Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam Leather Signed Edition (Pivotal Moments in American History)

The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day in American history, with more than 6,000 soldiers killed--four times the number lost on D-Day, and twice the number killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. In Crossroads of Freedom, America's most eminent Civil War historian, James M. McPherson, paints a masterful account of this pivotal battle, the events that led up to it, and its aftermath. As McPherson shows, by September 1862 the survival of the United States was in doubt. The Union had suffered a string of defeats, and Robert E. Lee's army was in Maryland, poised to threaten Washington. The British government was openly talking of recognizing the Confederacy and brokering a peace between North and South. Northern armies and voters were demoralized. And Lincoln had shelved his proposed edict of emancipation months before, waiting for a victory that had not come--that some thought would never come. Both Confederate and Union troops knew the war was at a crossroads, that they were marching toward a decisive battle. It came along the ridges and in the woods and cornfields between Antietam Creek and the Potomac River. Valor, misjudgment, and astonishing coincidence all played a role in the outcome. McPherson vividly describes a day of savage fighting in locales that became forever famous--The Cornfield, the Dunkard Church, the West Woods, and Bloody Lane. Lee's battered army escaped to fight another day, but Antietam was a critical victory for the Union. It restored morale in the North and kept Lincoln's party in control of Congress. It crushed Confederate hopes of British intervention. And it freed Lincoln to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation, which instantly changed the character of the war. McPherson brilliantly weaves these strands of diplomatic, political, and military history into a compact, swift-moving narrative that shows why America's bloodiest day is, indeed, a turning point in our history. Pendulum of war, 1861-1862 -- Taking off the kid gloves, June-July 1862 -- Federals got a very complete smashing, August-September 1862 -- Showdown at Sharpsburg -- Beginning of the end.;The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day in American history, with more than 6,000 soldiers killed - four times the number lost on D-Day, and twice the number killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. In [this book, the author] paints [an] account of this pivotal battle, the events that led up to it, and its aftermath. As [he] shows, by September 1862 the survival of the United States was in doubt. The Union had suffered a string of defeats, and Robert E. Lee's army was in Maryland, poised to threaten Washington. The British government was openly talking of recognizing the Confederacy and brokering a peace between North and South. Northern armies and voters were demoralized. And Lincoln had shelved his proposed edict of emancipation months before, waiting for a victory that had not come - that some thought would never come. Both Confederate and Union troops knew the war was at a crossroads, that they were marching toward a decisive battle. It came along the ridges and in the woods and cornfields between Antietam Creek and the Potomac River. Valor, misjudgment, and astonishing coincidence all played a role in the outcome. [He] describes a day of savage fighting in locales that became forever famous - The Cornfield, the Dunkard Church, the West Woods, and Bloody Lane. Lee's battered army escaped to fight another day, but Antietam was a critical victory for the Union. It restored morale in the North and kept Lincoln's party in control of Congress. It crushed Confederate hopes of British intervention. And it freed Lincoln to deliver the Emancipation Proclamation, which instantly changed the character of the war.-Dust jacket. In this book, prize winning author James M. McPherson tells the story of the battle of Antietam - the turning point of the whole Civil War, and the bloodiest day in American history. In a concise narrative, McPherson takes readers through the events leading up to Antietam, and through the savage fighting of the battle itself. The final chapters will discuss the aftermath of the battle and why it truly was a pivotal moment in American history Introduction: Death In September -- The Pendulum Of War, 1861-1862 -- Taking Off The Kid Gloves, June-july 1862 -- The Federals Got A Very Complete Smashing, August-september 1862 -- Showdown At Sharpsburg -- The Beginning Of The End. James M. Mcpherson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [185]-190) And Index. The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day in American history, with more than 6000 soldiers killed. In this book, the author provides an account of this pivotal battle of the Civil War, the events that led up to it, and its aftermath. Provides a detailed examination of the furious twenty-four-hour battle that had reverberations far away from the battlefield, changing the outcome of the Civil War.