My American Civil War book library for wargaming consists of the following titles this is not an exhaustive library is just some of my favourites on the subject.
The American Civil War (1)
The war in the East 1861–May 1863
The United States saw long-simmering sectional tensions erupt into fighting at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, in April 1861, beginning what would become the most cataclysmic military struggle in the western world between Waterloo and the First World War. This volume focuses on events in the Virginia theatre during the conflict's first two years, highlighting Union and Confederate strengths and weaknesses, leadership and strategy on each side, and the ways in which events on the battlefield influenced politics, diplomacy, and debates about emancipation. Osprey Essential Histories are complete yet concise studies of each major conflict in history.
The American Civil War (2)
The war in the West 1861–July 1863
The American Civil Wars vast Western Theatre witnessed enormously important military campaigning during the period 1861 - 1863. This book, the third in a four-volume series, examines the geographical, logistical and strategic factors that shaped fighting in this theatre, as well as assessing officers who played key roles . It covers the story of Ulysses S Grant's important capture of rebel positions before marching south to win the battle of Shiloh, as well as that of Albert Sidney Johnston, the pride of the Confederacy. Finally, it details the dramatic events of the siege of Vicksburg, the Confederates final fortress.
The American Civil War (3)
The war in the East 1863–1865
Great battles and famous commanders dominated the military history of the Civil War in the Eastern Theatre during the period 1863-1865. This book includes revealing details of the clash at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the costliest battle ever waged in the Western Hemisphere, but, contrary to common belief, puts forward the theory that it was not a great turning point in the war. This book also examines the events that led to Robert E Lee accepting generous terms of surrender from Ulysses S Grant, bringing the war in Virginia to a close. A fascinating look at this crucial point in the American Civil War.
The American Civil War (4)
The war in the West 1863–1865
Union military forces suffered momentary defeat followed by sustained success in the Western Theatre during the second half of the American Civil War. Following the Union's defeat at Chickamauga, Ulysses S. Grant took command at Chattanooga and orchestrated a striking victory which paved the way for a Union advance against Atlanta, a confederate city second in importance only to Richmond. This book traces the events that surrounded the capture of Atlanta, followed by Sherman's famous campaign of destruction through the southern interior which culminated in April 1865 with the surrender of the last major Confederate field army at Durham Station, North Carolina.
Campaign
First Bull Run 1861
The South's first victory
At Bull Run, two inexperienced, ill-trained and poorly led armies clashed in the opening engagement of the American Civil War. Culminating in a stalwart defensive fight by Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson's Virginia Brigade, this is the story of the Confederacy's first victory. The author investigates the personalities of the principal commanders and examines the opposing armies, showing how the widely varying uniforms of different units caused mistakes of identity which affected the battle at crucial points. Weapons, intelligence and the almost universal inexperience of troops on both sides are all discussed, helping to explain the events of the battle itself.
Hampton Roads 1862
Clash of the Ironclads
On 9 March 1862 the world's first battle between two ironclad warships took place in the confined waters of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The previous day the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia, impervious to her enemy's guns, had sunk two Union warships. When she re-emerged from Norfolk to complete the destruction of the Union blockading squadron the USS Monitor steamed out to meet her. The four-hour duel that ensued was a stalemate, but crucially the Virginia had failed to break the Northern blockade of the Southern ports. Nevertheless, in a single battle these two vessels rendered wooden warships obsolete and transformed the face of naval warfare forever.
Antietam 1862
The Civil War's Bloodiest Day
Antietam was one of the critical battles of the American Civil War. The fortunes of the South were riding high after the resounding victory at Second Manassas. While Bragg and Kirby Smith invaded Kentucky, Lee's invasion of Maryland was intended to maintain the Southern offensive momentum and to win the recognition of the European powers. But his bold plan was compromised - and at the Antietam River the Army of Northern Virginia was fighting for its very life. This title examines the build-up to Hooker's attack, and details the famous clashes at Bloody Lane and Burnside Bridge.
