The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864 - (Military Campaigns of the Civil War) by Gary W Gallagher (Paperback)

About the Book

This collection of essays focuses on what is regarded as the longest and most important Civil War campaign in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, lasting over four months and taking more than 25,000 lives. The book consists of 11 essays by respected historians who reexamine assumptions about the campaign, its major figures (including Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early and Major Gen. Philip H. Sheridan), and its significance. The essays also highlight important connections between the home front and the battlefield, as well as the ways in which military affairs, civilian experiences, and politics played off one another during the campaign.

Book Synopsis

Generally regarded as the most important of the Civil War campaigns conducted in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, that of 1864 lasted more than four months and claimed more than 25,000 casualties. The armies of Philip H. Sheridan and Jubal A. Early contended for immense stakes. Beyond the agricultural bounty and the boost in morale a victory would bring, events in the Valley also would affect Abraham Lincoln's chances for reelection in the November 1864 presidential canvass.

The eleven original essays in this volume reexamine common assumptions about the campaign, its major figures, and its significance. Taking advantage of the most recent scholarship and a wide range of primary sources, contributors examine strategy and tactics, the performances of key commanders on each side, the campaign's political repercussions, and the experiences of civilians caught in the path of the armies. The authors do not always agree with one another, yet, taken together, their essays highlight important connections between the home front and the battlefield, as well as ways in which military affairs, civilian experiences, and politics played off one another during the campaign.

Contributors:
William W. Bergen, Charlottesville, Virginia
Keith S. Bohannon, State University of West Georgia
Andre M. Fleche, University of Virginia
Gary W. Gallagher, University of Virginia
Joseph T. Glatthaar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Robert E. L. Krick, Richmond, Virginia
Robert K. Krick, Fredericksburg, Virginia
William J. Miller, Churchville, Virginia
Aaron Sheehan-Dean, University of North Florida
William G. Thomas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Joan Waugh, University of California, Los Angeles

Review Quotes

"[The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864] will be a necessary work for any future study of the campaign for final control of 'The Breadbasket of the Confederacy.'" -- Journal of Military History

"A great compilation of essays dealing with the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864. . . . Original and thoroughly researched. . . . Provide[s] historians and buffs alike with new material to consider when examining the Civil War." -- Historian

"A valuable book that is essential reading for anyone interested in the Valley Campaign of 1864." -- Military Images

"For scholars . . . the volume offers significant new studies. More general Civil War readers will find the essays . . . informative, engaging, and well-written." -- Civil War History

"For Civil War buffs (and you know who you are), it is the closest thing to attending a round-table in book form -- read a chapter en masse and let the debating begin." -- Civil War Times

"Gallagher's book, The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, is a fine collection of essays, all well written and researched. . . . Gallagher's collection of essays represents sound scholarship on some of the notable personalities and tactical movements of a desperate Confederate operation in Virginia." -- Journal of American History

"In The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, Gary Gallagher and his distinguished colleagues offer Civil War historians and lovers of Virginia history a fresh and perceptive analysis of the military, social, and political events during the final campaign in the 'Breadbasket of the South.'" -- North Carolina Historical Review

"Provides perspective on a variety of military, political and social issues related to the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864." -- The Washington Times

"The delight found in these essays glimmers in the rummaging eye. . . . Gallagher's bazaar of scholars, mature and youthful, academic and independent, is open to a curious and treasure-hunting public." -- Military History of the West

"This new volume in the series contains fine writing and commendable research. It has much to offer in any examination of the significant campaign." -- Civil War News