Noll examines writings about slavery and race from Americans both white and black, northern and southern, and includes commentary from Protestants and Catholics in Europe and Canada. Though the Christians on all sides agreed that the Bible was authoritative, their interpretations of slavery in Scripture led to a full-blown theological crisis.

    Shaara explores the history, the people, and the places that capture the true meaning and magnitude of the conflict and provides• engaging narratives of the war’s crucial battles• intriguing historical footnotes about each site• photographs of the locations–then and now• detailed maps of the battle scenes• fascinating sidebars with related points of interestFrom Antietam to Gettysburg to Vicksburg, and to the many poignant destinations in between, Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefields is the ideal guide for casual tourists and Civil War enthusiasts alike.

    Yet he is poorly understood and most commonly described in stereotypes -- as a madman, martyr, or enigma. Not until Patriotic Treason has a biography or history brought him so fully to life, in scintillating prose and moving detail, making his life and legacy -- and the staggering sacrifices he made for his ideals-fascinatingly relevant to today's issues of social justice and to defining the line between activism and terrorism. Vividly re-creating the world in which Brown and his compatriots lived with a combination of scrupulous original research, new perspectives, and a sensitive historical imagination, Patriotic Treason narrates the dramatic life of the first U.S. citizen committed to absolute racial equality. Here are his friendships (Brown lived, worked, ate, and fought alongside African Americans, in defiance of the culture around him), his family (he turned his twenty children by two wives into a dedicated militia), and his ideals (inspired by the Declaration of Independence and the Golden Rule, he collaborated with black leaders such as Frederick Douglass, Martin Delany, and Harriet Tubman to overthrow slavery). Evan Carton captures the complex, tragic, and provocative story of Brown the committed abolitionist, Brown the tender yet demanding and often absent father and husband, and Brown the radical American patriot who attacked the American state in the name of American principles. Through new research into archives, attention to overlooked family letters, and reinterpretation of documents and events, Carton essentially reveals a missing link in American history. A wrenching family saga, Patriotic Treason positions John Brown at the heart of our most profound and enduring national debates. As definitions of patriotism and treason are fiercely contested, as some criticize religious extremism while others mourn religion's decline, and as race relations in America remain unresolved, John Brown's story speaks to us as never before, reminding us that one courageous individual can change the course of history.

    In The Last Brother the story of one small boy is told amidst the dramatic events of those early days of July. Though he is only 11 years old, Gabe is a bugler in the Union Army. He takes his responsibility very seriously; after all, there are over 60 different battle calls for buglers to learn. But what is even more important to Gabe is watching over his older brother Davy who, as a foot soldier, is right in the thick of the fighting. Two of Gabe's older brothers have already perished, and he is not willing to lose the only one he has left. During those long days, Gabe meets another young bugler -- one who fights for the other side. Suddenly, what was so definite and clear has become complicated by friendship and compassion. Does one have to choose between service to country, to kin or to a friend? As the cannons fire and the battle rages on, Gabe must do his duty while searching for a way to honor all that he holds dear.Trinka Hakes Noble is the noted author of numerous award-winning picture books, including The Scarlet Stockings Spy, the ever-popular Jimmy's Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch (both featured on "Reading Rainbow"). Her many awards include ALA Notable Children's Book, Booklist Children's Editors' Choice, IRA-CBC Children's Choice, Learning: The Year's Ten Best, and several Junior Literary Guild Selections. Trinka makes her home in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Robert Papp's award-winning artwork includes hundreds of illustrations for major publishers across the United States, and his first children's book, The Scarlet Stockings Spy was named an IRATeacher's Choice in 2005. Robert lives in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

    Its features include a dramatic narrative packed with eyewitness accounts and hundreds of rare photographs, artifacts, and period illustrations. Evocative sidebars, detailed maps, and timelines add to the reference-ready quality of the text. From John Brown's raid to Reconstruction, Eyewitness to the Civil War presents a clear, comprehensive discussion that addresses every military, political, and social aspect of this crucial period. In-depth descriptions of campaigns and battles in all theaters of war are accompanied by a thorough evaluation of the nonmilitary elements of the struggle between North and South. In their own words, commanders and common soldiers in both armies tell of life on the battlefield and behind the lines, while letters from wives, mothers, and sisters provide a portrait of the home front. More than 375 historical photographs, portraits, and artifacts—many never before published—evoke the era's flavor; and detailed maps of terrain and troop movements make it easy to follow the strategies and tactics of Union and Confederate generals as they fought through four harsh years of war. Photoessays on topics ranging from the everyday lives of soldiers to the dramatic escapades of the cavalry lend a breathtaking you-are-there feeling, and an inclusive appendix adds even more detail to what is already a magnificently meticulous history.