Shiloh 1862
The death of innocence
The first major battle in the Western theatre of the American Civil War, Shiloh came as a horrifying shock to both the American public and those in arms. For the first time they had some idea of the terrible price that would be paid for the preservation of the Union. On 6 April 1862 General Albert Sidney Johnston caught Grant and Sherman by surprise and very nearly drove them into the River Tennessee, but was mortally wounded in the process. Somehow Grant and Sherman hung on and the next day managed to drive back the hordes of grey-clad rebels.
Shenandoah Valley 1862
Stonewall Jackson outmanoeuvres the Union
Major General “Stonewall” Jackson became a legend for his actions in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, in 1862. Marching over 600 miles in 48 days, he, along with his army, won five major battles. His forces, never numbering more than 17,000 men, overcame a combined Union force of 50,000, demonstrating his ability to manoeuvre his troops and deceive his enemies into believing he possessed the advantage. Charted throughout these pages is the journey leading up to, and including, “Stonewall” Jackson’s final victory, all the while performing better than anyone could have expected. The campaign became a showcase for the mobility and success of Jackson’s outnumbered men, who held the larger Union forces pinned down and off balance, consequently allowing Jackson to force march his men to take part in the Seven Days Battles that saved Richmond and gained him victory.
Seven Days Battles 1862
Lee’s defence of Richmond
When General Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy was in crisis. Lee changed all that in a brilliant, week-long campaign. On 26 June the Confederates struck, fighting two hard-fought battles in two days at Mechanicsville and Gaine's Mill. The ferocity of the Confederate assaults convinced McClellan that he was outnumbered. Unable to keep the Confederates at bay, the Union army was recalled to Washington. Despite losing a quarter of his men, Lee had saved Richmond, and inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Army of the Potomac. This book traces the course of this short yet crucial campaign.
Fair Oaks 1862
McClellan’s Peninsula campaign
Following its humiliating defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run, General George B. McClellan took command of the Union Army of the Potomac. In the spring of 1862, having rebuilt his forces, the Little Napoleon devised a plan to end the war in a single campaign. Transporting his army by sea to the Virginia Peninsula, he would outflank Confederate forces and march unopposed on Richmond, the Southern capital. Excessive caution squandered the opportunity, however, and on 31 May the Confederates struck at McClellan’s divided forces at Fair Oaks. This book details McClellan’s controversial Peninsula campaign and the southern attempt to halt the Union juggernaut.
Second Manassas 1862
Robert E Lee’s greatest victory
There never was such a campaign, not even by Napoleon wrote Confederate General Pender of the Second Manassas campaign in which the gray-bearded Virginian, Robert E Lee, came as close as he ever would to exterminating his Northern enemies. In so doing, Lee established himself as the South's pre-eminent military commander and the Army of Northern Virginia as it's most powerful weapon. The fighting in northern Virginia left Union General John Pope's career in tatters and proved the South was a power to be reckoned with. This book's powerful account demonstrates that during that fateful summer of 1862 Lee's soldiers were fighting for anything but a lost cause.
Fredericksburg 1862
'Clear The Way'
In December 1862, things were still confused for the Union. Antietam had been a failure for both sides, and although the battle showed that the Union army could bring the Confederates to bay, it couldn't pin them in one place long enough to destroy them. In December 1862, General Burnside, newly appointed to command the Army of the Potomac, planned to seize and secure the town of Fredericksburg, and then take the Confederate capital of Richmond. Carl Smith's book details the epic struggle that engulfed the Union side as it crossed the Rappahannock on December 11, encountering stiff opposition from Lee's men.
Chancellorsville 1863
Jackson's Lightning Strike
Following the debacle of the battle of Fredricksburg in December 1862, Burnside was replaced as commander of the Army of the Potomac by General Joseph Hooker. Having reorganised the army and improved morale, he planned an attack that would take his army to Richmond and end the war. Although faced by an army twice his size, the Confederate commander Robert E. Lee split his forces: Jubal Early was left to hold off Sedgwick's Fredericksburg attack, and 'Stonewall' Jackson was sent with 26,000 men in a wide envelopment around Hooker's right flank. This title details how at dusk on May 2, Jackson's men crashed into the Federal right flank, and how stiffening Federal resistance slowed the Confederate advance the next day.
