Longest Night

In this compelling new account of the American Civil War, noted historian David Eicher gives us an authoritative history of battle from the first shots at Fort Sumter to Lee's surrender at Appomattox. As a strictly military history, "The Longest Night" covers hundreds of engagements, both well known and obscure, including the oft-neglected Western theater and naval actions along the coasts and rivers. The result is a gripping popular history that will fascinate anyone just learning about the Civil War while offering more than a few surprises for longtime students.Drawing on hundreds of sources and excerpts from correspondence by those who fought the war, "The Longest Night" conveys a real sense of life -- and death -- on the battlefield. In addition, Eicher analyzes each side's evolving strategy; examines the tactics of Lee, Grant, Johnston, and Sherman; and discusses significant topics such as prisons, railroads, shipbuilding, clandestine operations, and the role of African-Americans in the war. This is an indispensable chronicle of the war that James M. McPherson, in the Foreword, calls "the most dramatic, violent, and fateful experience in American history."

Contents

List of Maps

Foreword by James M. McPherson

Introduction

Prologue: 1915

The War Begins at Sumter

Organizing the Struggle

Southern Joy over First Bull Run

A Massacre at Ball's Bluff

An Unlikely Hero at Belmont

Grant Moves into Tennessee

Clash of the Ironclads

A Bloodbath at Shiloh

Jackson's Valley Campaign

The Peninsular Campaign

Confederate Triumph at Second Bull Run

The War's Bloodiest Day

Fredericksburg's Appalling Loss

Stalemate at Stones River

The Campaign for Vicksburg

Lee's Master Stroke

Three Days at Gettysburg

Visiting the River of Death

The Battles for Chattanooga

Sherman Eyes the Deep South

The Red River Campaign

Grant Moves into the Wilderness

Action at Atlanta and Petersburg

Sheridan Raids the Valley

Sherman's March to the Sea

Fall of the Last Confederate Port

Lee's Army Crumbles

The End of the Civil War

Epilogue: 1865

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index