From Cedar Mountain to Antietam

by Edward J. Stackpole

Book Overview

Stated 2nd Edition - full number line. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811724387
• ISBN13: 9780811724388
• Release Date: February 1993
• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Length: 2 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Lee befuddles Pope, then with his back to the Potomac, takes on Lil Mac again

In From Cedar Mountain to Antietam, Stackpole gives us the narrative of events from the end of the Seven Days, to Lee's retreat from Sharpsburg, two events delimited by McClellan's lack of resolve, hesitancy, treason or whatever theory you may believe. At Seven Days it's understandably disorienting to go from Joe Johnston's backpedaling to Lee's aggression north of the Chickahominy. But at Sharpsburg he knew Lee's plans, for goodness' sake, and then failed to press Lee until after the Army of Northern Virginia was reunited, for which Stackpole rightly takes Lil Mac to task. Stackpole covers a lot of ground in under 500 pages, with the actions at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas and Sharpsburg. Good maps are here, showing major troop movements and dispositions. There is less analysis here than Stackpole gives in his book on Gettysburg, but then there are pitifully few things in this world which receive as much analysis as Gettysburg. This book is highly recommended for anyone wanting an introduction to the campaigns of Second Manassas or Sharpsburg before delving into more detailed works such as those of Hennessey on Second Manassas or Sears on Sharpsburg.

Good preparatory for Antietam

I believe this book is a good lead in to the Antietam campaign. Starting with the breakoff from the "Seven Days" battles, this book leads you through Cedar Mountain 8/9/62 and into Second Manassas. Good general maps, not regimental detailed however. I used this book for a preempt to the Krick work of much more detail on Cedar Mountain and the Hennessy book on Return to Bull Run, again more detailed. If you are looking for a general overview of the eastern campaign summer of 1862 prior to Antietam , this fits the bill.

Very Good!

This is an excellent account of the end of the Peninsula Campaign through and including the South's first invasion of the North, Antietam. Clearly written, concise and with excellent maps, the interpretation of tactics and strategy is excellent. Given Lee's misfortunes and incredible blunders, it is almost beyond belief that McClellan would let him escape a second time. You begin to think that the South's best general was not Robert E. Lee but George B. McClellan. In his final battle McClellan truly proves himself either inept or treasonous, you decide. Thank God Lincoln finally fired him for good. Be prepared for a little Southern bias.

Very good consolidation of this period of the war...

4 1/2 stars...This is the only book that I could find that described in detail the period from the end of the Peninsula campaign to Antietam. Stackpole describes this period in clear, concise terms (if not a little slanted to the Confederate point of view) while at the same time making it very readable. We learn all about the troop movements that the Federals made to vacate Harrison's Landing on the Peninsula, while seeing the formation of Pope's Army of Northern Virginia. The plan to consolidate these forces and re-attack Richmond is very clearly covered, but ultimately under-mined by McClellan and to a degree, Halleck as the Federal forces couldn't quite coordinate this seemingly simple troop movement. We get Lee's perspective on this and learn that he had an amazing ability to "read" his enemies' leadership and he ultimately based his troop plans, correctly, on these assumptions. The battle of Cedar Mountain starts the battle sequences for this campaign and shows this ability as Stonewall Jackson advances North to Gordonsville with the idea of crossing the Rappohannock River. The standoff at Cedar Mountain should have given the Federals the momentum that they needed to continue pursuit of the Confederates back to Gordonsville, but we learn quickly that John Pope, although much more agressive than McClellan, is far too inept to lead this large a force. What we see is Pope ordering again and again, a confusing series of movements to try to 1) outflank Lee and then (when it's discovered that Lee has information concerning this troop movement plan and plans to counter-attack) 2) to retreat back across the Rappohannock and establish an entrenchment north of the river. Stackpole, again writng squarely in the Confederate mindset, describes Lee's decision to divide his army and send Jackson on a flanking movement that ultimately ended up in the battle of second Manassas. Pope is severly criticized by Stackpole for lack of leadership and egotistical behaviour and shows how this combination hurt the Union chances at 2nd Manassas. Incredibly, McClellan re-obtains leadership of the combined Army of the Potomac (shown through lack of clear direction from Lincoln and Halleck) and even though learns of the precise invasion plans Lee had of Maryland, he moves at the deliberate pace that epitomized his tenure and misses many major opportunities to destroy the Confederates at South Mountain and finally, Antietam. Stackpole manages to interpret all this complex history into an enjoyable reading experience while still telling history as it should be told. The criticism of this book, to me, is the maps. These are topography maps that really confuse more than help the reader...although, towards the end of the book, they seemed to get better. Regardless, they are plentiful and give the reader the minimum idea of what's going on. Another critique is the brief and vague discussion of the Antietam action at the Sunken Road (Bloody Lane). Stackpole gives 2 pages to this

Excellent Book For Beginners and Hard-Core Buffs

Originally published in 1959, Stackpole's book was revised and republished in 1993 as the 2nd (and current) edition..... Having read MANY books and articles on the Maryland Campaign (including the latest from Sears and Priest) and having visited each of the battlefields several times, Stackpole's book was a wonderful addition to my collection. His compact writing style, the inclusion of some rather obscure facts, and the numerous maps make reading the book a pleasure.....For the Civil War neophyte, this book is a good means of learning about the "rebellion" without being overwhelmed with minutia. For the more "advanced" reader, the book is a delightful refresher course, with bits of new information thrown in from time to time.......In covering the Maryland Campaign (Cedar Mouintain, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam), Stackpole - out of necessity - could not go into the detail found in some more recent texts. And he does miss the mark on some facts, as known today. But on the whole, this work is extremely well-researched and well written.....I recommend it highly.