The Collapse of the Confederacy

Book Overview

Practically all Civil War historians agree that after the fall of Atlanta in September 1864 and Lincoln's triumphant reelection in November, the South had no remaining chance to make good its independence. Well aware that Appomattox and Durham Station were close at hand, historians have treated the war's final months in a fashion that smacks strongly of denouement: the great, tragic conflict rolls on to its now-certain end. Certain, that is, to us, but deeply uncertain to the millions of Northerners and Southerners who lived through the anxious days of early 1865. The final months of the Confederacy offer fascinating opportunities-as a case study in war termination, as a period that shaped the initial circumstances of Reconstruction, and as a lens through which to analyze Southern society at its most stressful moment. The Collapse of the Confederacy collects six essays that explore how popular expectations, national strategy, battlefield performance, and Confederate nationalism affected Confederate actions during the final months of the conflict.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803271034
• ISBN13: 9780803271036
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Top-notch collection of essays...

Grimsley and Simpson offer a brilliant collection of essays by various historians musing philosophically on the demise of Confederate States of America. With only 180+ pages of text, the six essays are nicely paced and well footnoted. From the possibility of Southern guerrilla tactics to the role of women at the homefront, this modest-sized book gives thought-provoking slants to varied aspects of the final options/last days of the CSA. I would recommend this book for readers more mature in their Civil War studies. I think the novice reader may get "lost" in the name-dropping of battles and personalities.