Wilderness-Spotsylvania Staff Ride Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]

Wilderness-Spotsylvania Staff Ride Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]
Author: Anon
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2018-04-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1789121205

The Battle of the Wilderness began Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant’s 1864 Overland Campaign against the Confederate army of Northern Virginia that ultimately, after many weeks and horrendous casualties, forced Gen. Robert E. Lee’s men back to the defenses at Richmond. The fighting took place in an area of Virginia where tangled underbrush and trees had grown up in long-abandoned farmland, near the old Chancellorsville battlefield. Close-quarters fighting among the dense woods created high casualties, but the battle proved inconclusive for both sides. It produced an important strategic event, however; whereas before Union commanders had withdrawn their armies after failing to achieve victory south of the Rappahannock River, Grant did not retreat. Instead, he attempted to outflank Lee by moving to the left, setting the stage for the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. In this briefing book the battle and its environs are discussed and described in detail.

Gettysburg Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]

Gettysburg Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]
Author: Ted Ballard
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 187
Release: 2014-08-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1782898581

Contains more than 20 maps, diagrams and illustrations If neither General Meade nor General Lee planned to fight at Gettysburg, how did it happen that the first three days of July 1863 were to become arguably the most important span in the Civil War? That question cannot be fully answered without viewing McPherson's Ridge or Oak Hill, nor can one really understand the urgency of Chamberlain's bayonet charge nor the audacity of Pickett's division at the Angle without visiting those places. Accordingly, the purpose of a Gettysburg staff ride is to visit these and other locations on the battlefield and analyze the battle through the eyes of the men who were there, both leaders and rank and file soldiers. Hopefully, by understanding the actions, inactions and reactions of commanders and their troops in real situations we may gain insights into the human condition under stress and decision making during combat.

Fredericksburg Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]

Fredericksburg Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]
Author: Ted Ballard
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 121
Release: 2014-08-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1782898573

Contains more than 20 maps, diagrams and illustrations The movement and details of the Union offensive plan at Fredericksburg seemed to be understood by all senior commanders; the North had a preponderance of manpower and artillery; a bridgehead was established on the enemy side of the river and initial objectives secured. Why did Burnside decide to withdraw his army back across the river to its original position? That question cannot be answered without viewing the pontoon crossing sites, the Union approach routes, the infamous "stonewall," and the other Confederate defensive positions. Accordingly, the purpose of a Fredericksburg staff ride is to visit these and other locations on the battlefield and analyze the battle through the eyes of the men who were there, both leaders and rank and file soldiers.

Chancellorsville Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]

Chancellorsville Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]
Author: Ted Ballard
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2014-08-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1782898565

Contains more than 20 maps, diagrams and illustrations Although "Fighting Joe" Hooker skillfully executes a well-conceived plan and out-flanks his adversary, months of offensive planning are shelved as he suddenly orders his army on the defensive. Lee seizes the initiative and achieves what has often been called his most brilliant victory. How could this happen when Hooker's army outnumbers that of Lee 2 to 1 and is far superior in artillery and logistics? Answers to these and other questions concerning leadership, communications, use of terrain, and the psychology of men in battle, are often found by personal reconnaissance of the battlefield. This book offers a staff ride briefing of Chancellorsville. Since 1906 staff rides have been used to in the education of U.S. Army officers to narrow the gap between peacetime training and war.

Second Bull Run Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]

Second Bull Run Staff Ride: Briefing Book [Illustrated Edition]
Author: Ted Ballard
Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2014-08-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 178289859X

Contains more than 20 maps, diagrams and illustrations Jackson’s march into the rear of Pope’s army opened the Battle of Second Manassas. a battle which has many lessons worthy of study; the deep strike, unity of command, intelligence, logistics and importance of terrain, just to name a few. Accordingly, the purpose of the Manassas staff ride is to learn lessons of the past by analyzing this battle through the eyes of the men who were there, both leaders and rank and file soldiers. Hopefully, the actions or inactions of certain Civil War commanders and the reactions of their troops will allow us to gain insights into decision-making and the human condition during battle.

A Season of Slaughter

A Season of Slaughter
Author: Chris Mackowski
Publisher: Grub Street Publishers
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2013-05-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 1611211492

A gripping narrative of one of the Civil War’s most consequential engagements. In the spring of 1864, the newly installed Union commander Ulysses S. Grant did something none of his predecessors had done before: He threw his army against the wily, audacious Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia over and over again. At Spotsylvania Court House, 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 to 21, 1864—fourteen long days of battle and maneuver. 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. This clash is detailed in A Season of Slaughter: The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, May –21, 1864. 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. The masterful storytelling is richly enhanced with hundreds of photos, illustrations, and maps. “[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

Three Years in the Bloody Eleventh

Three Years in the Bloody Eleventh
Author: Joseph Gibbs
Publisher: Penn State Press
Total Pages: 414
Release: 2002
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780271021669

A Look Inside The trials & tribulations of one of the Civil War's most battle-tested units.

General James Longstreet

General James Longstreet
Author: Jeffry D. Wert
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 564
Release: 2015-05-26
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1439127786

General James Longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the Civil War, from Manassas (the first battle of Bull Run) to Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, Gettysburg, and was present at the surrender at Appomattox. Yet, he was largely held to blame for the Confederacy's defeat at Gettysburg. General James Longstreet sheds new light on the controversial commander and the man Robert E. Lee called “my old war horse.”

To the North Anna River

To the North Anna River
Author: Gordon C. Rhea
Publisher: LSU Press
Total Pages: 534
Release: 2005-09-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 0807155985

With To the North Anna River, the third book in his outstanding five-book series, Gordon C. Rhea continues his spectacular narrative of the initial campaign between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in the spring of 1864. May 13 through 25, a phase oddly ignored by historians, was critical in the clash between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. During those thirteen days -- an interlude bracketed by horrific battles that riveted the public's attention -- a game of guile and endurance between Grant and Lee escalated to a suspenseful draw on Virginia's North Anna River. From the bloodstained fields of the Mule Shoe to the North Anna River, with Meadow Bridge, Myers Hill, Harris Farm, Jericho Mills, Ox Ford, and Doswell Farm in between, grueling night marches, desperate attacks, and thundering cavalry charges became the norm for both Grant's and Lee's men. But the real story of May 13--25 lay in the two generals' efforts to outfox each other, and Rhea charts their every step and misstep. Realizing that his bludgeoning tactics at the Bloody Angle were ineffective, Grant resorted to a fast-paced assault on Lee's vulnerable points. Lee, outnumbered two to one, abandoned the offensive and concentrated on anticipating Grant's maneuvers and shifting quickly enough to repel them. It was an amazingly equal match of wits that produced a gripping, high-stakes bout of warfare -- a test, ultimately, of improvisation for Lee and of perseverance for Grant.