MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF SEPTEMBER 1862, THE: Volume 1, South Mountain [Hardcover]

Ezra Carman (Author), Thomas Clemens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2010

When Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland in early September 1862, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan moved his reorganized and revitalized Army of the Potomac to meet him. The campaign included some of the bloodiest, most dramatic, and influential combat of the entire Civil War. Combined with Southern failures in the Western Theater, the fighting dashed the Confederacy's best hope for independence, convinced President Abraham Lincoln to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, and left America with what is still its bloodiest day in history.

One of the campaign's participants was Ezra A. Carman, the colonel of the 13th New Jersey Infantry. Wounded earlier in the war, Carman would achieve brigade command and fight in more than twenty battles before being mustered out as a brevet brigadier general. After the horrific fighting of September 17, 1862, he recorded in his diary that he was preparing "a good map of the Antietam battle and a full account of the action." Unbeknownst to the young officer, the project would become the most significant work of his life.

Appointed as the "Historical Expert" to the Antietam Battlefield Board in 1894, Carman and the other members solicited accounts from hundreds of veterans, scoured through thousands of letters and maps, and assimilated the material into the hundreds of cast iron tablets that still mark the field today. Carman also wrote an 1,800-page manuscript on the campaign, from its start in northern Virginia through McClellan's removal from command in November 1862. Although it remained unpublished for more than a century, many historians and students of the war consider it to be the best overall treatment of the campaign ever written.

Dr. Thomas G. Clemens (editor), recognized internationally as one of the foremost historians of the Maryland Campaign, has spent more than two decades studying Antietam and editing and richly annotating Carman's exhaustively written manuscript. The result is 'The Maryland Campaign of September 1862', Carman's magisterial account published for the first time in two volumes. Jammed with firsthand accounts, personal anecdotes, maps, photos, a biographical dictionary, and a database of veterans' accounts of the fighting, this long-awaited study will be read and appreciated as battle history at its finest.

About the Authors: Ezra Ayres Carman was born in Oak Tree, New Jersey, on February 27, 1834, and educated at Western Military Academy in Kentucky. He fought with New Jersey organizations throughout the Civil War, mustering out as a brevet brigadier general. He was appointed to the Antietam National Cemetery Board of Trustees and later to the Antietam Battlefield Board in 1894. Carman also served on the Chattanooga-Chickamauga Battlefield Commission. He died in 1909 on Christmas day and was buried just below the Custis-Lee mansion in Arlington Cemetery.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ezra Carman s long-unpublished history of the 1862 Maryland Campaign is an essential source on the operations that produced the bloodiest day in American military history and largest surrender of U.S. troops before World War II and there is no one better qualified than Thomas Clemens to bring it to print. Not only does this volume make Carman s study broadly accessible to students of the war, but Clemens s many years studying the events of September 1862 and unmatched knowledge of Carman and his work enable him to skillfully and authoritatively explain and scrutinize Carman s take on events. In addition to being a magnificent contribution to literature on the Civil War, this outstanding book will also advance the process of securing Clemens a place alongside Carman and Harsh in the pantheon of Maryland Campaign scholars. I cannot recommend it highly enough. --Ethan S. Rafuse, author of McClellan s War: The Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union and Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide

Tom Clemens has spent many long years poring over both the Carman manuscript and related letters and documents from other holdings to provide Civil War students with the most up-to-date version of Carman s Maryland Campaign epic. The past few decades have witnessed the publication of thousands of books on the Civil War. Only a slim handful stand the test of time. I can confidently conclude that this volume will remain one of the most important of the genre ever to be published --Ted Alexander, Historian, Antietam National Battlefield

At last, Dr. Thomas Clemens, a leading authority on the Maryland Campaign, has done a great service in finally bringing the Carman manuscript to life. Brilliantly and meticulously edited, The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is, quite simply, a must-have book for anyone wishing to gain a thorough understanding of what was arguably the Civil War s most significant campaign and one of its most important battles. Indeed, as far as must-haves go, this book is at the top of the list --John David Hoptak, Park Ranger, Antietam National Battlefield, and author of First in Defense of the Union and Our Boys Did Nobly

About the Author

Thomas G. Clemens earned his doctoral degree at George Mason University, where he studied under Maryland Campaign historian Dr. Joseph L. Harsh. Tom has published a wide variety of magazine articles and book reviews, has appeared in several documentary programs, and is a licensed tour guide at Antietam National Battlefield. An instructor at Hagerstown Community College, he also helped found and is the current president of Save Historic Antietam Foundation, Inc., a preservation group dedicated to saving historic properties.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Savas Beatie (May 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932714812
• ISBN-13: 978-1932714814
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Carman would be pleased indeed, July 26, 2010

By 

J. David Petruzzi (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF SEPTEMBER 1862, THE: Volume 1, South Mountain (Hardcover)