    The Gettysburg Campaign is in its opening hours. Harness jingles and hoofs pound as Confederate cavalryman James Ewell Brown (JEB) Stuart leads his three brigades of veteran troopers on a ride that triggers one of the Civil War's most bitter and enduring controversies. Instead of finding glory and victory--two objectives with which he was intimately familiar--Stuart reaped stinging criticism and substantial blame for one of the Confederacy's most stunning and unexpected battlefield defeats. In Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg, Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi objectively investigate the role Stuart's horsemen played in the disastrous campaign. It is the first book ever written on this important and endlessly fascinating subject.Stuart left Virginia under acting on General Robert E. Lee's discretionary orders to advance into Maryland and Pennsylvania, where he was to screen Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell's marching infantry corps and report on enemy activity. The mission jumped off its tracks from virtually the moment it began when one unexpected event after another unfolded across Stuart's path. For days, neither Lee nor Stuart had any idea where the other was, and the enemy blocked the horseman's direct route back to the Confederate army, which was advancing nearly blind north into Pennsylvania. By the time Stuart reached Lee on the afternoon of July 2, the armies had unexpectedly collided at Gettysburg, the second day's fighting was underway, and one of the campaign's greatest controversies was born.Did the plumed cavalier disobey Lee's orders by stripping the army of its "eyes and ears?" Was Stuart to blame for the unexpected combat the broke out at Gettysburg on July 1? Authors Wittenberg and Petruzzi, widely recognized for their study and expertise of Civil War cavalry operations, have drawn upon a massive array of primary sources, many heretofore untapped, to fully explore Stuart's ride, its consequences, and the intense debate among participants shortly after the battle, through early post-war commentators, and among modern scholars.The result is a richly detailed study jammed with incisive tactical commentary, new perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern cavalry, and fresh insights on every horse engagement, large and small, fought during the campaign. About the authors: Eric J. Wittenberg has written widely on Civil War cavalry operations. His books include Glory Enough for All (2002), The Union Cavalry Comes of Age (2003), and The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads and the Civil War's Final Campaign (2005). He lives in Columbus, Ohio.J. David Petruzzi is the author of several magazine articles on Eastern Theater cavalry operations, conducts tours of cavalry sites of the Gettysburg Campaign, and is the author of the popular "Buford's Boys" website at www.bufordsboys.com. Petruzzi lives in Brockway, Pennsylvania.

    Yet little attention has been paid to their daily lives--both on the battlefield and on the home front--during the war. This collection of letters, written by German immigrants to friends and family back home, provides a new angle to our understanding of the Civil War experience and challenges some long-held assumptions about the immigrant experience at this time. Originally published in Germany in 2002, this collection contains more than three hundred letters written by seventy-eight German immigrants--men and women, soldiers and civilians, from the North and South. Their missives tell of battles and boredom, privation and profiteering, motives for enlistment and desertion and for avoiding involvement altogether. Although written by people with a variety of backgrounds, these letters describe the conflict from a distinctly German standpoint, the editors argue, casting doubt on the claim that the Civil War was the great melting pot that eradicated ethnic antagonisms.

    But in the Appalachian communities of North Georgia, things were very different. Focusing on Fannin and Lumpkin counties in the Blue Ridge Mountains along Georgia's northern border, A Separate Civil War: Communities in Conflict in the Mountain South argues for a more localized, idiosyncratic understanding of this momentous period in our nation's history. The book reveals that, for many participants, this war was fought less for abstract ideological causes than for reasons tied to home, family, friends, and community.Making use of a large trove of letters, diaries, interviews, government documents, and sociological data, Jonathan Dean Sarris brings to life a previously obscured version of our nation's most divisive and destructive war. From the outset, the prospect of secession and war divided Georgia's mountain communities along the lines of race and religion, and war itself only heightened these tensions. As the Confederate government began to draft men into the army and seize supplies from farmers, many mountaineers became more disaffected still. They banded together in armed squads, fighting off Confederate soldiers, state militia, and their own pro-Confederate neighbors. A local civil war ensued, with each side seeing the other as a threat to law, order, and community itself. In this very personal conflict, both factions came to dehumanize their enemies and use methods that shocked even seasoned soldiers with their savagery. But when the war was over in 1865, each faction sought to sanitize the past and integrate its stories into the national myths later popularized about the Civil War. By arguing that the reason for choosing sides had more to do with local concerns than with competing ideologies or social or political visions, Sarris adds a much-needed complication to the question of why men fought in the Civil War.

