Overview

""I intend to fight it out along this line if it takes all summer,"" Union commander Ulysses S. Grant wrote to Washington after he' opened his Overland Campaign in the Spring of 1864. His resolve entirely changed the face of warfare. Promoted to command of all the Federal armies, the new lieutenant general chose to ride shotgun with the Army of the Potomac as it once again threw itself against the wily, audacious Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. But Grant did something no one else had done before: he threw his army at Lee, over and over again. At Spotsylvania Court House, the second phase of the campaign, the two armies shifted from stalemate in the Wilderness to slugfest in the mud. Most commonly known for the horrific twenty-two-hour hand-to-hand combat in the pouring rain at the Bloody Angle, the battle of Spotsylvania Court House actually stretched from May 8-21, 1864, fourteen long days of battle and manoeuvre. Grant, the irresistible force, hammering with his overwhelming numbers and unprecedented power, versus Lee, the immovable object, hunkered down behind the most formidable defensive works yet seen on the continent-Spotsylvania Court House represents a chess match of immeasurable stakes between two master opponents. As former battlefield guides at Spotsylvania Court House, authors Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White know the ground as intimately as anyone today. With the knowledge and insight that comes from that familiarity, coupled with their command of the fact, Mackowski and White weave together a gripping narrative of one of the war's most consequential engagements. A SEASON OF SLAUGHTER is part of the new Emerging Civil War Series offering compelling, easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil War's most important stories. Masterful storytelling. ILLUSTRATIONS: 171 photos, illustrations, and maps.,

Full Product Details

9781611211481

Table of Contents

Reviews

[A] wonderful book for anyone interested in learning about the fighting around Spotsylvania Court House or who would like to tour the area. It is well written, easy to read, and well worth the price. --Civil War News An insightful examination of the campaign's context --Civil War Times

Author Information

Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor in chief of Emerging Civil War. He is a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University and the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. Chris has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books on the Civil War. Read ECW’s blog at www.emergingcivilwar.com. Kristopher D. White is a historian for the Penn-Trafford Recreation Board and a continuing education instructor for the Community College of Allegheny County near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He served for five years as a staff military historian at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, and is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available