The 5 Biggest Civil War Battles: Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Spotsylvania Court House, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness

The 5 Biggest Civil War Battles: Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Spotsylvania Court House, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness PDF Author: Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781492244776
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
*Includes pictures of the battles' important generals. *Includes several maps of the battles. *Includes accounts of the battles written by important generals. *Includes a Bibliography for each battle.. Americans have long been fascinated by the Civil War, marveling at the size of the battles, the leadership of the generals, and the courage of the soldiers. Since the war's start over 150 years ago, the battles have been subjected to endless debate among historians and the generals themselves. By 1863, the Civil War had reached a level of ferocity not yet seen, and the 5 biggest battles would take place in 1863-1864, starting with Chancellorsville. Of all the Civil War battles fought, and of all the victories achieved by Robert E. Lee at the command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, the Battle of Chancellorsville is considered the most tactically complex and ultimately the most brilliant Confederate victory of the war. Despite being outnumbered by over 2-1, Lee's army won a battle that saw 30,000 casualties inflicted upon the two sides. Less than 2 months later, the Army of the Potomac and Army of Northern Virginia faced off in the most famous and biggest battle of the war at Gettysburg. Day 1 of the battle would have been one of the 25 biggest battles of the Civil War itself, and it ended with a tactical Confederate victory. But over the next two days, Lee would try and fail to dislodge the Union army with attacks on both of its flanks during the second day and Pickett's Charge on the third and final day. Meade's stout defense held, barely, repulsing each attempted assault, handing the Union a desperately needed victory that ended up being one of the Civil War's turning points. The second bloodiest battle of the Civil War came in September 1863 at Chickamauga, which saw George H. Thomas save the Union Army of the Cumberland from a disaster on the second day of the battle after a Union blunder had created a gap in the line. After nearly 35,000 casualties suffered by the two sides, Thomas prevented the destruction of the Union army by Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee, and Chickamauga's long been considered the last great chance for the Confederates in the West. With Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia continuing to frustrate the Union Army of the Potomac's attempts to take Richmond in 1862 and 1863, President Lincoln shook things up by turning command of all the armies of the United States to Ulysses S. Grant in March 1864.Attaching himself to the Army of the Potomac, Grant ordered Army of the Potomac commander George Meade, "Lee's army is your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also." At the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864), Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee had fought to a standstill in their first encounter, failing to dislodge each other despite incurring nearly 30,000 casualties between the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Despite the fierce fighting, Grant continued to push his battered but resilient army south, hoping to beat Lee's army to the crossroads at Spotsylvania Court House, but Lee's army beat Grant's to Spotsylvania and began digging in, setting the scene for on and off fighting from May 8-21 that ultimately inflicted more casualties than the Battle of the Wilderness. In fact, with over 32,000 casualties among the two sides, it was the deadliest battle of the Overland Campaign. The 5 Biggest Civil War Battles comprehensively covers all 5 battles, including the events that led up to the battle, the fighting itself, and the aftermath of the battles. Accounts of the battles by important participants are also included, along with maps of the battles and pictures of important people, places, and events. You will learn about the 5 bloodiest Civil War battles like you never have before.

The 10 Biggest Civil War Battles

The 10 Biggest Civil War Battles PDF Author: Charles River Editors
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781492188513
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Book Description
*Includes pictures of the battles' important generals. *Includes several maps of the battles. *Includes accounts of the battles written by important generals. *Includes a Bibliography for each battle.. Americans have long been fascinated by the Civil War, marveling at the size of the battles, the leadership of the generals, and the courage of the soldiers. Since the war's start over 150 years ago, the battles have been subjected to endless debate among historians and the generals themselves. The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in American history, and had the two sides realized it would take 4 years and inflict over a million casualties, it might not have been fought. Since it did, however, historians and history buffs alike have been studying and analyzing the biggest battles ever since. The 10 biggest Civil War battles were incredibly bloody, desperate fights that involved the war's most famous figures and determined the fate of several states. All told, over a quarter of a million casualties were inflicted by the two sides during the 10 largest battles, and the fates of the battles and the war itself hung in the balance. Shiloh, Stones River and Chickamauga would all feature Union heroes like Ulysses S. Grant and George H. Thomas preserving Federal control over Tennessee and Kentucky. But during those same periods of time, Robert E. Lee was leading the Army of Northern Virginia to victory over several Union commanders at Fredericksburg, Second Bull Run, and Chancellorsville. Of course, the most famous battles of the war involved the Army of the Potomac blunting Lee's offensives at Antietam and Gettysburg. Antietam was the bloodiest day of the war and forced Lee out of Maryland, allowing Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The following summer would see the biggest and most famous battle at Gettysburg. Lee would try and fail to dislodge the Union army with attacks on both of its flanks during the second day and Pickett's Charge right down the center of the line on the third and final day. Meade's stout defense held, barely, repulsing each attempted assault, handing the Union a desperately needed victory that ended up being one of the Civil War's turning points. At the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864), Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee fought to a standstill in their first encounter, failing to dislodge each other despite incurring nearly 30,000 casualties between the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Despite the fierce fighting, Grant continued to push his battered but resilient army south, hoping to beat Lee's army to the crossroads at Spotsylvania Court House, but Lee's army beat Grant's to Spotsylvania and began digging in, setting the scene for on and off fighting from May 8-21 that ultimately inflicted more casualties than the Battle of the Wilderness. In fact, with over 32,000 casualties among the two sides, it was the deadliest battle of the Overland Campaign. The 10 Biggest Civil War Battles comprehensively covers all 10 battles, including the events that led up to the battle, the fighting itself, and the aftermath of the battles. Accounts of the battles by important participants are also included, along with maps of the battles and pictures of important people, places, and events. You will learn about the 10 bloodiest Civil War battles like you never have before.