    Sherman's 1865 Carolinas Campaign receives scant attention from most Civil War historians, largely because it was overshadowed by the Army of Northern Virginia's final campaign against the Army of the Potomac. However, a careful examination of this campaign indicates that few armies in all of military history accomplished more under more adverse conditions than did Sherman's. Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky, both career military officers, lend their professional eye to the critical but often overlooked run-up to the seminal Battle of Bentonville, covering March 11-16, 1865. Beginning with the capture of Fayetteville and the demolition of the Arsenal there, Smith and Sokolosky chronicle the Battle of Averasboro in greater detail than ever tackled before in this, the third volume of Ironclad's "The Discovering Civil War America Series." In the two-day fight at Averasboro, Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Corps conducted a brilliantly planned and well-executed defense in depth that held Sherman's juggernaut in check for two full days. Having accomplished his objective, Hardee then broke off and disengaged. This delay permitted General Joseph E. Johnston to concentrate his forces in preparation for what became the Battle of Bentonville. The book includes new maps, abundant illustrations, and a detailed driving and walking tour for dedicated battlefield stompers.

    Although little has been written about them, the sharpshooters of the Army of Northern Virginia played an important and sometimes pivotal role in many battles and campaigns in 1864 and 1865. Confederate general Robert Rodes organized the first battalion of sharpshooters in his brigade in early 1863, and later in each brigade of his division. In early 1864 General Lee adopted the concept for the entire Army of Northern Virginia, mandating that each infantry brigade field a sharpshooter battalion. These units found ready employment in the Overland campaign, and later in the trenches of Petersburg and in the fast-moving Shenandoah campaign of 1864. The term sharpshooter had a more general meaning in the mid-19th Century than it does today. Then it could mean either a roving precision shooter like the modern sniper (a term that did not come into use until late in the century) or a light infantryman who specialized in the petite guerre: scouting, picketing, and skirmishing. The book covers the history of the Confederate sharpshooters; the development of light infantry from 1700-1918; and the human story of the sharpshooters themselves -- in battle, on the skirmish line, and at their lonely picket posts.

    In Don Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War, first released in 2002, the artist turned his brush to the units and uniforms of the War between the States. Through Troiani's careful reconstructions and the accompanying text, the book offers one of the most comprehensive looks at Civil War uniforms ever undertaken. In addition to the full volume in hard cover, Stackpole Books now presents four handsome, individually bound paperbacks, each covering different branches of service and types of soldier.The outcome of nearly every major battle of the war depended on infantry, the foot soldiers in blue and gray who wielded the muskets and sabers. Although some standardization existed, soldiers often modified their uniforms to meet battlefield necessity or to express unit pride, such as the Pennsylvania regiment known by the bucktails troops wore in their hats. The photographs in this volume indicate what infantrymen wore and carried, and Troiani's paintings bring the men and their deeds to vivid life.

    This book tells the stories of Union heroes such as Colorado governor William Gilpin and Colonels John Slough, John Chivington, Kit Carson, and Edward Canby, along with average soldiers.

    However, historians have only recently begun to treat the common Civil War soldier's daily life as a worthwhile topic of discussion in its own right. The View from the Ground reveals the beliefs of ordinary men and women on topics ranging from slavery and racism to faith and identity and represents a significant development in historical scholarship -- the use of Civil War soldiers' personal accounts to address larger questions about America's past. Aaron Sheehan-Dean opens The View from the Ground by surveying the landscape of research on Union and Confederate soldiers, examining not only the wealth of scholarly inquiry in the 1980s and 1990s but also the numerous questions that remain unexplored. Chandra Manning analyzes the views of white Union soldiers on slavery and their enthusiastic support for emancipation. Jason Phillips uncovers the deep antipathy of Confederate soldiers toward their Union adversaries, and Lisa Laskin explores tensions between soldiers and civilians in the Confederacy that represented a serious threat to the fledgling nation's survival. Essays by David Rolfs and Kent Dollar examine the nature of religious faith among Civil War combatants. The grim and gruesome realities of warfare -- and the horror of killing one's enemy at close range -- profoundly tested the spiritual convictions of the fighting men. Timothy J. Orr, Charles E. Brooks, and Kevin Levin demonstrate that Union and Confederate soldiers maintained their political beliefs both on the battlefield and in the war's aftermath. Orr details the conflict between Union soldiers and Northern antiwar activists in Pennsylvania, and Brooks examines a struggle between officers and the Fourth Texas Regiment. Levin contextualizes political struggles among Southerners in the 1880s and 1890s as a continuing battle kept alive by memories of, and identities associated with, their wartime experiences. The View from the Ground goes beyond standard histories that discuss soldiers primarily in terms of campaigns and casualties. These essays show that soldiers on both sides were authentic historical actors who willfully steered the course of the Civil War and shaped subsequent public memory of the event.

