John Cannan

The stone bridge on the southern flank of the Antietam battlefield became one of the Civil War's most powerful symbols of courage and sacrifice. The actions, units and personalities of this crucial sector of the battlefield are described in detail, accompanied by a full description of the bridge area as it was in 1862 and as it is today.

A detailed examination of one of the Civil War's most tragic battles pitting Robert E. Lee against Ulysses S. Grant

For two days in early May,1864, a dark woodland south of the Rapidan River known as the Wilderness rang with the clamor of battle. The musketry and cheers of the troops of the Confederacy and the Union were deafening as charge gave way to countercharge. Fires erupted which consumed the dead and wounded, filling the air with the stench of burning flesh. The battle of the Wilderness was what many witnesses would describe as "hell on earth." The Wilderness Campaign traces the early maneuvering of Ulysses S. Grant's offensive against the Confederate capital at Richmond and Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The resulting battle was Grant's first fight in the Eastern theatre after President Lincoln gave him command of all the Union armies. It was an engagement that Grant sought to avoid, but wholeheartedly accepted when he confronted lee's army. It ended as one of the bloodiest repulses of the Civil War. John Cannan details Grant's strategy and planning as he moved his army ever closer to confrontation. The vivid descriptions of the confused fighting and battle chaos give the reader insight into the desperate quality of Civil War combat. The book also includes fascinating sidebars about the personalities and units involved, as well as other interesting topics on the war itself, such as religion in the Southern army, the telegraph, the draft, and the parole and exchange system. With eleven maps and over fifty illustrations

A spectacular early morning underground explosion followed by bloody hand-to-hand combat and unprecedented command malfeasance makes the story of the Crater one of the most riveting in Civil War history. Da Capo's new "Battleground America" series offers a unique approach to the battles and battlefields of America. Each book in the series highlights a small American battlefield-sometimes a small portion of a much larger battlefield-and tells the story of the brave soldiers who fought there. Using soldiers' memoirs, letters and diaries, as well as contemporary illustrations, the human ordeal of battle comes to life on the page.All of the units, important individuals, and actions of each engagement on the battlefield are described in a clear and concise narrative. Detailed maps complement the text and illustrate small unit action at each stage of the battle. Then-and-now photographs tie the dramatic events of the past to the modern battlefield site and highlight the importance of terrain in battle. The present-day historical site of the battle is described in detail with suggestions for touring.

On the morning of May 12, 1864, the site of the daring Union assault on the center of the Confederate line became the scene of the fiercest hand-to-hand combat of the Civil War, and thereafter was known as the "Bloody Angle." Da Capo's new "Battleground America" series offers a unique approach to the battles and battlefields of America. Each book in the series highlights a small American battlefield-sometimes a small portion of a much larger battlefield-and tells the story of the brave soldiers who fought there. Using soldiers' memoirs, letters and diaries, as well as contemporary illustrations, the human ordeal of battle comes to life on the page.All of the units, important individuals, and actions of each engagement on the battlefield are described in a clear and concise narrative. Detailed maps complement the text and illustrate small unit action at each stage of the battle. Then-and-now photographs tie the dramatic events of the past to the modern battlefield site and highlight the importance of terrain in battle. The present-day historical site of the battle is described in detail with suggestions for touring.

September 17, 1862, over 25,000 men became casualties in the battle of Antietam, on the Civil War's single bloodiest day. Confederate and Federal infantry and artillery faced each other at close quarters in the woods around the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, and particularly along the banks of Antietam Creek. The famous actions at the Cornfield, the Dunker Church, Burnside's Bridge, and the Bloody Lane are covered in vivid detail, drawing on the personal accounts of the commanders as well as lesser-known writings of ordinary soldiers. The famous units on both sides, the most colourful commanders, the civil War's youngest casualty, and Clara Barton's baptism of fir are all accorded their proper place. The Antietam Campaign goes far beyond this, however. John Cannan's classic work has undergone extensive revision under the editorial direction of renowned Civil War historian David G. Martin to reflect new information and new interpretations of recent years. The battle of Antietam is placed clearly within the context of the strategic and political situation in the second year of the Civil War, and is seen as part of a larger military campaign that included actions at Harpers Ferry and South Mountain. The strengths and weaknesses of Union commander George B. McClellan are examined with unusual fairness, and viewed in the light of Abraham Lincoln's search for a commanding general. Robert E. Lee's often-misunderstood aims in the campaign are clarified with reference to the best available research, and his supply and manpower problems are described in a forthright manner that overcomes a century of romanticism and wishful thinking. Specially prepared maps, a detailed order of battle, and specialized sidebars supplement the main narrative. Individual deeds of heroism are placed against a backdrop of the valuable lessons of this campaign, with its intelligence failures on both sides, its political considerations, its evolving operational doctrine, and the unique attempt by both armies to win the allegiance of the local population.