Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign (Civil War America)

In the spring of 1862, Federal troops under the command of General George B. McClellan launched what was to be a coordinated, two-pronged attack on Richmond in the hope of taking the Confederate capital and bringing a quick end to the Civil War. The Confederate high command tasked Stonewall Jackson with diverting critical Union resources from this drive, a mission Jackson fulfilled by repeatedly defeating much larger enemy forces. His victories elevated him to near iconic status in both the North and the South and signaled a long war ahead. One of the most intriguing and storied episodes of the Civil War, the Valley Campaign has heretofore only been related from the Confederate point of view. With Shenandoah 1862, Peter Cozzens dramatically and conclusively corrects this shortcoming, giving equal attention to both Union and Confederate perspectives.Based on a multitude of primary sources, Cozzens's groundbreaking work offers new interpretations of the campaign and the reasons for Jackson's success. Cozzens also demonstrates instances in which the mythology that has come to shroud the campaign has masked errors on Jackson's part. In addition, Shenandoah 1862 provides the first detailed appraisal of Union leadership in the Valley Campaign, with some surprising conclusions.Moving seamlessly between tactical details and analysis of strategic significance, Cozzens presents the first balanced, comprehensive account of a campaign that has long been romanticized but never fully understood. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction......Page 18 1 This War Is a Farce......Page 24 2 Daughter of the Stars......Page 35 3 They Ain’t Rigged Out Like Uncle Sam’s Men......Page 54 4 The Dam[n] Trip......Page 63 5 Our True Policy Is to Attack......Page 82 6 Is Not War a Game of Risks?......Page 97 7 Be Careful Not to Be Caught......Page 109 8 Dangers Close Us Round on Every Side......Page 131 9 We Are Very Hard Pressed Now......Page 146 10 Keep That Army in the Valley......Page 163 11 We Are in for It......Page 176 12 It Seems Very Much Like Murder......Page 193 13 General Jackson Was Completely Taken In......Page 204 14 Vacillation Is Our Name......Page 226 15 Now We’ll Have War in Earnest......Page 244 16 A Country to Fight For......Page 267 17 God Blessed Our Arms with Victory......Page 277 18 On Your Course May Depend the Fate of Richmond......Page 293 19 Go It, Boys! Maryland Whip Maryland!......Page 309 20 We Must Cut Our Way Through!......Page 327 21 This Is a Crushing Blow......Page 357 22 Attack at Daylight......Page 366 23 A Question of Legs......Page 395 24 I Was Never So Relieved in My Life......Page 410 25 Save the Bridge at Port Republic......Page 437 26 The Preservation of Our Army Depended on Us......Page 451 27 I Have Lost Confidence in Frémont......Page 473 28 All Has Gone Wrong Today......Page 494 29 The Game Cock of the Valley......Page 519 Appendix: The Opposing Forces in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign......Page 532 Notes......Page 538 Bibliography......Page 600 B......Page 630 C......Page 631 E......Page 632 F......Page 633 J......Page 634 K......Page 635 M......Page 636 P......Page 637 S......Page 638 T......Page 639 Z......Page 640 One of the most intriguing and storied episodes of the Civil War, the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign has heretofore been related only from the Confederate point of view. Moving seamlessly between tactical details and analysis of strategic significance, Peter Cozzens presents a balanced, comprehensive account of a campaign that has long been romanticized but little understood. He offers new interpretations of the campaign and the reasons for Stonewall Jackson's success, demonstrates instances in which the mythology that has come to shroud the campaign has masked errors on Jackson's part, and provides the first detailed appraisal of Union leadership in the Valley Campaign, with some surprising conclusions. A Civil War historian gives equal attention to both Union and Confederate perspectives on the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign in a study that offers new interpretations of the campaign, the reasons for Stonewall Jackson's success, and a detailed appraisal of the Union leadership. Moving seamlessly between tactical details and analysis of strategic significance, Cozzens presents the first balanced, comprehensive account of Stonewall Jackson's Civil War campaign that has long been romanticized but never fully understood Peter Cozzens. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [583]-612) And Index.