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Overview
In September 1862 the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac conducted one of the truly great campaigns of the Civil War. At South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam, North and South clashed in engagements whose magnitude and importance would earn this campaign a distinguished place in American military history. The siege of Harpers Ferry produced the largest surrender of U.S. troops in the nation’s history until World War II, while the day-long battle at Antietam on September 17 still holds the distinction of being the single bloodiest day of combat in American history.
This invaluable book provides a clear, convenient, stop-by-stop guide to the sites in Maryland and West Virginia associated with the Antietam campaign, including excursions to Harpers Ferry and South Mountain. Thorough descriptions and analyses, augmented with vignettes and numerous maps, convey the mechanics as well as the human experience of the campaign, making this book the perfect companion for both serious students of the Civil War and casual visitors to its battlefields.
Synopsis
In September 1862 the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac conducted one of the truly great campaigns of the Civil War. At South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam, North and South clashed in engagements whose magnitude and importance would earn this campaign a distinguished place in American military history. The siege of Harpers Ferry produced the largest surrender of U.S. troops in the nation’s history until World War II, while the day-long battle at Antietam on September 17 still holds the distinction of being the single bloodiest day of combat in American history.
This invaluable book provides a clear, convenient, stop-by-stop guide to the sites in Maryland and West Virginia associated with the Antietam campaign, including excursions to Harpers Ferry and South Mountain. Thorough descriptions and analyses, augmented with vignettes and numerous maps, convey the mechanics as well as the human experience of the campaign, making this book the perfect companion for both serious students of the Civil War and casual visitors to its battlefields.
Suncoast Civil War Society Newsletter
"Excellent guides at a reasonable price, written by experts on the battle."
—James Durney, Suncoast Civil War Society Newsletter
Editorials
Suncoast Civil War Society Newsletter -
"A necessary addition to any Antietam library."—James Durney, TOCWOC, A Civil War BlogCivil War Books and Authors blog -
"I've often expressed my admiration for Nebraska's This Hallowed Ground series of Civil War battlefield guides, and this latest volume by Ethan Rafuse continues the series's tradition of consistent quality in information and presentation. . . . I would recommend this volume as the best general use touring guide for this campaign."—Andrew Wagenhoffer, Civil War Books and Authors blogChoice
"Rafuse provides a helpful guidebook dedicated to this single campaign arena. Employing the latest research, he guides the visitor (in person or by armchair) through all the various stops associated with the fighting at South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam."—M. J. Smith Jr., ChoiceTimothy B. Smith
"Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide is a worthy continuation of the University of Nebraska Press series. . . . Meticulous maps as well as detailed sources and recommendations for further reading add to the experience of reading this volume."—Timothy B. Smith, Register of the Kentucky Historical SocietyTed Alexander
“A refreshing and original study of America’s bloodiest day that is free of the clichés found in some previous works on this subject. Using original sources and consulting the latest scholarship on Antietam, Rafuse has written a superb battle and campaign study.”—Ted Alexander, chief historian of Antietam National BattlefieldSuncoast Civil War Society Newsletter
"Excellent guides at a reasonable price, written by experts on the battle."—James Durney, Suncoast Civil War Society Newsletter
— James Durney
Civil War Books and Authors blog
"I've often expressed my admiration for Nebraska's This Hallowed Ground series of Civil War battlefield guides, and this latest volume by Ethan Rafuse continues the series's tradition of consistent quality in information and presentation. . . . I would recommend this volume as the best general use touring guide for this campaign."—Andrew Wagenhoffer, Civil War Books and Authors blog
— Andrew Wagenhoffer
Choice
"Rafuse provides a helpful guidebook dedicated to this single campaign arena. Employing the latest research, he guides the visitor (in person or by armchair) through all the various stops associated with the fighting at South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, and Antietam."—M. J. Smith Jr., Choice
— M. J. Smith Jr.
Timothy B. Smith
"Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide is a worthy continuation of the University of Nebraska Press series. . . . Meticulous maps as well as detailed sources and recommendations for further reading add to the experience of reading this volume."
—Timothy B. Smith, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society
Ted Alexander
“A refreshing and original study of America’s bloodiest day that is free of the clichés found in some previous works on this subject. Using original sources and consulting the latest scholarship on Antietam, Rafuse has written a superb battle and campaign study.”
—Ted Alexander, chief historian of Antietam National Battlefield
Library Journal
Rafuse (military history, U.S. Army Command & General Staff Coll.; McClellan's War: The Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union) provides a detailed guide to the Civil War engagements of September 1862 as they may be understood by visiting the battlefield sites today. For each major battle, he describes the strategic and political situations leading up to the encounters. "Stops" indicate vantage points from which to view a site, while numerous black-and-white maps showing landmarks, roads, rivers, etc., as they are today indicate the locations of particular units in battle there. "What Happened" sections detail the battle while adding further vignettes, orientation, and directions. Each subsection is followed by an analysis, and "Further Reading" sections provide page-specific citations relevant to the site. Finally, appendixes for "Orders of Battle" and "Organization, Weapons, and Tactics," along with sourcing, wrap up the book. Debatably, the reverse chronological order is a flaw, but it may be forgiven considering that Antietam was the most significant battle of the three. Recommended for Civil War aficionados, especially those living near the battlefields.
—Matthew J. Wayman