Ron Field

Ulysses S. Grant och Robert E. Lee var amerikanska inbördeskrigets mest tongivande generaler, i nordstaterna respektive sydstaterna. I den här boken får du läsa om dessa båda generaler, de viktigaste fälttågen och slagen de deltog i, och hur den slutliga striden mellan styrkor ledda av Grant på ena sidan, och Lee på den andra, avgjorde amerikanska inbördeskriget. Ulysses S. Grant fick från början ett rykte om sig att vara en odugling och suput. Han fick till och med öknamnet Useless Grant , men när amerikanska inbördeskriget startade visade han snabbt sin duglighet som befälhavare. Efter att ha lett nordstatsarméns första framgångsrika fälttåg fick han i stället tillnamnet Unconditional Surrender Grant . Grant skulle fortsätta att vinna segrar med en visshet som aldrig överträffades av någon annan general under amerikanska inbördeskriget, varken i nord- eller sydstatsarmén. Utan honom hade nordstaterna haft mycket sämre möjligheter att vinna kriget. Enligt Winston Churchill var Robert E. Lee en av de ädlaste amerikaner som någonsin har levt. Han inspirerade en utmattad och numerärt underlägsen armé att kämpa med stor beslutsamhet på slagfältet. Lee var framförallt en lysande strateg och en rakryggad man som inför oöverstigliga odds nästan lyckades förändra Förenta staternas historia för alltid. När Lee stod på höjden av sin militära karriär efter andra slaget vid Manassas 1862 hyllades han över hela södern som en uppåtgående stjärna. En del jämförde honom med historiska befälhavare som Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Fredrik den store och Napoleon. Boken innehåller mängder av foton, många fina illustrationer och ett antal kartor. Författare är Ron Field och Mark Lardas. De är båda väl etablerade militärhistoriska författare med särskild inriktning på amerikanska inbördeskriget. Översättare är Mikael Dahlgren, en av våra mest kunniga översättare när det gäller militärhistoria, även han med ett särskilt intresse för amerikanska inbördeskriget.

Reveals the tactics, technologies, and specially raised units at the heart of the Union’s conduct of combined operations in the American Civil War.During the Civil War, as well as confronting the Confederates on land, the Union forces mounted several ambitious amphibious operations, both on the coast and along the banks of the great rivers. In this book, renowned historian Ron Field explains how the growing effectiveness of the Union Navy, the willingness of the Union Army to countenance combined operations, and the efforts of officers such as Ambrose Burnside, David Farragut, and John Dahlgren, ensured that amphibious warfare played a key part in the defeat of the South.In May 1862, foreshadowed by the capture of Roanoke Island and New Bern in North Carolina and Island Number Ten on the Mississippi River, the Union forces’ use of combined operations to seize New Orleans dealt a major blow to the Confederacy. The potential of amphibious warfare was revealed by the Union efforts to capture Fort Fisher in North Carolina. While the initial attempt failed in December 1864, a renewed effort in January 1865 resulted in a Union victory. Fully illustrated, this study investigates the amphibious tactics and technologies adopted by the Union forces during the Civil War, and the units raised and equipped to conduct combined operations.

This book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Midwestern and Western states that fought for the Union during the Civil War. During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. As the war continued into 1862 and beyond, both sides mobilized huge numbers of troops, necessitating a massive expansion of military logistics in order to clothe, equip and feed the soldiers as they fought on a variety of fronts, from California to Virginia.This volume, the third in a three-part study, describes and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of the soldiers fielded by the Midwestern and Western states for the Union cause. While the majority of these troops were infantry, substantial numbers of artillery, cavalry and other specialists such as riflemen and engineers were also sent to fight the Confederate armies. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by rare photographs depicting soldiers and items of uniform from some of the most comprehensive collections in the United States.

