The American Civil War is one of the most written about conflicts in history. Available in used condition with free delivery in the UK. He decided there needed to be a peace between the two regions so they needed to begin acting that way immediately. Though Atlanta was very important to the Confederacy, Shermans main objective was the Confederate army at his front. What factors contributed to this different attitude? Where I do feel the author falls a little short is getting to the point. While the South threatened to secede, the North wasnt takeing it serious. Coach Phillips. Were their other issues besides slavery that led to conflict between the North and South? The north had a trained army and professionally assembled military weapons. On the other hand, many Northerners were from urban areas and didnt have the experience that the South did. election posed two different views. Once the Army of the Tennessee surrounded the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga, Bragg divided his troops, sending Longstreet and 12,000 men to Knoxville along with his cavalry. The Civil War by Bruce Catton The Union on Trial XIII. This particular edition is in a Hardcover format. Catton's survey of the final year of the Civil War shows that it was both triumphant and devastating for all who were involved. You aluded to this in your answer. Mom bought the book club editions for me back in the early '60s. So, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that this good, solid overview of the conflict does not go much into the details of the numerous battles - even Gettysburg. Someone told me this was Brad Birzer's favorite general history of the Civil War. Chapter 14 After the loss at the Battle of Antietam, the British backed off a little. An interesting fact, General Beauregard was a student of Major Andersons at West Point. What two commanders faced off in the Battle of Fort Sumter? In the long line of Civil War historians, Catton is arguably the most prolific and popular of all, with Shelby Foote his only conceivable rival. Another reason was because the South lost. The Union retreated, having lost 17,000 men. Oliver Jensen, who succeeded him as editor of American Heritage magazine, wrote: "There is a near-magic power of imagination in Catton's work that seemed to project him physically into the battlefields, along the dusty roads and to the campfires of another age.". What changes were made by the South? How was the cavalry primarily used in overall strategy? Chapter 6-Discusses the fighting of the summer of 1862 which was the high mark for the Confederate forces during the war. Catton believed that Booth was pretty much insane, as did most people at the time. Chapter Nine: McClellan was a very organized man and cautious with his troops. Describe McDowells and Beauregards strategies at Bull Run. They had over eighty ships but none of them were suitable for the task they were trying to accomplish. The Democratic party was opposed to the way of thinking in the Union party they wanted a softer war or no war at all. After the Union loss at the battle of Bull Run, McClellan replaced McDowell as the leader of the Union armies. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Mariner Books; Reprint edition (December 14, 2004). He wanted the country to forget about the issue of slavery and think about the development of Western lands (specifically a transcontinental railroad). Unlike his previous trilogy, these books emphasized not only military topics, but social, economic, and political topics as well. Ch. 4. Also, many people in the Confederacy had their own horses they could provide for the war while the North had to buy horses to supply the cavalry. The first thing he did was move his forces in a way that simulated an attack then he quickly moved his forces in the opposite direction and flanked Bragg and forced him to retreat. What was their objective in attacking Grant at Pittsburg Landing (Battle of Shiloh)? Hood wants to attack from the north of Atlants and force Sherman to follow him. Grant tried to solve this problem in all four possible ways. (LogOut/ 1. In order for the war to be won, Lincoln had to secure the border states. Describe the intimate relationship between the leaders on both sides. The Civil War Summary The Civil War by Bruce Catton. Ch. Although he made the Union army retreat, Bragg might have completely destroyed the Army of the Cumberland if he had tried. This would not be the neat, short, "limited" war both sides had envisioned. (I will read Shelby Foote's trilogy for the full account.) Everybody was trying to get rich on the back of this unlucky army and the policies of the political powers of the day. What battle ended his offensive? He speaks about the events which lead up to the war, and his analyses of them. "The Civil War" is a good surface exploration of a topic that has inspired countless volumes of books, and will continue to do so for many years to come. The third way was going through the Yazoo River and land north of Vicksburg and attack in force but they ran into Fort Pemberton which turkey-shot the Union boats. How was Lincolns funeral used by the Radical Republicans for political purposes? Although they were moving toward Atlanta, the objective of this campaign was not to capture Atlanta but to destroy the Confederate army under Joe Johnston. That is an excellent point. I would recommend it to all, but especially to ones who are just learning about the Civil War. The Confederate soldiers would deposit all weapons at their state capitals and sign a pledge not to take up arms again. McClellan was very organized and cautious with his