In Abraham Lincoln and a New Birth of Freedom; Howard Jones explores the relationship between President Lincoln's wartime diplomacy and his interrelated goals of forming a more perfect Union and abolishing slavery. From the outset of the Civil War; Lincoln's central purpose was to save the Union by defeating the South on the battlefield. No less important was his need to prevent a European intervention that would have facilitated the South's move for independence. Lincoln's goal of preserving the Union; however; soon evolved into an effort to form a more perfect Union; one that rested on the natural rights principles of the Declaration of Independence and thus necessitated emancipation.
#865428 in Books Ethan S Rafuse 2008-12-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .70 x 5.70l; .85 #File Name: 080323970X282 pagesAntietam South Mountain and Harpers Ferry A Battlefield Guide
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Antietam Campaign; well described for the battlefield visitorBy Paul HaspelAntietam; South Mountain; and Harpers Ferry make up the three points of a triangle that encompasses much of the area covered by the Maryland Campaign of 1862; one of the most important campaigns of the American Civil War. For any student of the war era who is contemplating a visit to the area; with its battlefield parks and historic sites; Ethan Rafuse’s "Antietam; South Mountain Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide" is a valuable book to take along.Rafuse; a professor of military history at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; writes authoritatively about the major figures and events from the Maryland Campaign; in a way that is likely to appeal to both specialists and casual visitors. This book; part of the "This Hallowed Ground" series of Civil War battlefield guides published by Bison Books/University of Nebraska Press; is clearly organized. Narrative introductions to each of the three major centers of the campaign – the Battle of Antietam (17 September 1862); the Battle of South Mountain (14 September 1862); and the siege of Harpers Ferry (13-15 September 1862) – are followed by an organizational schema that will make the book particularly helpful to the battlefield visitor.Precise and well-designed maps begin each new section. “Directions†take the visitor from one stop to the next. “Orientation†instructs visitors where to look in order to understand how the action unfolded on each particular part of the three sites. A “What Happened†section offers a clear overall look at each site’s battle action. Sometimes; though not always; a “Vignette†section provides engaging human-interest stories from the various battlefronts. And sometimes; though not always; an “Analysis†section will give Rafuse’s own interpretation of the larger significance of what happened in each specific area.My only quibble regarding the overall organization of the book is that Rafuse starts with Antietam; then goes to South Mountain; and finally deals with Harpers Ferry. I would have put South Mountain first; followed by Harpers Ferry; and only then have brought in Antietam; doing so would have placed the events of the Maryland Campaign in rough chronological order; and would have emphasized the dramatic; even overwhelming; nature of the campaign’s climax on those hilly; rocky fields near Sharpsburg; Maryland.Yet Rafuse’s analyses and interpretations of the various aspects of the battle action are invariably judicious and well-grounded; as when he discusses the repulse by General John B. Hood’s Confederate division of a Union attack through local farmer David Miller’s cornfield: “Hood later complained that his men had not received any support until after the fight in the Cornfield was over. This; however; was largely a consequence of the ferocity with which Hood’s men entered the battle. This saved the Confederate left; but also made it difficult to manage the battle†(p. 53). Characteristic; too; of this guide’s (and series’) attention to detail is the fact that the Union leaders’ names are given in conventional print; the Confederate leaders’ names in italics. This can be a helpful thing for Civil War “newbies;†considering that the topic under discussion is a conflict in which most of the participants on both sides have similar-sounding; sometimes identical; Anglo-American surnames. Without that helpful typographic practice; a novice reader might have difficulty telling the Yankees from the Rebels without a scorecard.The “Vignettes†section; as mentioned above; is likely to be of greatest appeal to those readers who want to enjoy the piquant; quirky stories that give such a strong human-interest element to the grand epic of Civil War combat. One example that stood out for me in that regard was the story of the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry; one of the regiments that successfully took the Lower Bridge or “Burnside’s Bridge;†at the southern end of the Antietam battlefield; after two prior attacks against the bridge had failed. As Rafuse tells it; Brigadier General Edward Ferrero asked his men if they could take the bridge. A 51st Pennsylvania corporal; acutely aware that the regiment’s whiskey ration had been taken away for undisclosed offenses against good order and discipline; asked in reply; “Will you give us our whiskey; General; if we take it?†General Ferrero’s response shows that he knew how to motivate his men at a critical moment: “Yes; by God!...You shall have as much as you want; if you take the bridge….if it is in the commissary or I have to send to New York to get it; and pay for it out of my own purse; that is if I live to see you through it†(p. 98). Suffice it to say that Burnside’s Bridge was taken; and that the thirsty infantrymen of the 51st Pennsylvania Regiment did get their whiskey back.The book’s illustrations; by and large; are reproductions of illustrations taken from the Century magazine’s "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War" series – no points for originality there; but the illustrations are high-quality and; well; illustrative. Also helpful is an appendix that Rafuse provides; after the presentation of the orders of battle for the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia; Rafuse offers a helpful review of military organization; weaponry; and tactics for the Civil War era. So many authors of Civil War books seem to assume that their readers will be familiar with the distinctions among army; corps; division; brigade; and regiment; Rafuse recognizes that there will always be readers for whom those distinctions are new.I took this book along on a recent trip to Shepherdstown; West Virginia; where many of Antietam’s Confederate wounded were treated after General Robert E. Lee led his battered forces back across the Potomac and ended his first attempt to invade the North; and I found it a useful re-introduction to a region and a history I have come to know well; over the course of many; many visits. Readers planning to visit the grounds of the Maryland Campaign would do well to take along a copy of Rafuse’s "Antietam; South Mountain Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide."0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Outstanding Battlefield GuideBy RickThis guide to the battlefields of Antietam; South Mountain; and Harpers Ferry is an extremely useful resource covering the principal battlefields of Lee's 1862 Maryland Campaign. The maps are detailed and comprehensive; especially in covering the action at Antietam on a virtually hourly basis. Historical overviews; descriptions of terrain and monuments; and engaging vignettes combine to make this guide an essential handbook for the battlefield visitor.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Excellent detailed guideBy J. LeiterI purchased this book for myself my brother on our trip to Antietam in April 2011. We used this book every day of our week long tour of Antietam; Harper's Ferry South Mountain. The book gives the reader step by step directions to all important aspects of the battle and informes with detailed descriptions of the battle and what happened at each stop point. If you are a civil war buff (like us) you will love this guide book of Antietam and the surrounding battles of Lee's invasion of Maryland.
