Rable then carries that thought further by explaining Burnside's stubborness and reluctance to change his plans in the face of defeat. The result is one of the Civil War's most sensless slaughters and the final downfall for Burnside. The book ends with the demoralized Union forces again encamped at Falmouth (following the ridiculous "Mud March"...Burnside's last ditch attempt at redemption for his army) and a new leader (Joe Hooker) ready to assume command. In the final analysis, Rable's book is well balanced with enough battle detail to satisfy the military historian while at the same time, a lot of "everyday" soldier context to make this an excellent addition to any Civil War library. I would recommend this book highly.
2934325
This is a well written and well researched book. It holds the reader's attention in a compelling manner. Easy to read. A must for all miniature war gamers especially American Civil War aficionados. Helpful to Civil War re-enactors Of general interest to all historians and antiquarians.
1403378
Civil War writers, researchers, and buffs will find a valuable source about actual Confederate troop strength in Steven Newton's book. Newton's theme is that the claim that the Confederate Army lost in the battles of 1864 due to serious manpower attrition is false. He proceeds to show, army-by-army, department-by-department that the Confederates largely made good their losses in the great battles of 1863 and started the 1864 Campaigns with roughly the same manpower levels that they enjoyed at their high water mark the previous year.
Here we get a detailed look at the Confederate Army's manpower in all its component armies, departments and commands. A descriptive narrative and new order of battle, based on the latest information and research, is provided for each organization. Newton's review of troop recruiting and movements within and between commands provides valuable background for perspective writers on Confederate grand strategy.
Newton contends that the South lost, at least in large part, due to the poor use and allocation of its troops rather than a lack of men. His case is, in considerable measure, persuasive. His orders of battle, narratives and statistics show where the troops could be found which, when added together, gave Southern commanders approximately the same number of men that they had in 1863. William Marvel, in his recent "Lee's Last Retreat" takes a similar position by showing that the Confederate troop shortage during the Appomattox Campaign was less than has been believed before.
However, it seems that Newton sometimes reached his totals by including assorted collections of backwater troops that would have been of doubtful value in major operations. He fails to sufficiently acknowledge that his 1864 troop counts for the first line armies were often achieved only through the replacement of the high quality veterans lost in 1863 with green recruits and home guard type troops from the Confederacy's interior. I believe that in this sense, the Confederacy did suffer from attrition. Notwithstanding these criticisms, reluctantly made, Newton has provided Confederate military scholars with a wonderful resource. Don't expect dramatic accounts of battles here. But within its specialty it is packed with valuable and interesting information about troop strengths in the various areas and commands of the South. The highly detailed order of battle section, about 175 pages long, alone justifies the price of this book. Readers wanting to learn more about the state of Confederate manpower in the latter part of the war should not miss this book.
4003274
This is a list not only of the early settlers of Georgia but of the first settlers of Georgia, and it is apparently a complete list of all those who were sent by the Trustees for Establishing the Colony of Georgia in America under Oglethorpe and the Earl of Egmont. Based on the Egmont manuscripts, now in the possession of the University of Georgia, this list of settlers is given under two headings: first, those who went from Europe to Georgia at the Trustees' expense; and, second, those who went on their own account. Covering the period from 1732 to 1741, these two lists together contain the names and details of 3,000 immigrants, most of whom were assigned lots in Savannah and Frederica and a good number of whom would soon leave the colony for the Carolinas.

Information pertaining to each settler consists, generally, of name, age, occupation, place of origin, names of spouse, children and other family members, dates of embarkation and arrival, place of settlement, and date of death. In addition, some of the more notorious aspects of the settlers' lives are recounted in brief, telltale sketches, which enable the researcher to divine something of the character of the colony and the times.

The Clearfield edition includes E. Merton Coulter's invaluable article on the first shipload of Georgia settlers who sailed on the Anne, 16 November 1732, which was appended to the second printing of Early Settlers in 1967.
4743620
This is a nice job or describing the battle at Bristoe Nation, when the Union forces bloodied the Army of Northern Virginia's nose. It was not a major battle, but it hinted at problems with the Confederate forces, such as A. P. Hill's leadership, the ability of the southern forces to successfully mount an offensive, George Meade's ability to handle the Army of the Potomac, and so on.

