Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (6): v. 6 - Tapa dura

Volume 6 presents both commanders and enlisted men's first hand accounts of important leaders and major battles of the Civil War. A companion to Vol. 5, UIP Cl - 2002, 0-252-02404-4

Modelled on the famous four-volume 1888 compilation edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence Clough Buel, Peter Cozzens's "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Volume 6" builds on the tradition of excellence established by his Volume 5. The new book stands as another landmark addition to the fascinating body of retrospective testimony written by participants in the American Civil War. Sifting carefully through reports from newspapers, magazines, personal memoirs, and letters, Cozzens again exercises an unsurpassed mastery of the literature to bring readers the best first-person accounts of marches, encampments, skirmishes, and full-blown battles, as seen by participants on both sides of the conflict. General John Gibbon offers a harsh and convincing rebuttal to fellow corps commander Daniel E. Sickles's account of Gettysburg. General John C. Lee of the Union Eleventh Corps excoriates those responsible for the "criminal blundering" that wrecked the corps at Chancellorville, and seven prominent generals from both sides offer views on "why the Confederacy failed." Alongside accounts by key personalities such as Philip H. Sheridan, George Armstrong Custer, William S. Rosecrans, and Jefferson Davis are the experiences of lower-ranking officers and enlisted men, who speak eloquently of battles, raids, sieges, heroism under fire, and the incompetence of superiors. "Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Volume 6" is a first-rate collection of primary sources, essential for historians, Civil War buffs, and anyone interested in military history. The selections are presented chronologically and provide an overview of the war's progress, all the while allowing the authors to speak for themselves. This volume includes 120 illustrations, including 16 previously uncollected maps of battlefields, troop movements, and fortifications.