An "essential addition to serious students' libraries" detailing the historic military offensive that helped sway the outcome of the American Civil War ( Civil War News).
In the late summer of 1864, Union General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant set one absolutely unconditional goal: to sweep Virginia's Shenandoah Valley "clean and clear." His man for the job: Maj. Gen. "Little Phil" Sheridan-a temperamental Irishman who'd proven himself just the kind of scrapper Grant loved.
The valley had already played a major part in the war for the Confederacy as both the location of major early victories against Union attacks, and as the route used by the Army of Northern Virginia for its invasion of the North, culminating in the battle of Gettysburg.
But when Sheridan returned to the Valley in 1864, the stakes heightened dramatically. For the North, the fragile momentum its war effort had gained by the capture of Atlanta would quickly evaporate. For Abraham Lincoln, defeat in the Valley could mean defeat in the upcoming election. And for the South, its very sovereignty lay on the line.
Here, historians Davis and Greenwalt "weave an excellent summary of the campaign that will serve to introduce those new to the Civil War to the events of that 'Bloody Autumn' and will serve as a ready refresher for veteran stompers who are heading out to visit those storied fields of conflict" (Scott C. Patchan, author of The Last Battle of Winchester).
Autorentext
Daniel Davis is a graduate of Longwood University, with a B.A. in Public History. Dan has worked as a historian at both Appomattox Court House National Historic Site and at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He resides in Fredericksbug, VA, with his wife Katy and their Beagle mix, Bayla. Phillip Greenwalt holds a B.A. in History from Wheeling Jesuit University and a M.A. in American History from George Mason University. He works for the National Park Service at George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National Historic Site. Previously, he was a historical interpreter at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He currently resides in the Historic Northern Neck of Virginia with his wife, Adel.
Zusammenfassung
Sweep the Shenandoah Valley "clean and clear," Union General-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant ordered in the late summer of 1864.His man for the job: Maj. Gen. "Little Phil" Sheridan, the bandy-legged Irishman who'd proven himself just the kind of scrapper Grant loved. Grant turned Sheridan loose across Virginia's most vital landscape, the breadbasket of the Confederacy.In the spring of 1862, a string of Confederate victories in the Valley had foiled Union plans in the state and kept Confederate armies fed and supplied. In 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia used the Valley as its avenue of invasion, culminating in the battle of Gettysburg. The Valley continued to offer Confederates an alluring backdoor to Washington D.C.But when Sheridan returned to the Valley in 1864, the stakes jumped dramatically. To lose the Valley would mean to lose the state, Stonewall Jackson had once said-and now that prediction would be put to the test as Sheridan fought with Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal Early for possession.For the North, the fragile momentum its war effort had gained by capturing Atlanta would quickly evaporate; for Abraham Lincoln, defeat in the Valley could very well mean defeat in the upcoming election. For the South, more than its breadbasket was at stake-its nascent nationhood lay on the line.Historians Daniel Davis and Phillip Greenwalt, longtime students of the Civil War, have spent countless hours researching the Valley battles of '64 and walking the ground where those battles unfolded. Bloody Autumn: The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 shifts attention away from the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia to the campaign that ultimately determined the balance of power across the Eastern Theater.