Spring 1865: The Closing Campaigns of the Civil War

by Perry D. Jamieson

Overview

When Gen. Robert E. Lee fled from Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, in April 1865, many observers did not realize that the Civil War had reached its nadir. A large number of Confederates, from Jefferson Davis down to the rank-and-file, were determined to continue fighting. Though Union successes had nearly extinguished the Confederacy's hope for an outright victory, the South still believed it could force the Union to grant a negotiated peace that would salvage some of its war aims. As evidence of the Confederacy's determination, two major Union campaigns, along with a number of smaller engagements, were required to quell the continued organized Confederate military resistance.

In Spring 1865 Perry D. Jamieson juxtaposes for the first time the major campaign against Lee that ended at Appomattox and Gen. William T. Sherman's march north through the Carolinas, which culminated in Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's surrender at Bennett Place. Jamieson also addresses the efforts required to put down armed resistance in the Deep South and the Trans-Mississippi. As both sides fought for political goals following Lee's surrender, these campaigns had significant consequences for the political-military context that shaped the end of the war as well as Reconstruction.

Perry D. Jamieson is senior historian emeritus of the U.S. Air Force. He is the coauthor of Attack and Die: Civil War Military Tactics and the Southern Heritage and the author of Crossing the Deadly Ground: United States Army Tactics, 1865-1899.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803225817
Publisher:	Nebraska
Publication date:	04/01/2015
Series:	Great Campaigns of the Civil War
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Perry D. Jamieson is senior historian emeritus of the U.S. Air Force. He is the coauthor of Attack and Die: Civil War Military Tactics and the Southern Heritage and the author of Crossing the Deadly Ground: United States Army Tactics, 1865–1899.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

List of Maps

Preface

Acknowledgments

Series Editors’ Introduction

1. Terrible Times of Shipwreck

2. Fort Fisher and Wilmington

3. In the Carolinas

4. Bentonville

5. Late Winter at Petersburg

6. The Fall of Petersburg

7. To Sailor’s Creek

8. Spring Morning

9. A Scrap of Paper

10. Scattered Embers

Notes

Bibliographic Essay

Index

Editorial Reviews

“In vigorous prose Perry Jamieson narrates the military campaigns of the Civil War’s final months on the two principal fronts in the Carolinas and Virginia. This book’s clarity of organization and accuracy of description, coupled with interpretive insights, enable the reader to grasp both the details and the larger picture of the war’s end.”—James M. McPherson, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning Battle Cry of Freedom

 

James M. McPherson

“An engaging narrative of how the final six months played out and the military and political decisions that led to the final outcome. . . . Crisp, page-turning.”—Judkin Browning, author of The Seven Days’ Battles: The War Begins Anew

Judkin Browning

“The last spring of the Civil War witnessed a series of compelling episodes that assured Union triumph after four tumultuous years that reshaped the republic. Perry D. Jamieson does full justice to the unfolding drama in a narrative rich in biographical detail, perceptive analysis, and scrupulous attention to the geographical sweep of the story.”—Gary W. Gallagher, John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia and author of The Union War

Gary W. Gallagher

"An engaging synthesis of the Civil War's closing campaigns in the eastern and western theaters. . . . This is a fine contribution to the Great Campaigns of the Civil War series."—Jennifer M. Murray, Historian

Historian - Jennifer M. Murray

"This book is highly recommended to any student of the Civil War."—Mark L. Bradley, Army History

Army History - Mark L. Bradley

"Jamieson should be applauded for his work in synthesizing not just the most recent scholarship but also these important campaigns, which benefit equally by being viewed together."—Jeremiah DeGennaro, Gettysburg Magazine

Gettysburg Magazine - Jeremiah DeGennaro

"This book is well worth your time."—Larry T. Balsamo, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society

Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society - Larry T. Balsamo

"Readers looking for an authoritative single volume on the campaigns that ended the Civil War will want to consider Spring 1865. Jamieson proves himself an able master of the narrative who never discards his penchant for strong analysis. As a balanced synthesis of the best interpretations available, it is a welcome addition to the "Great Campaigns" series."—Zachery A. Fry, Civil War Book Review

Civil War Book Review - Zachery A. Fry

"A valuable addition to Civil War historiography."—Nathan Marzoli, Military Review

Military Review - Nathan Marzoli

2015-01-21
The last few months of the Civil War demonstrate just how much it was a "lost cause" for the South. In the latest installment of the Great Campaigns of the Civil War series, Air Force senior historian emeritus Jamieson (Khobar Towers: Tragedy and Response, 2008, etc.) recounts the last battles, skirmishes and attempts at peace.Ulysses S. Grant, a man who never backed down from a fight, commanded the Northern army, and his second-in-command was just as fierce: William Tecumseh Sherman, whose war of destruction starved the Confederate army of supplies, ammunition and food. The Northern army had the necessary supplies and the transport to deliver them where they were required. They had a ready supply of men to fight, as well, something the South sorely lacked. Gen. Joseph Johnston, unable to concentrate enough forces to defeat Sherman, could only check him at the battle of Bentonville; he had no way to hold ground. Jamieson devotes much of the book to the continuing campaign to take Petersburg and Richmond, a fight that lasted more than nine months and featured multiple offenses by both sides. There were two separate attempts to broker a peace agreement, but in the end, Jefferson Davis asked for peace between the two countries while Abraham Lincoln insisted there could only be one common country. Ultimately, it was almost a month after Appomattox that the last Confederate forces surrendered. The author describes each of the battles fought in early 1865 in extensive detail. Civil War aficionados will no doubt relish the descriptions of the officers, troop movements and tactics in each campaign, but the narrative may bog down for average readers. The true value of this book is Jamieson's in-depth portrayal of the armies and their leaders, heroes and fools as they struggled to the bitter end.

Kirkus Review