The Union Army, 1861-1865: The Western theater


Book Description

""The breadth and meticulous rendering of this volume's contents, heretofore available only in widely scattered sources, mark this book as a classic of Civil War historiography.... A fundamental reference work."" -- Library Journal ""An excellent effort, this may well be the work on the Civil War, one that sets new standards for historical works."" -- Indianapolis Weekly .."". belongs on every Civil War student's book shelf."" -- The Civil War News ""Welcher's is an extraordinary accomplishment by any measure."" -- William W. Starr, The State Columbia, S.C. .."". should join any short shelf of well-thumbed reference tools for readers interested in Federal military forces in the East."" -- Civil War ""This impressive volume provides a complete account of the organization of all Union military divisions, departments, armies, army corps, brigades, and special commends.... very meticulous in detail of personnel and maneuvers... "" -- American Reference Books Annual ""This is one of the most outstanding reference books that has ever been published on the subject of the Union Army during the Civil War period.... a superb historical work... "" -- Infantry .."". an ambitious and successful attempt to describe the changing organizational structure of the Union army in the East, while simultaneously placing field operations within that organizational context."" -- Blue & Gray Magazine Frank Welcher has compiled a complete and continuous account of the organization of all Union military divisions, departments, armies, army corps, divisions, brigades, and numerous special commands. The book also describes the command of the armies of the United States, miscellaneous organizations, and battles and campaigns. An indispensable new reference book, destined to become a Civil War military classic.







The Union Army, 1861-1865: The Eastern theater


Book Description

This volume consists largely of accounts of the organization of the various units of the Union Army, arranged by departments, armies, army corps, and other minor organizations of fighting men, followed by a long section narrating the battles and campaigns fought against the confederacy during the Civil War. Volume 1 covered the eastern theater; this one covers battles in the western theater, which included Tennessee, Mississippi, western Virginia, and other states Reviewers of the first volume criticized the lack of an index, pointing out that it was difficult to follow the career of any individual officer, particularly a senior one, unless he happened to remain with the same unit throughout, which was not common.




The Union Army 1861-1865


Book Description




Practical Liberators


Book Description

During the first fifteen months of the Civil War, the policies and attitudes of Union officers toward emancipation in the western theater were, at best, inconsistent and fraught with internal strains. But after Congress passed the Second Confiscation Act in 1862, army policy became mostly consistent in its support of liberating the slaves in general, in spite of Union army officers' differences of opinion. By 1863 and the final Emancipation Proclamation, the army had transformed into the key force for instituting emancipation in the West. However, Kristopher Teters argues that the guiding principles behind this development in attitudes and policy were a result of military necessity and pragmatic strategies, rather than an effort to enact racial equality. Through extensive research in the letters and diaries of western Union officers, Teters demonstrates how practical considerations drove both the attitudes and policies of Union officers regarding emancipation. Officers primarily embraced emancipation and the use of black soldiers because they believed both policies would help them win the war and save the Union, but their views on race actually changed very little. In the end, however, despite its practical bent, Teters argues, the Union army was instrumental in bringing freedom to the slaves.




The Western Theater


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Billy Yank


Book Description

A history of the United States Army during the time it served as the vanguard of western expansion and a description of its uniforms and equipment in the late nineteenth century. Each volume in this ongoing series combines detailed and informative captions with over 100 rare and unusual images. These books are a must for anyone interested in American military uniforms.




The Hard Hand of War


Book Description

This volume explores the Union army's treatment of Southerners during the Civil War, emphasising the survival of political logic and control.




The Union Cavalry in the Civil War


Book Description

With this volume Stephen Z. Starr brings to a triumphant conclusion his prize-winning trilogy on the history of the Union cavalry.The War in the West provides accounts of the cavalry's role in the Vicksburg Campaign, the conquest of central Tennessee, Sherman's Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, and the campaign of the Carolinas. Starr never neglects the numerous difficulties the cavalry faced: equipment shortages, inadequate weapons, unsuitable organization, and inept use of the cavalry by many members of the Union high command. And he never ignores the cavalry's own contributions to its failures. He convincingly demonstrates that in the end, in the battle of Nashville and in the Selma Campaign, the Union cavalry proved enormously effective. With this final volume Starr's objective remains "the portrayal of the life and campaigns of the Union cavalry as they were experienced and fought by its troopers and officers."




The Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, 1861-1865


Book Description

If the Civil War had a "forgotten theater," it was the Trans-Mississippi West. Starting in 1861 with the Lincoln administration's desire to maintain control of the far west, Jeffery Prushankin covers battles in New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, including Pea Ridge in March 1862 and Pleasant Hill in April 1864. The Red River Expedition and Price's Raid are also described. The narrative places these campaigns and battles in their strategic context to show how they contributed to the outcome of the war.