Chancellorsville: The Battle and Its Aftermath (Military Campaigns of the Civil War) [Paperback]

Gary W. Gallagher (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 2008

A variety of important but lesser-known dimensions of the Chancellorsville campaign of spring 1863 are explored in this collection of eight original essays. Departing from the traditional focus on generalship and tactics, the contributors address the campaign's broad context and implications and revisit specific battlefield episodes that have in the past been poorly understood.

Chancellorsville was a remarkable victory for Robert E. Lee's troops, a fact that had enormous psychological importance for both sides, which had met recently at Fredericksburg and would meet again at Gettysburg in just two months. But the achievement, while stunning, came at an enormous cost: more than 13,000 Confederates became casualties, including Stonewall Jackson, who was wounded by friendly fire and died several days later.

The topics covered in this volume include the influence of politics on the Union army, the importance of courage among officers, the impact of the war on children, and the state of battlefield medical care. Other essays illuminate the important but overlooked role of Confederate commander Jubal Early, reassess the professionalism of the Union cavalry, investigate the incident of friendly fire that took Stonewall Jackson's life, and analyze the military and political background of Confederate colonel Emory Best's court-martial on charges of abandoning his men.

Contributors
Keith S. Bohannon, Pennsylvania State University and Greenville, South Carolina
Gary W. Gallagher, Pennsylvania State University
A. Wilson Greene, Petersburg, Virginia
John J. Hennessy, Fredericksburg, Virginia
Robert K. Krick, Fredericksburg, Virginia
James Marten, Marquette University
Carol Reardon, Pennsylvania State University
James I. Robertson, Jr., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gallagher . . . approaches Civil War battles differently. . . . He has assembled experts to address specific subjects. . . . And their subjects are challenging and varied."
— The Washington Times

"Chancellorsville is a valuable addition to the historiography and should be mandatory reading for all students of the Civil War."

History: Reviews of New Books

"This innovative and highly readable book should be attractive to all students of the Civil War."
— Society of Civil War Historians Newsletter

"Gallagher and his colleagues have paved the way for the writing of 'new' history of the 'old' war."
— Civil War History

About the Author

Gary W. Gallagher is John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia. His books include Stephen Dodson Ramseur: Lee's Gallant General.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (December 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807859702
• ISBN-13: 978-0807859704
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Krick's Contribution Alone Makes This Book Invaluable, September 30, 2005

By 

John D. Mackintosh (LEXINGTON, SC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chancellorsville: The Battle and Its Aftermath (Military Campaigns of the Civil War) (Hardcover)

Although I haven't read all of this book, the contribution of Robert Krick, entitled "The Smoothbore Volley that Doomed the Confederacy" is such that it alone, at least to me, makes this an invalualbe book for students of both Jackson and Chancellorsville. For anyone who has been fascinated with the precise reconstruction of a historical event taking place at a defined place, Krick's writing will prove fascinating. No biography of Jackson that I have encountered, even Robertson's, provides as much detail on the circumstances surrounding this tragic occurence. As he points out and is generally known, the monument at Chancellorsville which purports to mark the spot where Jackson was shot on that May, 1863 moonless night is incorreclty placed. Read and take this book with you when visiting the area as the map included will prove of great help.