Chancellorsville: The Battle and Its Aftermath / Edition 2

by Gary W. Gallagher

Overview

A variety of important but lesser-known dimensions of the Chancellorsville campaign of spring 1863 are explored in this collection of eight original essays. Departing from the traditional focus on generalship and tactics, the contributors address the campaign's broad context and implications and revisit specific battlefield episodes that have in the past been poorly understood.

Chancellorsville was a remarkable victory for Robert E. Lee's troops, a fact that had enormous psychological importance for both sides, which had met recently at Fredericksburg and would meet again at Gettysburg in just two months. But the achievement, while stunning, came at an enormous cost: more than 13,000 Confederates became casualties, including Stonewall Jackson, who was wounded by friendly fire and died several days later.

The topics covered in this volume include the influence of politics on the Union army, the importance of courage among officers, the impact of the war on children, and the state of battlefield medical care. Other essays illuminate the important but overlooked role of Confederate commander Jubal Early, reassess the professionalism of the Union cavalry, investigate the incident of friendly fire that took Stonewall Jackson's life, and analyze the military and political background of Confederate colonel Emory Best's court-martial on charges of abandoning his men.

Contributors
Keith S. Bohannon, Pennsylvania State University and Greenville, South Carolina
Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia
A. Wilson Greene, Petersburg, Virginia
John J. Hennessy, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Robert K. Krick, Fredericksburg, Virginia
James Marten, Marquette University
Carol Reardon, Pennsylvania State University
James I. Robertson Jr., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807859704
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	02/01/2009
Series:	Military Campaigns of the Civil War
Edition description:	2
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Gary W. Gallagher is John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia. His books include Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War (UNC Press).

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Gallagher . . . approaches Civil War battles differently. . . . He has assembled experts to address specific subjects. . . . And their subjects are challenging and varied.—The Washington Times

An . . . important analysis of the Civil War as portrayed by the country's cultural historians—filmmakers and artists. . . . Highly Recommended—Choice

Fuses Civil War military and cultural history in a particularly readable and entertaining manner.—Canadian Journal of History

A fascinating and informative book. . . . Highly recommended to students of the Civil War and Civil War enthusiasts who are looking for an examination of the misinformation that movies and art present.—Curled Up with a Good Book

The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1862 is marked by fine scholarship and good writing. . . . Fills the void in the studies of the legendary campaign and provokes further inquiry. . . . Highly Recommended.—North & South

Chancellorsville is a valuable addition to the historiography and should be mandatory reading for all students of the Civil War.—History: Reviews of New Books

This innovative and highly readable book should be attractive to all students of the Civil War.—Society of Civil War Historians Newsletter

Gary Gallagher has again shown why he is a master editor-historian. These fresh, engrossing interpretations deserve book-length expansion. Gallagher and his colleagues have paved the way for the writing of 'new' history of the 'old' war.—Civil War History

Some of the most important and innovative scholarship on Civil War battles and their political and social impact has appeared in the volumes of the Military Campaigns of the Civil War series. I strongly recommend these essays to everyone who is interested in the latest findings and interpretations.—James M. McPherson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Era of the Civil War

Editorial Reviews

"Gallagher . . . approaches Civil War battles differently. . . . He has assembled experts to address specific subjects. . . . And their subjects are challenging and varied."
-- "The Washington Times"

"Gallagher and his colleagues have paved the way for the writing of 'new' history of the 'old' war."
-- "Civil War History"

"This innovative and highly readable book should be attractive to all students of the Civil War."
-- "Society of Civil War Historians Newsletter"

""Chancellorsville" is a valuable addition to the historiography and should be mandatory reading for all students of the Civil War."

"History: Reviews of New Books"

From the Publisher