    Among these first volunteers was Robert H. Milroy. Determined to obtain a military education and denied his wish to attend West Point, Milroy had at last secured a position to attend Captain Partridge's Military Academy at Norwich University in Vermont. After graduating, however, he was thwarted time and again in his desire for a military career, quickly discovering that military appointments tended to favor West Point graduates. A fervent abolitionist and dedicated patriot, Milroy craved military action and viewed the Civil War as his long-awaited opportunity to achieve the glorious reputation he so ardently desired. Compiled from primary sources such as Milroy's correspondence and the letters of those who knew him, this biography details the life and times of General Robert H. Milroy. Although perhaps not one of the major players on the stage of Civil War drama, Milroy was one of the staunchest defenders not only of the Union but of the Emancipation Proclamation as well. Focusing primarily on Milroy's Civil War career, this work serves to provide information about lesser known operations in western Virginia during 1861 and 1862 as well as illustrate the bonds that formed between commanders and their men. It also provides a case study of how an abolitionist general enforced his will in various regions throughout the Confederacy. Appendices contain a portion of Milroy's unfinished autobiography and a list of troops commanded by Milroy in combat.

    Now, in this engaging biography, Mark Elliott offers an insightful portrait of a fearless lawyer, jurist, and writer, who fought for equality long after most Americans had abandoned the ideals of Reconstruction. Elliott provides a fascinating account of Tourg�e's life, from his childhood in the Western Reserve region of Ohio (then a hotbed of abolitionism), to his years as a North Carolina judge during Reconstruction, to his memorable role as lead plaintiff's counsel in the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson. Tourg�e's brief coined the phrase that justice should be color-blind, and his career was one long campaign to make good on that belief. A redoubtable lawyer and an accomplished jurist, Tourg�e's writings represent a mountain of dissent against the prevailing tide of racial oppression. A poignant and inspiring study in courage and conviction, Color-Blind Justice offers us an unforgettable portrayal of Albion Tourg�e and the principles to which he dedicated his life.

    Southern sympathizers in the North (known as Copperheads) never came close to producing anything that matched its influence. One of the more interesting attempts was Fort Lafayette; or, Love and Secession (1862). The novel--which features liberal doses of love and lust, intrigue and violence, loyalty and death--is by no means great literature. It does, however, lay claim to being the only pacifist novel of the Civil War. Wood hoped to persuade his readers of the moral wrong, the folly, and the dangers to republican government of the war in which the country was engaged. The novel underscores the deep connections between Americans on both sides of the sectional conflict, the pain of their severance, and the suffering brought about by war.For this reissue, Menahem Blondheim has provided a detailed introduction to the novel, the politics of the era, and Wood's life and career. Two of Wood's Congressional speeches are also included.

    They are the constant streams of obstacles thrown in the way of planning and the governor of progress. Armies encountered any number of unpredictable obstacles in any number of situations. Each friction requires a different solution. Each challenge is a diversion from the planned objective. Each unplanned task saps an army's resources needed elsewhere. Frictions steered the armies into making major decisions and altering or reversing plans. They drew commanders' attention to less important details in operations at the expense of maintaining balance over the big picture. This work focuses on the frictions of two important functions - command and communication. Command frictions in the Army of the Potomac, for example, caused a great deal of confusion in recognizing who was in charge at any one time or place. Communication frictions altered Lee's original plan to move towards Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and diverted the Army of Northern Virginia to Gettysburg; they caused forward elements of the Confederate army to provoke a general engagement against Lee's instructions; they misdirected thousands of troops away from the battle and caused unnecessary casualties. "Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign" illustrates the effect these two functions had in determining the outcome of the campaign. This work uses a variety of incidents, some familiar, to illustrate their serious impact on the battle - at least as much as troops in combat affected the result. The examples presented deal mainly with the high commands of the armies, especially the Army of the Potomac. The high command level was where the most important decisions were made to influence the progress of the army and the destiny its troops. Even though this study concentrates on frictions in the Gettysburg campaign, the revelations from this one operation, nevertheless, can be applied to any battle of any war. Philip M. Cole's book Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign brings about an interesting scholarship to the battle and campaign which has been so written about over and over again. But with grace, he has brought a new look into that which has been studied so prominently with fresh air... Cole's study on the command and communication frictions is more than just another Gettysburg study; it is a look into the structure and reason for some of the major problems in the battle when it comes to command... One of the most interesting new points which Cole brings out is that Hooker did not just "make time" as Coddington states in his work; he had many communication frictions between himself and the high command in Washington. Another problem with communication he brings about is the use of time on the battlefield and just how much time it takes to send orders around on the field. Part of the command friction which was most interesting was the friction with senior commanders and wing commanders. Sometimes with complete disregard for orders, there were great issues among the men in the army. One thing which should have been obvious, but seems new in this work, is the personal relationships which are created through experience and can be a problem when the command changes. These studies are some of the reasons that this book should be among the library of any Gettysburg enthusiast... Cole's work is one of the best studies presented on command in quite some time and though it has been in print for about eight years, should be part of any study of Gettysburg by Civil War historians. This book is highly recommended for any interested in command structure or issues during the Gettysburg Campaign. 5 Star Review by Matthew Bartlett posted on goodreads.com December, 2013

