Download or read book A Yankee Horseman in the Shenandoah Valley written by David J. Coles and published by Univ. of Tennessee Press. This book was released on 2012-06-15 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In many ways, John H. Black typified the thousands of volunteers who fought for the Union during the Civil War. Born in 1834 and raised on his family’s farm near Allegheny Township, Pennsylvania, Black taught school until he, like many Pennsylvanians, rushed to defend the Union after the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861. He served with the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, one of the Union’s most unruly, maligned, and criticized units.Consistently outperformed early in the conflict, the Twelfth finally managed to salvage much of its reputation by the end of the war. Throughout his service, Black penned frequent and descriptive letters to his fiancée and later wife, Jennie Leighty Black. This welcome volume presents this complete correspondence for the first time, offering a surprisingly full record of the cavalryman’s service from 1862 to 1865 and an intimate portrait of a wartime romance. In his letters, Black reveals his impassioned devotion to the cause, frequently expressing his disgust toward those who would not enlist and his frustration with friends who were not appropriately patriotic. Despite the Twelfth Pennsylvania’s somewhat checkered history, Black consistently praises both the regiment’s men and their service and demonstrates a strong camaraderie with his fellow soldiers. He offers detailed descriptions of the regiment’s vital operations in protecting Unionists and tracking down and combating guerrillas, in particular John Singleton Mosby and his partisan rangers, providing a rare first-person account of Union counterinsurgency tactics in the Lower Shenandoah Valley. In the midst of portraying heated and chaotic military operations, Black makes Jennie a prominent character in his war, illustrating the various ways in which the conflict altered or nurtured romantic relationships. One of the few compilations of letters by a long-term Yankee cavalry member and the only such collection by a member of the Twelfth Pennsylvania, A Yankee Horseman in the Shenandoah Valley provides new insights into the brutal, confused guerrilla fighting that occurred in northwestern Virginia. Moreover, these letters make a significant contribution toward an emerging consensus that Yankee cavalry—often maligned and contrasted with their celebrated Confederate foes—became a superior fighting force as the war progressed. David J. Coles, professor of history at Longwood University, is the associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Civil War, coauthor of Sons of Garibaldi in Blue and Gray, and coeditor of the Encyclopedia of the American Civil War. Stephen D. Engle, professor of history at Florida Atlantic University, is the author of Yankee Dutchman: The Life of Franz Sigel, Don Carlos Buell: Most Promising of All, and Struggle for the Heartland: The Campaigns from Fort Henry to Corinth.

Download or read book Recalling Deeds Immortal written by William B. Lees and published by University Press of Florida. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One hundred and fifty years ago, Florida was shaken by battle, blockade, economic deprivation, and the death of native sons both within and far outside its borders. Today, tributes to the valor and sacrifice of Florida’s soldiers, sailors, and civilians can be found from the Panhandle to the Keys. Authors Lees and Gaske look at the diversity of Civil War monuments built in Florida between Reconstruction and the present day, elucidating their emblematic and social dimensions. Most monuments built in Florida honor the Confederacy, praising the valor of Southern soldiers and often extolling the righteousness of their “Lost Cause.” At the same time, a fascinating minority of Union monuments also exists in the state—and these bear notably muted messages. Recalling Deeds Immortal shows how the creation of these bronze and stone monuments created new social battlegrounds as, over the years, groups such as the Ladies’ Memorial Associations, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Grand Army of the Republic competed to control the messages behind the memorialization of fallen soldiers and veterans. Examining the evolution of Civil War monuments, the authors demonstrate that the construction of these memorials is itself an important part of Civil War and post-Civil War history.

Download or read book Veterans North and South written by Paul A. Cimbala and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-07-14 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based largely on Civil War veterans' own words, this book documents how many of these men survived the extraordinary horrors and hardships of war with surprising resilience and went on to become productive members of their communities in their post-war lives. Nothing transforms "dry, boring history" into fascinating and engaging stories like learning about long-ago events through the words of those who lived them. What was it like to witness—and participate in—the horrors of a war that lasted four years and claimed over half a million lives, and then emerge as a survivor into a drastically changed world? Veterans North and South: The Transition from Soldier to Civilian after the American Civil War takes readers back to this unimaginable time through the words of Civil War soldiers who fought on both sides, illuminating their profound, life-changing experiences during the war and in the postbellum period. The book covers the period from the surrender of the armies of the Confederacy to the return of the veterans to their homes. It follows them through their readjustment to civilian life and to family life while addressing their ability—and in some cases, inability—to become productive members of society. By surveying Civil War veterans' individual stories, readers will gain an in-depth understanding of these soldiers' sacrifices and comprehend how these discrete experiences coalesced to form America's memory of this war as a nation.

