The Civil War For Dummies
Keith D. Dickson
Language: English
Pages: 408
ISBN: 0764552449
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Civil War was America's trial by fire; its battles forged the nation we know today. We're still fascinated with it -- the national reckoning with slavery, the legendary generals and leaders, the epic and bloody clashes of armies, the impact on the daily lives of ordinary people. We visit its battlefields -- mostly idyllic patches of countryside near small towns and creeks -- where more Americans died in combat than in all other wars combined, except for World War Two. And we tell its stories -- of last charges, brother fighting brother, imprisonment and emancipation, and tragedy and rebirth. It is our country's epic; the story of how we became who we are, and what price we paid. The Civil War For Dummies is your complete introduction to this seminal conflict. Eschewing tedious historical pondering and military micro--analysis, this fun and information--rich guide gives an accurate overview of the event, from the war's causes through the fighting to the aftermath. Inside you'll discover: 1850--1860: what led to war * First Bull Run: illusions lost * Antietam: the bloodiest day * The Emancipation Proclamation * Heroes and goats of each major battle * Jackson's Valley Campaign * Sherman's March to the Sea * Surrender at Appomattox * And much more Full of sidebars and illustrations, The Civil War For Dummies brings history to life with personalities, factoids, battle reports, strategic maps, and "what ifs." In addition to the military and political history, you'll also find out about: * The African American experience in the war * Women and the Civil War * Native Americans and the war * The life of the common soldier * Banking and finance systems and the war "Firsts" that make the Civil War history's first modern war * Civil War food * Civil War tourism: the best battlefields to visit, and how to get the most out of your trip Written in an accessible style so you can start reading at any point in the story, The Civil War For Dummies makes a great cornerstone for learning about this violent and compelling chapter of American history.
expected to see the Union army surrounded by his forces the next morning — but the Yankees had quietly marched northward overnight on the main road past sleeping Confederates not more than 100 yards away. Hood had not made his instructions clear, and the road was left unguarded. Thus Hood’s best opportunity to affect the campaign slipped away. For if Hood had caught Schofield and beat his army, chances are that Hood may have been able to move north, pulling forces away from Sherman and Grant to
Whigs and Know-Nothings combined to nominate Millard Fillmore, a man who has come to personify the political nonentity in our history. The Know-Nothings refused to even mention slavery, preferring to say only “the Union is in peril.” Politics becomes sectional The 1856 presidential election is important because it revealed the realignment of national politics by region. Although the Republicans lost the election to Buchanan, the party dominated the North, with the exception of a few key
that allowed the Confederacy to be nearly self-sufficient in war production, despite the blockade. His contribution to the Southern war effort was inestimable. Getting food to the soldiers If it is true that an army travels on its stomach, then the most hated man in the ever-hungry Confederate armies had to be Lucius Northrop, the commissary, who had the thankless job of supplying food for the troops. Northrop was, indeed, the most hated man in the entire Confederate government. Personally
slow him down; promoted to Lieutenant General, Hood took command of the Army of Tennessee in 1864. Now the tide turns to Hood as one of the worst Generals of the Civil War. Hood was a brilliant officer at the brigade and division levels, but he had no business commanding an army. The command responsibilities are different, and the demands are greater. Hood throughout the war had depended on courage and violent assault to overwhelm the enemy. While that tactic can work well at the brigade level,
offensive strategy. Badly outnumbered, he nonetheless assembled a strong army by using rail movement to mass the Confederacy’s combat power at a strategic point. Leaving Richmond largely defenseless, Lee took the offensive in a bold gamble to drive the Union army from Richmond and force the enemy to give up the fight. Yet Lee, too, had his difficulties. The army he had was an ad hoc organization, thrown together at the last minute. Lee compounded this difficulty with very complex battle plans