Brandy Station 1863
First step towards Gettysburg
The road to Gettysburg began at Brandy Station on 9 June 1863. Early on that morning, General Pleasanton launched his men across the Rappahannock at Beverley’s Ford to the north of Brandy Station and Kelly’s Ford to the south. General JEB Stuart was caught unaware by these manoeuvres and his lines and headquarters were nearly overrun until reinforcements helped to stabilise the situation. Following 12 hours of bitter fighting the Union forces withdrew back across the river in what was the largest and most hotly contested clash of sabres in the war. This book describes the battle with a step-by-step analysis, illustrated with detailed maps, birds-eye-views and full colour battle scene artwork.
Gettysburg 1863
High tide of the Confederacy
The Confederate invasion of the Northern states was General Lee's last great gamble. By taking the war to the Union he hoped to force Lincoln into peace negotiations, or win support from the European powers who were watching events closely from across the Atlantic. Equally, Meade's Army of the Potomac needed to regain it's fighting credibility after the setbacks of Fredericksburg and saw this as an opportunity to redeem its honour. The clash of 150,000 soldiers from both sides would ultimately decide the fate of a nation.
Vicksburg 1863
Grant clears the Mississippi
The 1863 Vicksburg campaign was to prove decisive to the outcome of the American Civil War. Known as the 'Gibraltar of the West', Vicksburg was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. In a masterly campaign Grant used riverboats and steamers to land his army south of the city. He then defeated the armies of Generals 'Joe' Johnston and John C. Pemberton. Pemberton allowed his force to become bottled up in Vicksburg and after an epic 47-day siege he was forced to surrender the remnants of his force to Grant on 4 July 1863, one day after Lee's defeat at Gettysburg.
Chickamauga 1863
The river of death
By the Autumn of 1863 the Confederacy was in dire straits. In a colossal gamble, Confederate President Jefferson Davis stripped forces from all the major Confederate armies to reinforce the Army of Tennessee in a last ditch attempt to crush the Union. On 19th September the Confederates attacked the Union army along Chickamauga creek south of Chattanooga. On the second day of bloody fighting the entire Union right collapsed and the army retreated headlong for Chattanooga, all except General George H. Thomas' Corps who fought on doggedly until nightfall delaying the confederate advance, saving the Union and earning his fame as the Rock of Chickamauga.
Shenandoah 1864
Sheridan’s valley campaign
For three years of war the Union and the Confederacy had battled over the picturesque Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to the west, the valley served as the granary for the Army of Northern Virginia. It provided bread and beef to feed this shield of the Confederacy and remounts for its cavalry. This beautifully illustrated study explores one of the major campaigns of the Civil War in 1864, which saw a decisive victory for the Union forces under Sheridan and featured some of the most famous commanders of the war, including Philip Sheridan, Jubal Early, George Armstrong Custer, John B. Gordon and George Crook.
Wilderness and Spotsylvania 1864
Grant versus Lee in the East
In May 1864 the Union Army of the Potomac under General George Meade had been in a leisurely pursuit of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia for nearly a year after the defeat of the Rebels at Gettysburg. Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee still retained his awe-inspiring reputation for wrecking Union armies that got too close to Richmond and Meade was still cautious. His tactics at Gettysburg were defensive and he was unsure that he was able to take the offensive against Lee. However, things changed when President Abraham Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant to command all Union armies. Grant came east and laid out a comprehensive strategy for the rest of the war. In the deep South, General William T. Sherman would march out of Tennessee to cut the Confederacy in half by taking Atlanta. Grant would lead the Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan River and march on Richmond. He had the manpower and equipment to accomplish his objective, easily outnumbering Lee. Lee, on the other hand, was far from beaten. The stage was set for one of the defining campaigns of the Civil War in the East.