Robert E. Lee and his army had outfoxed Meade and forced his retreat by threatening his flank and rear. The voices of Washington (such as Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton) had become somewhat disillusioned with Meade after his non-aggressive movements against Lee after the battle at Gettysburg. They thought they saw more of the same as Meade was outmaneuvred.

As Meade's army retreated, Hill's corps aggressively pursued. His forces caught up with Gouverneur Warren's II Corps (Warren was standing in for Winfield Scott Hancock, who had been wounded at Gettysburg) at Bristoe Station. Although he would soon be outnumbered, Warren used the railroad as a natural defensive position and fired on Hill's troops. The Confederates charged, but the defensive position of the northern forces was too strong--and they had artillery backing as well. After a relatively short period of time, the southern forces backed off.  Lee was distressed at the heavy casualties and Hill's lax leadership.

A nicer description of the battle. As with all in this series, there is also a discussion of the battlefield today and suggestions as to how to tour the site to see key sites. Finally, these volumes have a number of appendices that flesh out the text\'s coverage. Satisfying coverage of a sharp little battle just after Gettysburg. . . .
322333
I Sir, would like to point out that you have made an erroneous error of My Families Name.  You Listed William Blackstone Johnston (My 3rd Gr-grand) as a large slaver owner, and The Owner of The Johnston-Hay House in Macon.  The actual real person you should of wrote was: William Butler Johnston.  He built the well known Johnston-Hay Home.  This has lead to many other incorrect pages on the Web, listing My William Blackstone Johnston, again as this owner.

I am very well versed in Georgia History, and you do not have enough space here, for me to write the TRUE Account of Georgia, before and after The Complete Destruction of this Beautiful State in 1864., AND of how ALL the People, White, Black, Indian..all Southern Folks, Starved, lost their Families, Lands due to The Ruthless Union Army, and after the War to The Federals during "Reconstruction".  Also, for your FYI, Many, if not Most of the Black Folks, all other Skin Color Slaves, did in fact return to their former Lands, to live out the rest of their Lives., working with their former Masters and their Families together, to rebuild what was stolen, from them.
Also, look up The Most Distinguished Professor Walter E. Williams, (who is a Black Man), and his excellent writings of the Un-Civil War.

Do yourselves a Favor and read about the Hundreds of Black Folks who drowned, by plunging into Ebenezer Creek, after following the Union Army to Savannah..The Union Army took out a Pontoon Bridge, knowing Black Folks following them, would drown., on their way to Savannah.  There is now an Official Georgia Highway Marker, dedicated to these Folks.

BETRAYAL AT EBENEZER CREEK:

Thousands of fugitive slaves watched in horror as the Union army abandoned them. Then came catastrophe-and excuses.

Union Army Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis had few complaints about the able-bodied black men who were supplying the muscle and sweat to keep his Union XIV Corps on the move with Major General William T. Sherman's 62,000-man army. The black "pioneers" were making the sandy roads passable for heavy wagons and removing obstacles that Rebel troops had placed in his path. You can find the Marker dedication recently online.

I hope during my Lifetime, more People will be Educated on Lincoln, and his "Unnecessary War".

Signed, A Proud Five Time Georgia Confederate Grand Daughter.
4452877
My great-great-grandfather was with the New York 4th Heavy Artillery at the 2nd Battle of Reams Station(25 August 1864), ending up as a POW of the Confederates for the duration at Camp Salisbury North Carolina. This contributes in a big way to a family history project I am working on
3523429
I am an avid reader of any and all things cncerning the American Civil War. I have lived in Maryland all my life. Stumbled across this book in the library and found it so good i had to buy it.

What I like best about the book is the format the author chose to use; the history unfolds chronologically by dates, its parts seperated by year. The book comes with illustrations and photographs. It is filled with little gems of information. For instance I did not know that the U.S.S Constitution (Old Ironsides) was stationed at Annapolis at the outbreak of the war. It was moved and anchored offshore to protect it from being seized or damaged by Confederate symphasizers. It was later taken to New England along with the current class of midshipmen when the U.S. navy decided ro move the acadamy from Annapolis in fear that it mght be taken by the Confederacy.

