Victory at Appomattox
Grant and Lee's Final Campaign
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University Press of Kansas
Publishing:9th Mar '27
£44.00
This title is due to be published on 9th March, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A definitive military history of the Appomattox Campaign that reveals Grant’s final offensive as one of the Civil War’s greatest operational achievements.
In early April 1865, Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia abandoned the defenses of Richmond and Petersburg in a desperate bid to join Confederate forces in North Carolina and prolong the war. Ulysses S. Grant responded by launching one of the conflict’s most relentless and successfully executed pursuits. During a grueling week of marching and fighting, Federal forces drove the Confederates across central Virginia in a fast-moving campaign that culminated in Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House and effectively brought the Civil War to a close. Yet despite its immense significance, the campaign’s military aspects have received far less attention than many of the war’s better-known battles and operations.
In Victory at Appomattox, Hampton Newsome delivers a vivid and deeply researched account of this decisive but often-overlooked campaign, demonstrating that the Appomattox Campaign ranks among the finest operational achievements of the Civil War. As commanders on both sides struggled to decipher enemy intentions and maneuver massive armies across a challenging landscape, Grant and his lieutenants skillfully coordinated infantry, cavalry, logistics, and intelligence to disrupt Lee’s movements and ultimately seal every avenue of escape. Weakened by poor command decisions, administrative failures, dwindling supplies, and mounting desertion, Lee’s army fought desperately to break free as the fate of the Confederacy hung in the balance.
This authoritative military study places the campaign’s tactical engagements within their broader operational and strategic context. Newsome explores the cooperation and tensions within the Union high command, evaluates the performance of Lee and his generals, examines the experiences of Confederate soldiers, highlights the contributions of U.S. scouts and Black troops, and reveals the logistical challenges confronting both armies.Rich in detail and insight, Victory at Appomattox offers the most comprehensive account to date of the campaign that secured Union victory and signaled the end of America’s bloodiest conflict.
"Gifted historian Hampton Newsome has produced an outstanding operational history of the Appomattox Campaign, confronting traditional accounts with a fresh perspective. Combining deep research and thoughtful analysis with clear and lively prose, Victory at Appomattox provides readers with a comprehensive and insightful narrative of the final week of the Civil War in Virginia. Highly recommended!"—A. Wilson Greene, author of A Campaign of Giants: The Battle for Petersburg
"Victory at Appomattox is the definitive account of the Appomattox campaign. Conjuring the dramatic stakes and uncertainty of the Civil War’s endgame, Newsome offers new perspectives on iconic figures such as Grant and Custer; a wealth of insights into tactical decision-making; and judicious correctives to some stubborn myths. With careful attention to unsung figures such as Union scouts and USCT regiments, he gives the US rank-and-file its due for delivering this ultimate victory."—Elizabeth R. Varon, author of Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South
"The Appomattox campaign, which resulted in Federal troops under Ulysses S. Grant capturing Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in an open field race, was one of the most unique events in American military history. Now, Hampton Newsome finally gives that campaign its due by examining it as a military event rather than as the historical pageant that ended the Civil War. Based on extensive and well-considered evidence, filled with detail and analysis, it is a must-read for those interested in Lee’s final defeat and Grant’s greatest triumph."—Earl J. Hess, author of Shattered Courage: Soldiers Who Refused to Fight in the American Civil War
"In as well-written, exhaustively researched, and thorough a study of the Appomattox Campaign as one could wish for, Victory at Appomattox ably chronicles the command decisions and operations that enabled Ulysses S. Grant to force Robert E. Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. In the process, Hampton Newsome provides fresh insights into such matters as how terrain and logistical considerations shaped operations, the high commands and front-line soldiers in both armies, and the strength of the armies. Persuasive in its arguments and crafted with great skill, this is first-rate military history by a first-rate scholar."—Ethan S. Rafuse, author of From the Mountains to the Bay: The War in Virginia, January–May 1862, and co-editor of Guide to the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign
"In as well-written, exhaustively researched, and thorough a study of the Appomattox Campaign as one could wish for, Victory at Appomattox ably chronicles the command decisions and operations that enabled Ulysses S. Grant to force Robert E. Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. In the process, Hampton Newsome provides fresh insights into such matters as how terrain and logistical considerations shaped operations, the high commands and front-line soldiers in both armies, and the strength of the armies. Persuasive in its arguments and crafted with great skill, this is first-rate military history by a first-rate scholar."—Ethan S. Rafuse, author of From the Mountains to the Bay: The War in Virginia, January&8211;May 1862, and co-editor of Guide to the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign
ISBN: 9780700643929
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown