Lee's Endangered Left: The Civil War in Western Virginia, Spring of 1864 [Hardcover]

Richard R. Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999

In the spring of 1864, Ulysses S. Grant as general-in-chief of the Union armies devised a plan of concerted action to bring down the Confederacy. As part of that strategy, Grant aimed to destroy General Robert E. Lee’s supply source for his Army of Northern Virginia in western Virginia and to use military activity there as an extended turning movement to threaten Lee from the west. In this outstanding study, Richard R. Duncan offers a riveting overview of these military operations we well as their impact on the civilian population, shedding light on an often overlooked chapter of the Civil War in Virginia.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

With great skill, Duncan (history, Georgetown Univ.) probes the final military strategies of Union and Confederacy in the Eastern theater, where success hinged on control of the Shenandoah Valley, the artery of supply and the avenue for invading armies moving north or south. Federal initiatives in 1864 succeeded only partially owing to bungled commands and Confederate energy, and the war dragged on into 1865. Duncan invests much in describing generals and battles but also finds the miseries inflicted on civilians. Although he does not hitch his arguments to other recent books discussing the ways leaders on both sides not only accepted but encouraged "total war," Duncan does suggest that by 1864 the old order was collapsing in the Shenandoah. He makes us smell the sulfur in his rousing battle accounts but fails to show the full significance of spring 1864 or how war remade the Valley. A useful addition to academic and special collections on the Civil War.?Randall M. Miller, St. Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

A competent, well-executed addition to the ever-growing horde of Civil War literature, by Duncan (History/Georgetown Univ.). The author reconsiders Union General Ulysses S. Grants attempts to destroy the Confederates, led by General Robert E. Lee, at their traditional stronghold in western Virginia and his efforts to threaten Lynchburg during the spring and summer of 1864. The writing here is crisp; refreshingly, our chronicler pays sharp attention to the effects of the campaign on civilians as the Union army penetrated beyond its supply lines and came to live off the countryside in one of the Confederacys richest agricultural regions, bringing home the harsh realities of war to civilians. The campaign swung back and forth, with Northern victories at Cloyds Mountain and New River Bridge and Confederate routs at New Market, followed by a Union failure to seize Lynchburg. Though the campaign proved costly to the South, overall the Unions hope to capture the Shenandoah Valley founderedand the Confederates then went on to threaten Washington, D.C. Duncan sensitively employs a wide variety of sources, military and civilian, to add to the coherence of his account. Still, the books scope remains narrow, focusing on a not terribly glamorous period in the wars history; then, too, wed do well to have the volume trimmed by a third. Duncans contention that the Unions severity in dealing with civilian populations was directly reciprocated when the Confederates took Chambersburg, Penn., creatong a chain of vengeance that culminated when Sherman marched through the South, is insightfully argued, offering a fresh analysis to the historical debate. Casual readers of the Civil War genre (and many die-hard buffs, as well) may want to leave this superbly researched yet ultimately too specialized study for the historians to ponder. (20 photos) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 346 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press; 1St Edition edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807122912
• ISBN-13: 978-0807122914
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,383,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read book, February 2, 2005

By 

James W. Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Lee's Endangered Left: The Civil War in Western Virginia, Spring of 1864 (Hardcover)

This is a must read book for anyone interested in the 1864 Overland Campaign. Our Civil War history is limited to the VMI Cadets at New Market and the invasion of 1864 by Early. We now have a book that fills in the gaps telling us the why, where and how. Reading this book explains why a hard-pressed Lee would detach Jubal Early to The Valley on more than a desperate gamble. All of this sets up the reasoning behind Sheridan's return to The Valley and his actions.

This is a very well written book presenting the 1864 campaign in Western Virginia in a logical sequence allowing the reader to follow the events with few problems. How events in one place influence another area is well detailed giving the reader a clear picture of the overall campaign. The author manages to place events within the 1864 Overland Campaign without detracting from the story. This is one of the strong points of the book, giving us a full and clear understand of the war. The only problem is maps. There are not enough of them and the ones we have are poor and badly placed.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Most Critical Phase of the Civil War, August 1, 2000

By 

E. E Pofahl (HUNTINGTON, WV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lee's Endangered Left: The Civil War in Western Virginia, Spring of 1864 (Hardcover)

Basically well written and excellently researched , this book offers insights on the critical battles of the Civil War in western Virginia during the Spring of 1864, a subject usually not covered in detail. The details provided and the sequence presented on military operations give a very useful overview of strategy and tactics in this area in 1864. Richard Duncan, the author, details the unsuccessful attempts by General Hunter's army to live off the land which contrasts with Sherman's success in Georgia. While Sherman's effect on the civilian population is well known, the harsh treatment of civilians in the Shenandoah Valley is not as widely covered in print; and Richard Duncan's account provides much useful information and references on the subject of the Union Army's relationship with the area's civilians. The importance of the campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley during the Spring of 1894 should not be ignored. Had General Hunter been successful, the Civil War

may have ended six months earlier. This book well describes Grant's strategy, Lee and Davis responses and the numerous mistakes made by both armies. Making this account enjoyable, is the inclusion of brief biographical sketches of the field officers involved before discussing each operation.

The book suffers from a lack of good and sufficient maps. The maps provided do little to support the text. Critically needed are maps on individual battles. This is especially true of Chapter 2, The Dublin Raid, where maps are provided only on Crook's and Averell's routes to and from Dublin; however, maps on some of the raid's engagements/battles would greatly enhance the text. In addition, maps are badly needed for the engagements fought near Lynchburg. However, both the professional historian and the Civil War buff, would do well to read this work.