Until the appearance of Joseph Pierro's book presenting Carman's manuscript, the work was available only to those students who took the effort to examine the original manuscript. Pierro's book was passable, but it contained several drawbacks: it is very expensive, there are absolutely no maps, and Pierro's footnotes are woefully incomplete. Pierro only sourced most of Carman's manuscript, and there's very little discussion or explanation. The reader is left to determine for him/herself the veracity of Carman's conclusions, and the context in which they are made. In addition to all of this, a frontispiece photograph in the book which claims to be that of Carman isn't even him - it's another Federal officer. The editing process truly failed in that respect.
Now, we have this first of two volumes of Carman's life's labor by "Mr. Antietam" himself, Tom Clemens. And Tom richly deserves the nickname. Anyone familiar with the Maryland Campaign and scholars of it, know that if Carman himself were to choose an editor, he'd pick Tom.
And Carman would have picked this presentation by Savas-Beatie. There are lots of maps, absolutely necessary for such a work. In his copious footnotes, Clemens doesn't just source Carman's work - he explains it. He takes Carman to task when necessary. Hardly anyone knows the Maryland Campaign better than Clemens, and his knowledge base shows - especially when discussing South Mountain and the movements of the armies.
I eagerly await Volume 2. These volumes now present Carman's compilation for the masses, in an easy-to-use format, plenty of maps, and explanatory notes.
Carman would be very proud indeed.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A major step forward in the history of Antietam, May 24, 2010

By 

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

This review is from: MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF SEPTEMBER 1862, THE: Volume 1, South Mountain (Hardcover)

Much of what we "know" about Civil War battles is due to a few men, who devoted their lives to record what happened. They corresponded with, talked to and/or walked the field with veterans. They wrote pages of notes, filed letters and some produced a manuscript. Over and above the Official Record, these men's efforts provide a personal account of a battle. While they are not always right, they are the best personal record we have.
Ezra A. Carman is one of these men. The Civil War consumed his life, first as a Union officer and later as a historian and trustee for Antietam. Carman is unique in that he is a veteran of The Battle of Antietam leading the 13th New Jersey during fighting in the Cornfield. After the battle, Carman wrote he wanted to prepare "a good map" of the field. His "good map" grew into a handwritten 1,800-page history. This document took most of the 1890s to produce. A treasure trove for scholars, it only recently became available to the general public.
Thomas G. Clemens is an authority on Antietam and the Maryland Campaign of 1862. He is an Antietam guide, a student of Dr. Joseph L. Harsh and active in preserving the area. Having him edit and make annotations brings two experts to the table. Carman talked with the veterans and Clemens has years of studying and analyzing the historical records. Together, they complement and extend the narrative producing a whole that is greater than a single effort by either of them.
This is the first of two volumes covering the Maryland Campaign of 1862. We start with a brief history of Maryland in the Civil War as seen by a Union Officer. Clemens is very even handed here, stressing the source of Carman's writing. The second chapter is a 50-page essay on the reasons for the campaign and what the Confederacy hopes to accomplish. The next eight chapters are a detailed history from the crossing of the Potomac River to the armies taking position on Antietam Creek. This includes South Mountain, Harpers Ferry and Pleasant Valley.
Savas Beatie put thought into designing this book. Clemens' comments are footnotes, on the page where they occur, not endnotes buried in the back of the book. This format follows Carman's commentary while enhancing his words. This is a book where you want and need to read the footnotes as they expand the narration with historical sources. Where something is questionable, the footnotes outline the question and the reasons for Carman's statements.
Another enhancement is a series of maps by Gene Thorp covering movement from September third to the fifteenth. These are not standard military style maps. These maps are aerial pictures showing mountains, roads, towns and rivers. The armies are men and horses with lines of march clearly indicated. The effect is looking at a series of satellite views as the campaign on folds. The detailed maps for Harper's Ferry, Crampton's Gap, Fox's Gap and Turner's Gap capture movement in a very real way. Fifty years ago, I had the American Heritage Centennial history of the Civil War that uses this style of map. This style of mapping is easier to follow than the standard military maps and much more fun.
A series of period photographs, detailed organization of the armies, bibliography and index complete the book.
This publication is a major step in the history of Antietam. Bringing Carman and Clemens together produces a complete narrative. We have the work of a man who fought at Antietam and talked with the veterans, coupled with an authority on our understanding of the battle. Together they produced an in-depth study that will be the authority on this campaign.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, August 11, 2010

By 

Steve Maass - See all my reviews

This review is from: MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF SEPTEMBER 1862, THE: Volume 1, South Mountain (Hardcover)

This was one of the best civil war books I have read. Is was not full of political bias that I have always run into with other authors. This book demonstrated the enormous tasks, i.e. logistics, communication, obeying orders, etc involved on both sides of any given battle. It also brought to light all the other battles that were fought leading up to the large fight at antiedam. It was made very clear in this book that both sides made plenty of mistakes and one breakdown in communication, logistics, poor leadership could cause an entire battle to drift one way or the other. I can't wait for Vol. 2 to come out.