The Crisis of the Confederacy

The Crisis of the Confederacy PDF Author: Cecil William Battine
Publisher: London, New York [etc.] Longmans, Green and Company
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Generals Killed at Gettysburg

Generals Killed at Gettysburg PDF Author: Wikipedians
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783868980110
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 158

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Book Description
In this book, author and battlefield guide Joe Mieczkowski examines the Generals killed at The Battle of Gettysburg. No other Civil War battle claimed as many general officers. Of 120 generals present at Gettysburg, nine were killed or mortally wounded during the battle. Two more would die soon thereafter. The devasting loss of life among the general officers contributed to the outcome of the battle. Both North and South attempted to cope with the death of their leaders and the resulting instability. Following the battle neither army was ever the same again. The South, in particular, never recovered. We can only guess at how the war might have changed had so many not been killed. The Gettysburg Campaign In the wake of Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia (May 1-4, 1863), Lee decided to attempt a second invasion of the North. This would take pressure off Virginia's farms during the growing season, especially in the "breadbasket of the Confederacy," the Shenandoah Valley. Additionally, any victories won on Northern soil would put political pressure on Abraham Lincoln's administration to negotiate a settlement to the war, or might lead to the South's long hoped-for military alliance with England and France. The campaign began under a shadow on both sides. Union generals Hiram Berry and Amiel Whipple and Confederate general Elisha Paxton were killed at Chancellorsville. Lee's aggressive corps commander, Lieutenant General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, had been mortally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville. The Army of Northern Virginia reorganized from two corps to three, with Lt. Gen. Richard "Dick" Ewell replacing Jackson in the Second Corps and Lt. Gen. Ambrose Powell (A. P.) Hill commanding the newly formed Third Corps. Lieutenant General James Longstreet--Lee's "Old War Horse"--retained command of the First Corps. The Army of Northern Virginia was about to invade enemy territory with two of its three corps commanders newly appointed to their positions. On the Union side, the Army of the Potomac was still under the command of General Joe Hooker, who had lost the Chancellorsville battle. As reports arrived that the Confederates had crossed the Potomac and were on Northern soil, Hooker dispersed his army widely, trying to simultaneously protect the approaches to Washington, Philadelphia and Baltimore. He'd lost Lincoln's confidence, and the president made the difficult choice to replace an army commander in the face of an enemy invasion. On June 28, Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade--who had only been promoted to corps command less than six months earlier--was placed in charge of the Union's largest army. The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (July 1-July 3, 1863), was the largest battle of the American Civil War, involving around 90,000 men in the Union's Army of the Potomac under Major General George Gordon Meade and approximately 75,000 in the Confederacy's Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert Edward Lee. Casualties at Gettysburg totaled 23,000 for the Union. Confederate casualties were 28,000, more than a third of Lee's army. Largely irreplaceable losses, especially among general officers, to the South's largest army, combined with the Confederate surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, marked what is widely regarded as a turning point in the Civil War, although the conflict would continue for nearly two more years and witness several more major battles, including Chickamauga, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Nashville, etc. This book provides a useful reference to the events of Gettysburg and the devastating loss of leadership on both sides.

Chancellorsville and Gettysburg

Chancellorsville and Gettysburg PDF Author: Abner Doubleday
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
Chancellorsville And Gettysburg

Our Fathers at Gettysburg (2nd Edition)

Our Fathers at Gettysburg (2nd Edition) PDF Author: Jack L Kunkel
Publisher: Jack Kunkel
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
* Over 100 large Battlefield Maps * Loaded with Photos, Illustrations and Discussion * Integrated with online Google Maps * Integrated with YouTube Battlefield Animations Little Round Top, The Wheatfield, The Peach Orchard, Devil’s Den, the Railroad Cut, Pickett’s Charge — these were the turning points within the most important battle of the bloodiest war in American history. But even careful students of Gettysburg can find themselves confused when reading about, or visiting, the battlefield. Here, finally, is a convenient guide for serious student and casual visitor alike which covers the sweep of events and the geography of the battlefield, step by step. This guide will help you find all the important locales and understand what the participants saw in 1863, even if you have no prior knowledge of the battle. Designed to enhance the experience of both those reading about the battle for the first time, as well as Civil War “Ahololics”, this guide can be used alone, or as a great way to prepare for a future visit to the battlefield. Clearly written and illustrated with maps, photographs and illustrations, this 2nd Edition of this book is the one to have if you really want to understand step by step what happened during those three terrible days at Gettysburg.

