Synopses & Reviews
The 1863 Laws of War is part of Stackpole's Military Classics series of reprint and reproduction Civil War handbooks. This edition is a compendium of the most important rules and regulations that controlled soldiers' activities during the conflict. Many rules and regulations were revised and expanded to meet the needs of civil conflict. This book covers changes to the rules in effect as of June 25, 1863, and is thus representative of American customs and rules of warfare and of the government of armies. It includes the Articles of War; the General Orders 100, officially termed Instructions for the Government of the Armies of the United States in the Field; General Orders 49 titled Making and Granting of Paroles; and selected excerpts from the Revised Army Regulations of 1862. General Orders 100 is the famous Lieber Code and was one of the first true laws of war. It was inspired by Abraham Lincoln's concern for controlling the barbarity of war. It affected treatment of prisoners, civilians, and civilian property, among other important provisions. It was highly acclaimed throughout the world, adopted by many nations, and included in the earliest laws of war codified in the 1868 and 1907 Geneva and Hague Conventions.