This book describes and illustrates the uniforms and personal equipment of the troops fielded by the Eastern and New England states that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. During 1861–65, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. This volume, the second in a three-part study, chronicles the clothing, insignia and gear worn by the soldiers fielded by 12 of the states that fought to preserve the Union.While uniforms conforming to standard Union Army patterns were widely issued to these troops, some wore distinctive items of dress or insignia, and a wide variety of weapons were carried. Ron Field, an acknowledged authority on US military apparel, reveals how the Eastern and New England states clothed and equipped their regiments during the Civil War. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by photographs of soldiers and items of uniform from a variety of sources.

This fully illustrated study investigates the uniforms and equipment of the US regular troops and volunteers from the territories fighting for the Union during the American Civil War.During the American Civil War, the United States Army, pitted against the forces of the fledgling Confederacy, fought to defend and preserve the Union during five long years of bitter conflict. This volume describes and illustrates the uniforms, insignia and personal equipment of the Union Army's regular infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineers, plus specialists such as US Sharpshooters, Veteran Reserve Corps, Medical Corps, and Signal Corps.This volume also covers the troops fielded by the Territories that fought for the Union. Eight plates of original artwork showing officers and enlisted men of the Union Army are complemented by previously unpublished photographs of soldiers and items of uniform from some of the most comprehensive collections in the United States.

Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork and mapping plus carefully chosen archive illustrations, many in color, this lively study investigates the Mexican soldiers and Texian volunteers who fought one another in three key battles during the Texas Revolution.Following unrest throughout Mexico, in 1835 a revolt began in Texas among the Anglophone and Tejano-speaking settlers, known as Texians. Having retreated after their defeat at Bexar in December 1835, Mexican troops were ordered to re-occupy Texas in early 1836. In this volume, US military history expert Ron Field explores in detail three key battles that ensued. From February 23, Mexican forces besieged the Texian forces at the Alamo at San Antonio de Bexar; in the subsequent battle on March 6, almost all of the Texian defenders were killed. On March 19, forces en route to join the main Texian army were surrounded by Mexican troops at Coleto Creek. Following their surrender, about 340 Texian prisoners were shot by Mexican soldiers in what became known as the Goliad Massacre. On April 21, a Texian force launched a surprise attack on a larger Mexican army near the San Jacinto River, the decisive Texian victory that resulted is the third battle to be investigated in this study. Featuring full-color artwork and maps and drawing upon the latest research, this book investigates the fighting men of both sides at the Alamo, Coleto Creek, and the San Jacinto River, casting light on the doctrine, tactics, weaponry, and combat record of the Texian and Mexican combatants who clashed in the first weeks of the emerging Republic of Texas.

Featuring specially commissioned artwork and archive illustrations, this engrossing study describes the US Marine Corps’ early operations and illustrates its evolving uniforms and personal equipment. The US Marine Corps’ uniforms, personal equipment, insignia, and weaponry are all described and illustrated in this book, complemented by a succinct history of the Marines’ military record from their beginnings to the eve of the American Civil War, by which time the US Marine Corps had established itself as a small but vitally important part of the United States’ armed forces. Organized in 1775, the first American Marines distinguished themselves throughout the American Revolutionary War, and even raided mainland Britain before being disbanded in 1783. Reestablished in 1798, the US Marine Corps fought in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, both at sea and on land. The years after 1815 saw the Corps involved in a wide variety of conflicts, from the Seminole Wars to the Mexican–American War; Marines even reached China and Japan. As the prospect of civil war began to threaten the United States, a small battalion of Marines was responsible for the capture of abolitionist John Brown at Harper’s Ferry on October 18, 1859. The diverse operations and evolving appearance of the Marines are captured in this absorbing study from an acknowledged authority on US military costume.

