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A Little Short of Boats: The Civil War Battles of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 21 - 22, 1861
James Morgan
Hardcover. Savas Beatie 2011-07.
ISBN 9781611210668
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Buy from Amazon.co.uk
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Publisher description
[P]erhaps a small demonstration on your part would have the effect to move them, " wrote Army of the Potomac commander Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan to Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone on October 20, 1861. This simple telegram triggered a "demonstration" by General Stone that same afternoon that evolved into the bloody subject of James Morgan's A Little Short of Boats: The Battles of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 21-22, 1861.Opposing the Union effort was Brig. Gen. Nathan "Shanks" Evans' small Confederate command at Leesburg. Reacting to the news of Federals crossing at Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, Evans focused on the former and began moving troops to the point where Col. Edward D. Baker's troops were gathering. The Northern troops were on largely open ground, poorly organized, and with their backs to the wide river when the Southern infantry attacked. The twelve fitful hours of fighting that followed ended in one of the worst defeats (proportionally speaking) either side would suffer during the entire Civil War, wrecked a prominent Union general's career, and killed Baker-a sitting United States senator and one of President Abraham Lincoln's good friends. The disaster rocked a Northern populace already reeling from the recent defeats of Bull Run and Wilson's Creek.A Little Short of Boats sets forth the strategy behind the "demonstration, " the fighting and the key command decisions that triggered it, and the many colorful personalities involved. The bloody result, coupled with the political fallout, held the nation's attention for weeks. The battle's most important impact was also the least predictable: the creation of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. Ostensibly formed to seek out the causes of the string of defeats, the Joint Committee instead pushed the political agenda of the "Radical Republicans" and remained a thorn in Lincoln's side for the rest of the war.Gracefully written in a conversational style, Morgan's study is based upon extensive firsthand research and a full appreciation of the battlefield terrain. This fully revised and expanded sesquicentennial edition of Morgan's A Little Short of Boats includes numerous photos and original maps to make sense of the complicated early-war combat. Seven appendices offer an order of battle, discussions of key participants and controversies, and a complete walking tour of the battlefield at Ball's Bluff. This special edition will please Civil War enthusiasts who love tactical battle studies and remind them once again that very often in history, smaller affairs have important and lasting consequences.About the Author: Born in New Orleans, Jim Morgan grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and now lives in Lovettsville, Virginia. A former Marine, Jim is a past president of the Loudoun County Civil War Roundtable, a member of the Loudoun County Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, and a volunteer guide at Ball's Bluff for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
REVIEWS
"Jim Morgan is a masterful writer and military historian. This revised and expanded edition is the definitive account of Ball's Bluff. His excellent tactical analysis has been augmented with more firsthand accounts, many previously unpublished, that make a good work even better. Readers of the original edition will definitely want to read this updated version. Those who do not own Morgan's battle study need to have it on their bookshelves. This is Civil War history at its best."- Ted Alexander, Antietam National Battlefield"Together with the many maps, photos, sketches, and the battlefield tour included, Morgan visually develops the elusive story of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry as an unfolding mystery that will surely lure the reader to the site to ponder its many questions."- Rich Gillespie, Director of Education, Mosby Heritage Area"Kudos to Savas Beatie for producing a physically beautiful book . . . A Little Short of Boats will appeal especially to readers interested in tactical battle studies. This reviewer recommends it enthusiastically." - Civil War News"A Little Short of Boats examines the entire military engagement in meticulous, heavily researched detail, and is an excellent addition to Civil War military history shelves and college library collections." - Midwest Book Review
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A Little Short of Boats: The Civil War Battles of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 21
Book reviews » A Little Short of Boats: The Civil War Battles of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 21 - 22, 1861
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