troops. The soldiers lacked extra clothes and boots and their animals were also lacking materials to keep them upright. Textile industries werent consuming the amount of cotten they needed, so they turned to woolen fabrics allowing raw wool to also be in demand. American Reformers, 1815-1860, Revised Edition, Catton is one of the masters of ACW history, An excellent account of the American Civil War, the waste the lack of trained soldiers and leaders. They did not have a substantial number of steam boats yet. Davis cabinet was of very little help to him in spite of having some capable men. Tension was all over continental united states. Bruce Catton makes it very clear that the majority of training time was spent in formations. Catton thought it was absurd because it was focused on areas where the United States authority was not effective. More than 40 percent of wheat Great Britain imported was from the US. The real strength is how he tells about the battles from the soldiers' points of view. Hooker planned to use his calvary to cut off Lees communication with Richmond. "Everything we have come to expect from Catton: scholarly, judicious, clear and unfailingly interesting." Lee was able to split his forces because he knew that Pope and McClellan were both deliberate in there moverments. 1. Beauregard and Johnston combined their armies because of the conflict they were in. If you arent, I am sorry to ruin your Christmas break. These things had to be done in the light, dark, calm, and heat of battle. BP. The battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg were both extremely significant. England got what she wanted. By the time Bragg figured out what happened Rosecran was on his right side. European armies were organized and trained. How did McClellans popularity with his men pose a problem for Lincoln? Hoods army attacked McPherson three times and even though McPherson was killed, his men still defeated Hood. Lincoln was constantly being played for the patsy by his cabinet. How did the incident reflect and interesting change in roles between the United States and England regarding naval actions on the high seas? Most of the Navys ships were seafaring ships with sails. His education at Oberlin College, Ohio, was interrupted by two years of naval service in World War I and was subsequently abandoned for a career in journalism. I thought it was really cool how they waited until after the Battle of Antietam to give the address. Compare the cabinets of Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln? Just like in the cavalry scenario, the South had an advantage. 4. Lincoln soon realized this was not possible with the Unions Navy. Next, Hood looked to once again pull out Sherman or beat Thomas and retake TN. 2. How did he trick the South in supporting this goal? The 1860's was a time of deceit and corruption. In addition, Grant would promote William Tecumseh Sherman as Union Commander in the West where he will engage in the same type of all-out war in Georgia. Douglass main goal was to end the argument over slavery; however, too many people were so passionate over the issue. Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Army of the Potomac, made several mistakes in his attempt to defeat Lee at Fredericksburg. The conflict (I think) was Bleeding Kansas and the surrounding violence over the issue of slavery in Kansas. Lee ignored the first group of troops and went straight to Chancellorsville to face Hookers main army. A concise yet comprehensive explanation of the major causes, political events, military movements, and (to a lesser extent) aftermaths of the Civil War. Another reason is that most of the fighting- especially in the last stages of the war- was done in the South and as most people know war creates a path of disaster in its wake. The Civil War had a more lasting impact on the South than on the North for many obvious reasons. 12 Luckily for Sherman this strategy worked. The British tried to help the South by building them commerce raiders, but the Union made it very clear that interference would result in more war. Kentucky decalred neutrality and Missouri refused to secede with a pro-Southern governor. Highly recommended. The South attempted to change from its agricultural dominance in cotton to a more varied economy, but its reliance on slavery for so many years proved that the South would never be able to compete with the North. A man who almost never exposed them. I enjoyed this book. Chapter 18: Even though Atlanta was not the objective, Sherman did it anyway on his quest to destroy Johnstons army. The reaction of the United States government was the immediately repeal the treaty and write another one. Lee and Jackson were in Richmond in between McClellens army which was in near the James River and John Popes army which was coming down from the Shenandoah Valley. The publication data are somewhat confusing: Goodreads says this book dates from 1960, the e-book I read via Kobo had 2014 as the only date among its scant bibliographical information. Sherman was given command of the West. Food for thought. He beat them to it and fortified Columbus. I just didn't prefer the style he told it in. Kentucky declared itself to be neutral at the beginning of the war but was claimed by both sides. They bought me a subscription to the Time-Life series on The Civil War. Ch. Lee payed no attention to the first group of troops Hooker sent and went straight to Chancellorsville to fight Hookers main army. The soldiers and armies of the civil war were different from those in England a few ways but one was very clear. 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