Sherman's March to the Sea 1864
Atlanta to Savannah
Riding on the wave of his victory at Atlanta, Union General W. T. Sherman abandoned his supply lines in an attempt to push his forces into Confederate territory and take Savannah. During their 285-mile 'March to the Sea' the army lived off the land and destroyed all war-making capabilities of the enemy en route. Despite the controversy surrounding it, the march was a success. Supported by photographs, detailed maps, and artwork, this title explores the key personalities and engagements of the march and provides a detailed analysis of the campaign that marked the 'beginning of the end' of the Civil War.
Petersburg 1864–65
The longest siege
In 1864 General Ulysses S. Grant decided to strangle the life out of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia by surrounding the city of Petersburg and cutting off General Robert E. Lee’s supply lines. The ensuing siege would carry on for nearly ten months, involve 160,000 soldiers, and see a number of pitched battles including the Battle of the Crater, Reams Station, Hatcher’s Run, and White Oak Road. After nearly ten months, Grant launched an attack that sent the Confederate army scrambling back to Appomattox Court House where it would soon surrender. Written by an expert on the American Civil War, this book examines the last clash between the armies of U.S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.
Appomattox 1865
Lee’s last campaign
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.
Command
Duel
Elite
Essential Histories
Fortress
Men-at-Arms
New Vanguard
Raid
Warrior
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Opening Battles v. 1
Opening Battles (Volume 1) begins with a view of Washington on the eve of the war, gives an account of the fall of Fort Sumter, the preparations for war in the North and South, and the formation of the Confederacy. Detailed are the early operations in Virginia, the campaign of the first Bull Run, and the first year of war in Missouri. Naval conflicts on the inland waterways are covered as well as the battles of Lexington, Belmont, Big Sandy and others. Generals U.S. Grant, G.T. Beauregard, T. jordan and D.C. Buell, describe the events of the Battle of Shiloh. Chronicled too are the buildups of the navies for war, coastal operations in the Carolinas, and the historic battles at Hampton Roads between the ironclads "Monitor" and "Merrimac" which changed the course of naval history.
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Struggle Intensifies v. 2
The Struggle Intensifies (Volume 2) opens with the siege and capture of Fort Pulaski, the capture of New Orleans, and a summary of operations in the far southwest. It covers the Peninsular Campaign, the battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Manassas, and Seven Pines. Brigadier-General john D. Imboden, C.S.A., relates Stonewall Jacksons exploits in the Shenandoah. Chronicled here are Lees campaign against Pope, the second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and finally the battles at Iuka and Corinth.
Battles & Leaders of the Civil War: The Tide Shifts v. 3
The Tide Shifts (Volume 3) begins with the Perryville Campaign, the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. The Battle of Gettysburg is chronicled in detail by such famous officers as General James Longstreet, Colonel john S. Mosby, General Henry J Hunt, General E.R Alexander and by others who fought and directed this pivotal battle. The Vicksburg Campaign, the battles of Port Hudson, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and others are likewise described.
Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Retreat with Honor v. 4
Retreat With Hortor (Volume 4) relates the events that led to the end of the war. It opens with a detailed description of the land and sea operations at the Battle of Charleston. Grants Wilderness Campaign and Sherrnans march to Atlanta are vividly portrayed. After mounting the final actions in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee, this volume depicts the closing naval operations, Sherman's march through the Confederacy and climaxes with Lees surrender at Appomattox.
Photographic History of the Civil War: The Opening Battles, Two Years of Grim War v. 1
The Photographic History of the Civil War was first published in 1911 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the great conflict. Extremely popular then, it has become a rare book. Here, in five double volumes, is the complete and unabridged original edition, text and photographs carefully reproduced in the original format and full size.
The thousands of photographs contained within are remarkable in their immediacy, spontaneity, and authenticity. They demonstrate the power of the camera as well as the importance of the photographer. This series is a unique record of one of the greatest conflicts in the history of mankind. Also included in this series are maps to mark the battles, and line-art decorations that give a feel of the era in which they were composed.