Chancellorsville and Gettysburg: Campaigns of the Civil War - VI

Chancellorsville and Gettysburg: Campaigns of the Civil War - VI PDF Author: Abner Doubleday
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 161310748X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Fight Like the Devil

Fight Like the Devil PDF Author: Chris Mackowski
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1611212286
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 395

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Book Description
“Gives the reader an excellent readable narrative of the first day of battle . . . [and] an incredible driving tour which closes each chapter.” —Matthew Bartlett, Gettysburg Chronicle Do not bring on a general engagement, Confederate General Robert E. Lee warned his commanders. The Army of Northern Virginia, slicing its way through south-central Pennsylvania, was too spread out, too vulnerable, for a full-scale engagement with its old nemesis, the Army of the Potomac. Too much was riding on this latest Confederate invasion of the North. Too much was at stake. As Confederate forces groped their way through the mountain passes, a chance encounter with Federal cavalry on the outskirts of a small Pennsylvania crossroads town triggered a series of events that quickly escalated beyond Lee’s—or anyone’s—control. Waves of soldiers materialized on both sides in a constantly shifting jigsaw of combat. “You will have to fight like the devil . . .” one Union cavalryman predicted. The costliest battle in the history of the North American continent had begun. July 1, 1863 remains the most overlooked phase of the battle of Gettysburg, yet it set the stage for all the fateful events that followed. Bringing decades of familiarity to the discussion, historians Chris Mackowski, Kristopher D. White, and Daniel T. Davis, in their always-engaging style, recount the action of that first day of battle and explore the profound implications in Fight Like the Devil. “The book, written in the series’ accessible style, includes more than 100 illustrations, new maps and analysis.” —Longwood Magazine

All Roads Led to Gettysburg

All Roads Led to Gettysburg PDF Author: Troy D. Harman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0811770656
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 357

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Book Description
It has long been a trope of Civil War history that Gettysburg was an accidental battlefield. General Lee, the old story goes, marched blindly into Pennsylvania while his chief cavalryman Jeb Stuart rode and raided incommunicado. Meanwhile, General Meade, in command only a few days, gave uncertain chase to an enemy whose exact positions he did not know. And so these ignorant armies clashed by first light at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. In the spirit of his iconoclastic Lee’s Real Plan at Gettysburg, Troy D. Harman argues for a new interpretation: once Lee invaded Pennsylvania and the Union army pursued, a battle at Gettysburg was entirely predictable, perhaps inevitable. Most Civil War battles took place along major roads, railroads, and waterways; the armies needed to move men and equipment, and they needed water for men, horses, and artillery. And yet this perspective hasn’t been fully explored when it comes to Gettysburg. Look at an 1863 map, says Harman: look at the area framed in the north by the Susquehanna River and in the south by the Potomac, in the east by the Northern Central Railroad and in the west by the Cumberland Valley Railroad. This is where the armies played a high-stakes game of chess in late June 1863. Their movements were guided by strategies of caution and constrained by roads, railroads, mountains and mountain passes, rivers and creeks, all of which led the armies to Gettysburg. It’s true that Lee was disadvantaged by Stuart’s roaming and Meade by his newness to command, which led both to default to the old strategic and logistical bedrocks they learned at West Point—and these instincts helped reinforce the magnetic pull toward Gettysburg. Moreover, once the battle started, Harman argues, the blue and gray fought tactically for the two creeks—Marsh and Rock, essential for watering men and horses and sponging artillery—that mark the battlefield in the east and the west as well as for the roadways that led to Gettysburg from all points of the compass. This is a perspective often overlooked in many accounts of the battle, which focus on the high ground—the Round Tops, Cemetery Hill—as key tactical objectives. Gettysburg Ranger and historian Troy Harman draws on a lifetime of researching the Civil War and more than thirty years of studying the terrain of Gettysburg and south-central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland to reframe the story of the Battle of Gettysburg. In the process he shows there’s still much to say about one of history’s most written-about battles. This is revisionism of the best kind.

War in the East

War in the East PDF Author: John Cannan
Publisher: Smithmark Publishers
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
The battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg are brought to life by the first-hand accounts of some of the generals who made battlefield decisions and some of the common soldiers who carried out the dirty deeds of warfare.