Download or read book Lee s Last Retreat written by William Marvel and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2006-02-01 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few events in Civil War history have generated such deliberate mythmaking as the retreat that ended at Appomattox. As the popular imagination would have it, Robert E. Lee's tattered, starving, but devoted troops found themselves hopelessly surrounded thro

Download or read book Li l Bud written by William Reynolds and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2004-06 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Li'l Bud is an easy and interesting read. Those readers who like fiction should be satisfied with Reynolds' new novel. -Blake A. Magner -The Civil War News, April 2005 Ruth Danson, a feisty seventeen-year-old Pennsylvania farm-girl abandons her family in the spring of 1863 to be with the man she loves, nineteen-year-old William Jay Lytell, a private with John Mosby's 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry-the famed Mosby's Rangers. Through the lush panoramic beauty of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and across the vast expanse of war-ravaged Virginia, Li'l Bud thunders across the pages in a maelstrom of cannon smoke and musket fire. Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant; Phil Sheridan and George Custer; A.P. Hill and Winfield Scott Hancock are seen through the eyes of Li'l Bud and Jay as they fight and love through the killing years of the Civil War. It is the heartbreaking story of sister against brother as Ruth rides against her brother David of the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry. In raids and skirmishes Li'l Bud encounters hometown friends in the Ringgold and 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry blurring the lines between North and South. Amidst the flames and anguished cries as the Shenandoah Valley burns from Union torches, Li'l Bud, with a pair of Colt .44s and her faithful chestnut filly, Princess, will let nothing stand in the way of love in the arms of William Jay.

Download or read book Cavalryman of the Lost Cause written by Jeffry D. Wert and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-09-22 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now in paperback, this major biography of J.E.B. Stuart—the first in two decades—uses newly available documents to draw the fullest, most accurate portrait of the legendary Confederate cavalry commander ever published. • Major figure of American history: James Ewell Brown Stuart was the South’s most successful and most colorful cavalry commander during the Civil War. Like many who die young (Stuart was thirty-one when he succumbed to combat wounds), he has been romanticized and popular- ized. One of the best-known figures of the Civil War, J.E.B. Stuart is almost as important a figure in the Confederate pantheon as Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. • Most comprehensive biography to date: Cavalryman of the Lost Cause is based on manuscripts and unpublished letters as well as the latest Civil War scholarship. Stuart’s childhood and family are scrutinized, as is his service in Kansas and on the frontier before the Civil War. The research in this biography makes it the authoritative work.

Download or read book The Horseman of the Shenandoah written by Bliss Isely and published by Literary Licensing, LLC. This book was released on 2011-10-01 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Tarnished Victory written by William Marvel and published by HMH. This book was released on 2011-11-15 with total page 517 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “full and insightful” account of the Civil War’s final year from the award-winning author of Lee’s Last Retreat (Publishers Weekly). Beginning with the Virginia and Atlanta campaigns of May 1864 and closing with the final surrender of Confederate forces in June 1865, Tarnished Victory follows the course of the Civil War’s final year. As the death toll rises with each bloody battle, the home front is devastated and the nation suffers incredible losses on both sides of the political divide. Victory in the North required great sacrifice, and here, “first-rate scholar,” William Marvel considers what that sacrifice was worth in the aftermath of 1865, as Abraham Lincoln’s political heirs failed to carry through on the occupation of the South, resulting in a tarnished victory (Booklist). Just as he did in Mr. Lincoln Goes to War, Lincoln’s Darkest Year, and The Great Task Remaining, the prize-winning historian has drawn on personal letters, newspaper articles of the time, and official documents and records to create an illuminating work of revisionist history that ultimately considers the true cost of Lincoln’s war.

Download or read book The Fellers Called Him Bill Book Ii written by P. J. Kearns and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2012-10-22 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fellers Called Him Bill is a story of the American Civil War by P.J. Kearns. It is a thoroughly engaging account of the Great Rebellion following one young mans incredible journey through it. The generously illustrated narrative is presented as a three volume set Book 1 - Secession and the Outbreak of War Book 2 - The Rebellion Intensifies Book 3 - The Final Desperate Fighting and the Aftermath of War The story touches on the military, social, political, and economic realities of the era while introducing the larger-than-life Americans who shaped history in the mid 19th century. Loaded with fascinating anecdotes, photos, drawings, and maps. The Fellers Called Him Bill offers the reader a compelling narrative covering the most incredible period in American history. For a student of American History, the set of books would serve as an excellent source of material.

Download or read book Portraits of Conflict written by Ben H. Severance and published by University of Arkansas Press. This book was released on 2012-11-01 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Alabama in the Civil War is the tenth volume in this acclaimed series showing the human side of the country’s great national conflict. Over 230 photographs of soldiers and civilians from Alabama, many never seen before, are accompanied by their personal stories and woven into the larger narrative of the war both on the battlefield and the home front.