These pictures can be viewed as art, as history and as journalism. Covering every aspect of the war - from the front to weapons, from tactics to the wounded, from everyday life to grief, from victory to defeat - these volumes are a testament to a mighty conflict and to the great nation which emerged from it.
The first volume of The Photographic History of the Civil War is a record of the the opening battles of the war. It spans two years and is 732 pages in the hardcover edition.
Photographic History of the Civil War: The Decisive Battles, the Cavalry v. 2
This volume describes the decisive battles of the Civil War, and the Cavalry on both sites of the battle.
Photographic History of the Civil War: Forts and Artillery, The Navies v. 3
This volume covers the Forts and the Artillery of the Civil War, along with the Navies from both sides of the conflict.
Photographic History of the Civil War: Soldier Life and Secret Service, Prisons and Hospitals v. 4
This volume describes in detail the lives of soldiers on both sides of the conflict, and the secret service. It also contains photographs, diagrams, and text about the prisons and hospitals used during the Civil War.
Photographic History of the Civil War: The Armies and the Leaders, Poetry and Eloquence v. 5
This volume covers the armies and the leaders of the Civil War, as well as some of the eloquent writing to emerge from the battle, including poetry.
The Battlefields of the Civil War (Rebels & Yankees trilogy)
A must for any Civil War library. Recounts the stories of thirteen of some of the most important battles of the war, from First Manassas in July 1861 to the Battle of Nashville in 1864. Full-colour double-page maps show the reader each move of the opposing forces. No effort has been spared to include rare war era photographs and colour photos of rare artifacts. Engagingly written by William C. Davis, the author of more than thirty books on the American Civil War. Writes professor James M. McPherson, "The most readable, authoritative, and beautifully designed illustrated history of the American Civil War." Also in the series: Commanders and Fighting Men.
Fighting Men of the Civil War (Rebels & Yankees trilogy)
A must for any Civil War library. The sweeping histories of the War Between the States often overlook the men in whose blood that history was written. This account goes a long way toward redressing the balance in favour of the men in the ranks. The reader follows the soldiers from enlistment and training to campaigning. Attention is also given to oft-forgotten groups such as the sailors and black troops. No effort has been spared to include rare war era photographs and colour photos of rare artifacts. Engagingly written by William C. Davis, the author of more than thirty books on the American Civil War. Writes professor James M. McPherson, "The most readable, authoritative, and beautifully designed illustrated history of the American Civil War." Also in the series: Battlefields and Commanders.
The Commanders of the Civil War (Rebels & Yankees trilogy)
Chronicles the lives and careers of the foremost commanders in the American Civil War. The work uses material from personal letters and memoirs to recreate this period of American history.
Uniforms of the American Civil War (Blandford colour series)
It is a popular misconception that the American Civil War was fought between Union and Confederate armies uniformed in dull blue and drab grey respectively. In fact, both armies included exotically-named corps dressed in a variety of European styles whose gorgeous uniforms compared more than favourably with the most ornate of Napoleonic France Zouaves and Chasseurs, Hussars and Highlanders, Lancers, Bersaglieri and Riflemen. This book illustrates the regulation full dress and service dress of every branch of both armies, and those of a large number of early volunteer and militia regiments. In addition, large numbers of contemporary photographs have been consulted to show how uniforms were regimentally and individually modified on campaign, on occasion losing all resemblance to the costume prescribed by official Dress Regulations. Over 150 uniforms are illustrated, and the uniforms of more than 60 other regiments and corps are described in the text. There are separate sections on rank markings, badges, belt-plates and buttons. The book includes an historical introduction on the events of the Civil War, a comparison of the capabilities of the various artillery and small arms of both armies, and an Order of Battle of the opposing forces at Gettysburg. The book is therefore of value to the historian, the military costume enthusiast, the modeller and the wargamer, and in the words of Abraham Lincoln, People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.