    In Don Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War, first released in 2002, the artist turned his brush to the units and uniforms of the War between the States. Through Troiani's careful reconstructions and the accompanying text, the book offers one of the most comprehensive looks at Civil War uniforms ever undertaken. In addition to the full volume in hard cover, Stackpole Books now presents four handsome, individually bound paperbacks, each covering different branches of service and types of soldier.Perhaps the most famous--and certainly the most exotic--uniforms of the Civil War belonged to the Zouaves, troops of French derivation whose vibrant attire was accented by fezzes and baggy trousers. These soldiers cut a flashy figure, and Troiani depicts them in all their colorful glory. This volume also covers the uniforms of engineers, surgeons, marines, and generals.

    In Don Troiani's Regiments and Uniforms of the Civil War, first released in 2002, the artist turned his brush to the units and uniforms of the War between the States. Through Troiani's careful reconstructions and the accompanying text, the book offers one of the most comprehensive looks at Civil War uniforms ever undertaken. In addition to the full volume in hard cover, Stackpole Books now presents four handsome, individually bound paperbacks, each covering different branches of service and types of soldier.State militias were among the first troops to respond to the outbreak of the Civil War. Those who answered the call to arms represented a cross-section of the country, both North and South, and the uniforms of these volunteers reflected their home regions and, in many cases, national origins. In these photographs and paintings, Troiani conveys the rich diversity of Civil War militia and captures the uniqueness of their garb and gear.

    Each volume in this ongoing series combines detailed and informative captions with over 100 rare and unusual images. These books are a must for anyone interested in American military uniforms.

    Essential reading for students of American history and Civil War buffs, this inexpensive volume includes key documents and memorable speeches such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address; Lee's "Farewell to the Army of Northern Virginia"; Frederick Douglass' lecture, "The War and How to End It"; plus campaign reports, private letters, and more.

    Winschel's new book Triumph and Defeat: The Vicksburg Campaign, Vol 2. Following up on the popular success of his earlier book of the same name, Winschel offers ten new chapters of insights into what has been declared by many to have been the most decisive campaign of the Civil War. Designed to appeal to both general readers and serious students, Winschel's essays cover a wide range of topics, including military operations, naval engagements, leading personalities, and even a specific family caught up in the nightmarish 47-day siege that nearly cost them their lives. Smoothly written and deeply researched, these fresh chapters offer balanced and comprehensive analysis written with the authority that only someone who has served as Vicksburg's Chief Historian since 1978 can produce. Bolstered by photographs, illustrations, and numerous outstanding original maps, this second volume in the Triumph and Defeat series will stand as a lasting contribution to the study of the Civil War.About the author: Winschel is author of many books, including Triumph and Defeat: The Vicksburg Campaign (1998, 2004), Vicksburg is the Key: The Struggle for the Mississippi River (2003), Vicksburg: Fall of the Confederate Gibraltar (1999), and The Civil War Diary of a Common Soldier (2000). Terry is also a popular speaker on the Civil War Round Table circuit and has made frequent appearances on the History Channel. He lives in Vicksburg, where he works as the battlefield's chief historian.

    What was it like to be a soldier in combat during the Civil War? What was it like to be a poorly trained, ill-equipped, and un-uniformed militiaman in a state "army" trying to, literally, defend your own home? What was it like to be stuffed into a dank, dark, sweltering, three-foot-diameter iron tube, turning a crank to escape an enemy howling after you, all while thirty feet below the surface of Charleston Harbor? What was it like to be a Creek infantryman, slowly riding in to a Union post in the wilds of frontier Oklahoma, carrying the threadbare rags of what had once been your proud battle flag, knowing you were among the very last of the Confederates to surrender? What was it like to be a Prussian-born corporal, barely able to speak English, caught in the midst of a vicious street battle in Fredericksburg? This new book tells the untold stories of the men on the front lines of battle during the Civil War.