Synopses & Reviews
A dizzying series of momentous military actions occurred in Virginia in 1863. A year that began with Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia possessing the advantage in the field ended with the Southern army in tatters but still strong enough to hold back George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac. Stunning Confederate victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville in the spring were followed by a march into Maryland and Pennsylvania. The decisive Federal victory at Gettysburg in July, however, sent the Confederates reeling back into Virginia. By the year's end Lee's army was encamped behind the Rapidan River with a vast Federal army ready to attack and advance on Richmond.
The Storm Tide traces the history of these infamous battles of 1863 and provides a series of easy-to-follow tour guides to the battlefields today. Many of these battles are well known -- Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg -- but some are not -- Bristoe Station and Mine Run.
In addition to lively narratives of the battles, noting unusual incidents and briefly highlighting the careers of the leaders who shaped them, the book contains more than 250 period photographs and line drawings, more than 100 photographs that illustrate the driving tours, several original maps, sidebar articles on military strategy, a chronology of key battles and important events, sources for additional travel information, a bibliography, and an index.
Synopsis
In the dizzying series of military actions between December 1862 and June 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia won its most significant victories of the Civil War. Then it experienced its worst defeat. While Robert E. Lee was at the head of the Confederate army in all three major battles during that time, the Union army had different commanders for each: Ambrose E. Burnside at Fredericksburg, Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville, and George Gordon Meade at Gettysburg.
The Storm Tide traces the history of these infamous battles and provides a series of easy-to-follow tour guides to the battlefields today. The tour guides mirror the action of the historical narrative, following the route of the Union army from the Potomac to Fredericksburg, from the scene of Stonewall Jackson's death to the wilderness surrounding Chancellorsville. After crossing the Rapidan River, stops on the driving tours include significant cavalry actions at Kelly's Ford and Brandy Station. The route then follows the northern trek of the Confederate army through Winchester, Martinsburg, Williamsport, Hagerstown, Chambersburg, Cashtown, and finally Gettysburg. Four extensive tours of the expansive Gettysburg battlefield are supplemented with a tour of Pennsylvania and Maryland sites involved in the sparring between Meade and Lee during the late summer and early fall of 1863. A final tour traces the battle that never happened-Mine Run. Complementing the historical narrative and informative driving tours are:
- 102 original maps
- 103 biographical sketches
- 43 sidebars
- 234 photographs illustrating the driving tours
- 239 period photographs, sketches, and engravings
- contact information
- e-mail addresses and websites