The Everything Civil War Book: Everything you need to know about the conflict that divided a nation

by Brooke C Stoddard, Daniel P Murphy

Overview

North against South. Grant versus Lee. Brother against brother. The Civil War split the nation into two warring parties and shaped American history and culture dramatically. This book provides a complete survey of the warÆs major events, including:

• Profiles of the Civil WarÆs great leaders
• The struggle for African-American freedom
• Military strategy and weaponry
• Landmark historical documents like the Gettysburg Address
• A detailed Civil War timeline

The heroicùand tragicùstories of the Civil War come alive in this extraordinary retelling, combining a compelling historical commentary with fascinating insights into the most prominent characters of that era.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605507200
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	05/18/2009
Series:	Everything® Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

An Adams Media author.

Table of Contents

The Top Ten Facts about the American Civil War x

Introduction xi

1 Causes of the Civil War 1

Regional Differences 2

Expansion and States' Rights 3

The Issue of Slavery 5

The Life of a Slave 6

The Fugitive Slave Act and the Underground Railroad 8

The Many Voices of Abolition 9

The Dred Scott Decision 12

Bleeding Kansas 13

John Brown's Harpers Ferry Raid 14

Secession 15

2 On the Eve of War 19

The Nation Splits 20

The Union 21

The Confederate States of America 23

The Border States 26

Making Armies and Officers 29

Union and Confederate Cabinet Officers 31

3 Lincoln and Davis: Leaders of the North and South 35

Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis 36

Abraham Lincoln's Childhood Years 37

Lincoln's Early Politics 39

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates 40

Lincoln's First Presidential Election 42

Jefferson Davis: A Short Biography 44

4 Military Leaders of the North and South 49

Politics and Generals 50

Winfield Scott 51

George B. McClellan 52

Ulysses S. Grant 53

William Tecumseh Sherman 55

David Farragut 56

Robert E. Lee 57

Jeb Stuart 59

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson 60

Pierre G. T. Beauregard 62

Joseph E. Johnston 62

Other Important Military Figures 63

5 The Course of the War: 1861 67

Besieging Fort Sumter 68

The Fall of Fort Sumter 70

The Anaconda Plan and the Beginning of the Blockade 72

The First Battle of Manassas 74

Attacking Port Royal Sound and the Outer Banks 76

Ball's Bluff and Belmont 77

6 The Course of the War: 1862 Part I 81

Fort Henry 82

Fort Donelson 83

Peninsular Campaign Begins 85

The Battle of Shiloh 87

The Valley Campaign 89

The Seven Days Battles 91

7 The Course of theWar: 1862 Part II 95

Jackson Versus Pope in Virginia 96

Second Manassas 97

Antietam 98

The Invasion of Kentucky 101

Target Vicksburg 103

Fredericksburg 104

8 The Course of the War: 1863 Part I 107

Murfreesboro 108

Grant Maneuvers Against Vicksburg 109

The Battle of Chancellorsville 110

Lee Moves North 112

Victory on the Mississippi 114

Cavalry Raids North and South 116

9 The Course of the War: 1863 Part II 119

Gettysburg 120

Lee Versus Meade after Gettysburg 124

The Battle of Chickamauga 125

Chattanooga Besieged 128

The Battle of Chattanooga 129

Knoxville Relieved 130

10 The Course of the War: 1864 Part I 133

That Devil Forrest 134

Up the Red River 135

Battles of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania 136

The Drive on Atlanta 139

Confederate Success at Richmond and New Market, Virginia 140

From Cold Harbor to Petersburg 141

11 The Course of the War: 1864 Part II 143

General Early Heads for Washington, D.C. 144

Sherman Wins Atlanta 144

The Struggle for the Shenandoah Valley 146

Hood Heads for Tennessee 148

Sherman Marches to the Sea 149

Lincoln's Second Presidential Election 151

12 The End of the Civil War 155

Sherman's March Through the Carolinas 156

The Collapsing Confederacy 157

The Final Battles Around Petersburg 159

The Surrender of Robert E. Lee 161

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln 165

Flight of the Confederate Government 168

Very Last Battles 169

13 War off the Battlefield 171

Naval Warfare Begins 172

The Monitor Versus the Merrimac 175

Island No. 10 176

The Battle of New Orleans 178

The Battle of Memphis 179

The Battle of Mobile Bay 181

Sabotage and Far-Fetched Plots 182

Guerilla Warfare 184

14 The War in the West and Other Places 185

The War in Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas 186

The War in Texas 189

War in Florida 190

War in the Far West 191

War on the Atlantic and Pacific 192

The "War" in Europe 195

15 Weapons of War 199

Weapons Innovations 200

Small Arms 200

Muskets and Rifles 201

Handguns 206

Swords and Sabers 207

Artillery 208

16 Life in the Service 213

Camp Life 214

Uniforms 219

What the Average Soldier Wore 221

Flags of the North and South 225

17 Horrors of War 229

Battlefield Conditions 230

Casualties 232

Prisoners of War 234

Battlefield Medicine 238

War Doctors 240

Nurses and Clara Barton 241

18 Away from the Mainstream 243

African-American Participation in the Civil War 244

Ethnic Makeup of the Civil War 248

Chronicling the Civil War 250

Photography 251

Espionage During the Civil War 253

Women and Children on the Battlefield 255

19 Family Life During the Civil War 259

America on the Eve of Destruction 260

Family Life 262

City Life 266

Farm Life 269

Plantation Life 270

Religion 273

20 Reconstruction and Remembrance 275

Reconstruction 276

Confederate Exiles 280

The Official End of Slavery 282

African Americans after the War 283

Appendix A The Civil War Timeline 286

Appendix B Resources 299

Index 301