Download or read book Southern Hero written by Samuel J. Martin and published by Stackpole Books. This book was released on 2001 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a member of a distinguished South Carolina family, Matthew Calbraith Butler led a most interesting life. His cavalry service during the Civil War saw him rise from regimental captain to major general in command of a division. He began the war with Jeb Stuart and participated in all of his early campaigns. Butler was wounded in the battle at Brandy Station and lost his foot as a result, but he returned to duty and the battles outside of Richmond in 1864, then hurried South to resist Sherman's advance into South Carolina. Unlike many other Confederate generals, Butler remained influential after the War. He served in the U.S. Senate for eighteen years, oversaw the end of Reconstruction in South Carolina, and was a major general during the Spanish-American War.

Download or read book Spies of the Confederacy written by John Bakeless and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2011-11-02 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating and well-documented account of the true-life exploits of famous and obscure Southern spies who served the Southern cause. Essential reading for Civil War buffs, American History students and spy story aficionados..

Download or read book Four Valiant Years in the Lower Shenandoah Valley 1861 1865 written by Laura Virginia Hale and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 570 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Union Cavalry Comes of Age written by Eric J Wittenberg and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2018-05-14 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An award-winning cavalry historian shares a myth-busting look at how the Union cavalry surpassed its Confederate counterpart and helped win the Civil War. The Army of the Potomac’s mounted units suffered early in the Civil War at the hands of the horsemen of the South. However, by 1863, the Federal cavalry had evolved into a fearsome fighting machine. Despite the numerous challenges occupying officers and politicians, as well as the harrowing existence of troopers in the field, the Northern cavalry helped turn the tide of war much earlier than is generally acknowledged. In this expertly researched volume, historian Eric J. Wittenberg describes how the Union cavalry became the largest, best-mounted, and best-equipped force of horse soldiers the world had ever seen. The 1863 consolidation of numerous scattered Federal units created a force to be reckoned with—a single corps ten thousand strong. Wittenberg’s research thoroughly debunks the narrative that the Confederate “cavaliers” were the superior force.

Download or read book Conflict of Command written by George C. Rable and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2023-08-30 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fraught relationship between Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan is well known, so much so that many scholars rarely question the standard narrative casting the two as foils, with the Great Emancipator inevitably coming out on top over his supposedly feckless commander. In Conflict of Command, acclaimed Civil War historian George C. Rable rethinks that stance, providing a new understanding of the interaction between the president and his leading wartime general by reinterpreting the political aspects of their partnership. Rable pays considerable attention to Lincoln’s cabinet, Congress, and newspaper editorials, revealing the role each played in shaping the dealings between the two men. While he surveys McClellan’s military campaigns as commander of the Army of the Potomac, Rable focuses on the political fallout of the fighting rather than the tactical details. This broadly conceived approach highlights the army officers and enlisted men who emerged as citizen-soldiers and political actors. Most accounts of the Lincoln-McClellan feud solely examine one of the two individuals, and the vast majority adopt a steadfast pro-Lincoln position. Taking a more neutral view, Rable deftly shows how the relationship between the two developed in a political context and ultimately failed spectacularly, profoundly altering the course of the Civil War itself.

Download or read book Soldiering in the Army of Northern Virginia written by Joseph T. Glatthaar and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2011-06-15 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this sophisticated quantitative study, Joseph T. Glatthaar provides a comprehensive narrative and statistical analysis of many key aspects of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Serving as a companion to Glatthaar's General Lee's Army: From Victory to Collapse, this book presents Glatthaar's supporting data and major conclusions in extensive and extraordinary detail. While gathering research materials for General Lee's Army, Glatthaar compiled quantitative data on the background and service of 600 randomly selected soldiers--150 artillerists, 150 cavalrymen, and 300 infantrymen--affording him fascinating insight into the prewar and wartime experience of Lee's troops. Soldiering in the Army of Northern Virginia presents the full details of this fresh, important primary research in a way that is useful to scholars and students and appeals to anyone with a serious interest in the Civil War. While confirming much of what is believed about the army, Glatthaar's evidence challenges some conventional thinking in significant ways, such as showing that nearly half of all Lee's soldiers lived in slaveholding households (a number higher than previously thought), and provides a broader and fuller portrait of the men who served under General Lee.

Download or read book West Virginia and the Civil War written by Mark A Snell and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2010-06-07 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of the state’s creation, its citizens, and their contributions to the war effort—whether supporters of the Union or Confederacy. The only state born as a result of the Civil War, West Virginia was the most divided state in the nation. About forty thousand of its residents served in the combatant forces about twenty thousand on each side. The Mountain State also saw its fair share of battles, skirmishes, raids and guerrilla warfare, with places like Harpers Ferry, Philippi and Rich Mountain becoming household names in 1861. When the Commonwealth of Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861, leaders primarily from the northwestern region of the state began the political process that eventually led to the creation of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Renowned Civil War historian Mark A. Snell has written the first thorough history of these West Virginians and their civil war in more than fifty years.