Appomattox Campaign

Previous accounts of the Civil War's last major campaign have often neglected the actual manoeuvres and tactics of the units involved. This new addition to this series features a tactical approach to the final drama of the Civil War.

Few events in Civil War history have generated such deliberate mythmaking as the retreat that ended at Appomattox. Marvel shows that during the final week of the war in Virginia, Lee's troops were more numerous and far less faithful to their cause than has been suggested. Illustrations. Maps.

Never did so large a proportion of the American population leave home for an extended period and produce such a detailed record of its experiences in the form of correspondence, diaries, and other papers as during the Civil War. Based on research in more than 1,200 wartime letters and diaries by more than 400 Confederate officers and enlisted men, this book offers a compelling social history of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia during its final year, from May 1864 to April 1865.

Organized in a chronological framework, the book uses the words of the soldiers themselves to provide a view of the army's experiences in camp, on the march, in combat, and under siege--from the battles in the Wilderness to the final retreat to Appomattox. It sheds new light on such questions as the state of morale in the army, the causes of desertion, ties between the army and the home front, the debate over arming black men in the Confederacy, and the causes of Confederate defeat. Remarkably rich and detailed, "Lee's Miserables offers a fresh look at one of the most-studied Civil War armies.

The Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade was one of North Carolina's best-known and most successful units during the Civil War. Formed in 1862, the brigade spent nearly a year protecting supply lines before being thrust into its first major combat at Gettysburg. There, James Johnston Pettigrew's men pushed back the Union's famed Iron Brigade in vicious fighting on July 1 and played a key role in Pickett's Charge on July 3, in the process earning a reputation as one of the hardest-fighting units in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Despite suffering heavy losses during the Gettysburg campaign, the brigade went on to prove its valor in a host of other engagements. It marched with Lee to Appomattox and was among the last Confederate units to lay down arms in the surrender ceremony.

Earl Hess tells the story of the men of the Pettigrew-Kirkland-MacRae Brigade, and especially the famous 26th North Carolina, chronicling the brigade's formation and growth under Pettigrew and its subsequent exploits under William W. Kirkland and William MacRae. Beyond recounting the brigade's military engagements, Hess draws on letters, diaries, memoirs, and service records to explore the camp life, medical care, social backgrounds, and political attitudes of these gallant Tar Heels. He also addresses the continuing debate between North Carolinians and Virginians over the failure of Pickett's Charge.

An unlikely hero to the Army of the Potomac, college professor Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain led the 20th Maine Division in all the fiercest battles of the Eastern theatre, winning the Medal of Honor for his heroic leadership at Gettysburg. A brilliant, insightful, must-read for all Civil War buffs. Introduction by James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom. Period artwork, photos, and engravings. Reprint.

Appomattox, Virginia, was an ordinary tobacco-growing village both before and after an accident of fate brought the armies of Lee and Grant together there. It is that Appomattox -- the typical small Confederate town -- that Marvel portrays in this deeply researched, compelling book. Includes notes, Bibliography and Index. 59 illustrations, 7 maps.