During the 19th century, US forces confronted the Seminole people in a series of bitter wars over the fate of Florida. After the refusal of the Seminoles to move west to the Creek Reservation in Mississippi, the US government sent troops to bring Florida under federal control, marking the beginning of the Second Seminole War. On December 28, 1835, troops led by Major Francis Langhorne Dade were ambushed and massacred en route to Fort King. Two years of guerrilla warfare ensued, as the Seminoles evaded the US forces sent to defeat them. Ordered to hunt down the Seminoles, a US force led by Colonel Zachary Taylor incurred heavy losses at the battle of Lake Okeechobee (December 25, 1837), but the Seminoles were forced to withdraw. At the battle of the Loxahatchee River (January 24, 1838), forces led by Major General Thomas S. Jesup encountered a large group of Seminoles and met them with overwhelming numbers and greater firepower. Despite their stubborn efforts to resist the US military, the Seminoles were defeated and Florida became a state of the Union in 1845. This fully illustrated study assesses the forces fighting on both sides, casting light on the tactics, weaponry, and combat record of the Seminole warriors and their US opponents during the Second Seminole War.

Following the discovery of gold deposits, in December 1875 the US Government ordered the indigenous population of the Black Hills in what is now South Dakota and Wyoming, the Sioux, to return to the Great Sioux Reservation. When the Sioux refused, the US Army sent forces into the area, sparking a conflict that would make Lieutenant Colonel George Custer, Chief Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and others household names around the world. Examining a series of engagements in the Black Hills War, including Rosebud, Little Bighorn, and Slim Buttes, this fully illustrated study assesses the forces fighting on both sides in this momentous campaign, casting light on the origins, tactics, armament, and battlefield performance of the US Cavalry and their Sioux opponents at the height of the Indian Wars.

The Cruise missile is one of the most deadly weapons deployed by Western powers, but this book reveals that the quest for unmanned flying bombs goes back to the beginning of the 20th century. This book tells the secret story of how nations raced with each other to produce effective unmanned guided missiles. As far back as WW1, the `aerial torpedo' was hailed as a game changer in warfare. In fact, the original concept of using an automatic pilot was developed by Sir Hiram Maxim, inventor of the machine gun!

This book examines what the citizen soldiery of the mid-Atlantic states wore when they marched off to save the Union in 1861. An exhaustive search of thousands of newspapers has provided a myriad of reports and personal accounts from soldiers’ letters, which offer a hitherto unpublished view of the stirring events during the first few months of the Civil War. Combined with fascinating detail from numerous diaries and regimental histories, this has helped reconstruct the appearance of the Union volunteers of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The book is enhanced by photographs of original items of uniforms from private collections, plus imagery of the day, which show with remarkable clarity the great variety of clothing and headgear worn. Sponsored by the Company of Military Historians, this is an essential reference for collectors, living historians, modelers, and curators, as well as anyone with a general interest in the Civil War.

This volume examines what the citizen soldiery of the New England states wore when they marched off to save the Union in 1861. An exhaustive search of thousands of newspapers yielded a myriad of reports and personal accounts from soldiers’ letters, which together offer a hitherto unpublished view of the stirring events during the first few months of the Civil War. Combined with fascinating detail from numerous diaries and regimental histories, the author is able to describe the appearance of the Union volunteers of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine. The narrative is enhanced by photographs of original uniform items from private collections, plus imagery of the day showing the great variety of clothing and headgear worn. Accepted by the Company of Military Historians, this is an essential reference for collectors, living historians, modelers, and curators, as well as anyone with a general interest in the Civil War.

A gripping account of the fighting between cavalry of the Union and Confederate armies at small-unit level. This book presents new insights on the role of cavalry in the age of massed infantry gunfire and is augmented, as usual, with stunning Osprey artwork.During the intense, sprawling conflict that was the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate forces fielded substantial numbers of cavalry, which carried out the crucial tasks of reconnaissance, raiding, and conveying messages. The perception was that cavalry’s effectiveness on the battlefield would be drastically reduced in this age of improved infantry firearms.This book, however, demonstrates how cavalry’s lethal combination of mobility and dismounted firepower meant it was still very much a force to be reckoned with in battle, and charts the swing in the qualitative difference of the cavalry forces fielded by the two sides as the war progressed.Alongside stunning artwork, three fierce cavalry actions of the American Civil War are assessed, including the battles of Second Bull Run/Manassas (1862), Buckland Mills (1863) and Tom’s Brook (1864).