The aurhor does not delve as deeply as I would have liked into each event covered in the book, but likewise i do not think it was his intent to do so. I think he means for the book to be an interesting and easy read directed not only towards readers interested in the Civil War but also Marylanders who perhaps are unfamiliar with some of the states history and wish to learn more. If that is the case he certainly succeeded. I am very satisfied with my purchase and recmend the book to those nterested in the subject.

.
2524085
Glenn Williams has written a detailed and informative history of a little known but important Revolutionary War campaign. The North American frontier or "backcountry" of northern Pennsylania and New York, from the Mohawk to the Genesee Valley, was the site of intense conflict between Britain's Iroquois allies and American "rebel" farmers.  From 1777 on the British sought to terrorize the Pennsylvania and New York backcountry through brutal and horrific Indian attacks against colonial militia and their families.  By 1779 the new American government realized a forceful counterattack was imperative to stop this British-inspired terror campaign.  The result was a masterful military campaign orchastrated by George Washington and led by Major General John Sullivan.  Sullivan's well trained and well disciplined army of 3,000 colonial troops swept up from northern Pennsylania through the Genesee Valley (near present day Geneseo, New York) wrecking near complete destruction on Indian villages and crops. The campaign was a major success, breaking the fighting spirit of the Iroquois - notably the Seneca - and paving the way for the eventual victory of the Americans against the British.  This engaging story is told well by Williams.  His story would have been easier to follow, however, with more and better maps.
2294151
Coming off the success of their prior book with a similar name except dealing with Gettysburg (see my review here on Amazon) it was only natural for husband and wife authors James and Suzanne Gindlesperger to create another highly readable and visually appealing book dealing with another great Civil War battle.

This time around they have chosen to tackle Antietam. On that September day in 1862 approximately 23,000 men were casualties with over 3,500 paying the ultimate price. Now the well preserved battlefield stands as a monument to these men no matter which side they were fighting for or what their reason for fighting was.

Part history, part travel log, part pictorial reference this is a book that should be on the library shelves of anybody interested in the battle of Antietam or any student of Civil War memory. While not a good introduction to the battle itself this is a great book for anybody travelling the main park service roads.

While this book can certainly be read on it's own (that's what I did) it's value would be on the battlefield and for those interested in the dozens of monuments that commemorate various people, places, brigades, and more.

The book is broken into ten chapters each covering a section of the battlefield. Each chapter begins with a brief outline and includes a Mapquest map helping travellers keep their bearings. For each battlefield marker included there is a photo as well as GPS coordinates. Modern photos are sometimes supplemented by historical photos and artwork. The text accompanying each stop on the tour describes the significance of the subject and often times points out information about the physical monument including dedication dates and artist information. The four appendices cover Robert E. Lee's "Special Order 191" or his lost order, orders of battle for both sides, and a listing of Medal of Honor winners associated with the battle. I would challenge almost anybody (licensed guides and park rangers don't count) to not learn something new from this book.

With beautiful photos and and interesting and highly readable text this is surely a book that will find it's way on to the shelves of many Civil War readers. Highly recommended!
3135514
With the war largely stalemated in the northern colonies, the British Army turned south in 1779.  An expeditionary force under Major General Provost captured Savannah and threatened Charlestown, triggering an American-French response.  Continental and militia units under Major-General Benjamin Lincoln linked up with French Navy and Army units under Vice Admiral d'Estaing, encircling Savannah.  But time was not on their side...

"Savannah 1779" is an Osprey Campaign Series book, authored by Scott Martin and Bernard Harris.  The narrative reprises the Revolutionary War in the South as well as the specific campaign for Savannah.  There is plenty of background on the struggles between patriots and loyalists for control of Georgia, along with descriptions of the opposing commanders and their forces and plans.  The book includes a nice selection of period and modern illustrations, with maps, battle diagrams, and modern photographs.  Recommended as a good introduction to the topic.
1880316
This is a wonderful detailed map of the East Cavalry Field that is part of the historic Gettysburg National Battlefield. I traveled to Gettysburg last year for my first visit, but was disappointed about the lack of information on the cavalry battles that were part of the second and third days. With this map I expect to return to Gettysburg and will be an aid in research of these parts of the epic battle.