HISTORY · UNITED STATES
Philip R. N. Katcher
Also known as: Philip R. N Katcher, Phillip Katcher
Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne ( KLAY-burn; March 16, 1828 – November 30, 1864) was a senior officer in the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. Born in Ireland, Cleburne served in the 41st Regiment of Foot of the British Army after failing to gain entrance into Trinity College of Medicine, Dublin in 1846. He served at Fort Westmorland on Spike Island and was present on the island in 1849 when Queen Victoria visited Cork Harbour. Three years after joining the Army, he immigrated to the United States. At the beginning of the American Civil War, Cleburne sided with the Confederate States.
The Gettysburg Campaign began on June 3, 1863, as units of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia began to leave their positions near Fredericksburg, Virginia, and march toward the Shenandoah Valley.
— from Gettysburg, 2003
Most acclaimed
The American Civil War
"The Civil War is the central event in American history. More than any other event, the war defined the American people and nation." "Following a narrative history, Kingseed offers six stimulating topical chapters covering such issues as the transformation of Abraham Lincoln, why Lee lost the battle of Gettysburg, and the consequences of the War from a contemporary perspective. Eighteen biographical sketches of key civilian, military and political figures such as Clara Barton, Matthew Brady, J.E.B. Stuart, Ulysses S. Grant, and Frederick Douglass personalize the momentous events of the Civil War, while 16 keenly annotated primary documents, ranging from Lincoln's "House Divided against Itself" speech to Jefferson Davis's Inaugural speech to a bluejacket's remembrances of the horrors witnessed during and after the Battle of Antietam. Ten illustrations, a map of the major campaigns, chronology of events, glossary, annotated bibliography, and index complete this one-stop research resource on the American Civil War."--Jacket.
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was born to be a military leader. His father was leader of George Washington's light cavalry in the War of Independence, and Robert himself was a prize pupil at West Point military academy. After successes in the Mexican war he became commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and then led it to both success and ultimate failure during the testing campaigns of the Civil War. If Chancellorsville was his finest achievement then Gettysburg was his downfall. His masterful tactical mind and strength of will may have sometimes been hampered by his occasional lack of firmness with middle-ranking officers but he contributed magnificently to the Confederate cause. This study describes the military career of the man who came to epitomise the spirit of the Southern states' rebellion.
Gettysburg
2003
"On July 2, 1863, the second day of fighting at Gettysburg, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, in an ill-conceived interpretation of his orders, advanced his men beyond the established Union line and exposed his flanks to a potentially devastating Confederate attack. Shortly after being reprimanded by his commander, Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, for endangering the entire Union Army. Sickles was hit by a cannonball. He returned to Washington with his leg amputated and his pride badly wounded." "A politician and lawyer prior to the war, Sickles was already notorious for being the first person in U.S. history acquitted of murder by pleading temporary insanity. During his recuperation in the nation's capital, Sickles defended his actions at Gettysburg to anyone who would listen, including President Lincoln, and criticized Meade before Congress's Committee on the Conduct of the War. He continued defending himself for years after the war, while Meade remained mostly silent on the subject." "Now, historian Richard A. Sauers destroys many commonly accepted myths about the controversy by examining the evidence in detail. In this fascinating analysis, he highlights the personality conflicts among military leaders that complicate combat. He also demonstrates that distortions, such as Sickles's version of Gettysburg, are frequently accepted as fact by historians and repeated for generations to come. Sauers shows that Sickles's unjust manipulations harmed Meade's reputation for years after the war."--Jacket.