From an internationally renowned expert on US history, this highly illustrated title details the curtain-closing campaign of the American Civil War in the East.Ulysses S Grant's Army of the Potomac and Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia faced up to one another one last time, resulting in Lee conducting a desperate series of withdrawals and retreats down the line of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, hoping to join forces with General Joseph E. Johnston's Army of Tennessee.This book, with informative full-colour illustrations and maps, tells the full story of the skirmishes and pursuits that led directly to Lee's surrender, as his frantic efforts to extricate his forces from ever more perilous positions became increasingly untenable.

Men from all over North America and beyond – whether regulars, volunteers, or draftees – found themselves fighting for their lives on a host of bloody battlefields during the Civil War.The enthusiastic but largely inexperienced soldiers serving on both sides had to adapt quickly to the appalling realities of warfare in the industrial age. Author Ron Field, an authority on the Civil War, investigates three clashes that illustrate the changing realities of combat.Pitched into combat after an exhausting march to reach the battlefield, newly recruited infantrymen of both sides clashed at First Bull Run/Manassas in 1861.Two years later, the outcome of the Civil War’s pivotal battle at Gettysburg hung in the balance as the Confederate veterans of Pickett’s Division mounted a set-piece attack on Union positions at ‘The Bloody Angle’. In 1864, African-American troops fighting for the Union took part in a bloody assault on formidable Confederate positions at Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights, outside Petersburg.This absorbing study casts light on what it was like to take part in close-quarters battle during the Civil War, as increased infantry firepower and an increasing reliance on prepared defensive positions spelled the end of close-order tactics in the conflict that shaped America.

On April 15th 1861, the day after the fall of Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 volunteers to enlist for three months’ service to defend the Union.This 90-day period proved entirely unrealistic and was followed by further, and much more extensive, mobilizations. Despite this, for the first few months the defence of the Capitol depended heavily on a hastily gathered, but extremely loyal, army of militiamen and volunteers. Mostly inexperienced, poorly trained, weakly officered, and provided with motley uniforms, equipment and weapons, they bought the Union time during the vital first months.Through a wide range of period sources, this book describes and illustrates the actual appearance of this diverse and colorful force, including photographs, eyewitness accounts in period newspapers and letters, the reports of government agents, and the records of the many manufacturers who received orders to clothe and equip their state troops.

With the violent separation between the United States and Britain which began in 1776, the new 'Americans' set off to fulfill their manifest destiny and rule their new land from coast to coast.As they pushed westward, they came into conflict with both natives and other European settlers, and began to build fortresses to defend their newly claimed land. This book charts the development and variation of the fortresses of the American Frontier, covering both American defenses and those of the Spanish in the west. It also examines the little-known forts of early Russian settlers on the Pacific coast.

An examination of the life, military experiences and key battlefield exploits of Giuseppe Garibaldi.Born on 4 July 1807 in the city of Nice, the turning point in his life occurred in April 1833 when he met Giovanni Battista Cuneo, a member of the secret movement known as 'Young Italy'. Joining this society, Garibaldi took an oath dedicating his life to the struggle for the liberation of his homeland from Austrian dominance.The subsequent years would see him fighting in Brazil, in the Uruguayan Civil War, and on the Italian peninsula. Between 1848 and 1870, Garibaldi and his men were involved in a prolonged struggle that eventually led to the final unification of Italy in 1870.

Beloved by his soldiers and respected by his enemies, Robert E. Lee is undoubtedly the most popular general in American history to fight on the losing side. This book takes an in-depth look at this southern gentleman as a strategist and a tactician, covering all of his most important victories and defeats. Although courted by Lincoln, Robert E. Lee could not fight against his native Virginia and joined the Confederacy. After assuming command of the Army of Northern Virginia, Lee ran off a string of shocking victories that left the North reeling. However, on two separate occasions, Lee led invasions into the North and both ended in defeat, first at Antietam and then at Gettysburg. Encompassing the huge body of research surrounding General Lee and presenting it with numerous photographs and newly commissioned artwork, this book provides a complete understanding of Lee as a battlefield commander.