Trench Warfare under Grant and Lee: Field Fortifications in the Overland Campaign

by Earl J. Hess

Overview

Earl J.Hess's study of armies and fortifications turns to the 1864 Overland Campaign to cover battles from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor. Drawing on meticulous research in primary sources and careful examination of battlefields at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Bermuda Hundred, and Cold Harbor, , Hess analyzes Union and Confederate movements and tactics and the new way Grant and Lee employed entrenchments in an evolving style of battle. Hess argues that Grant's relentless and pressing attacks kept the armies always within striking distance, compelling soldiers to dig in for protection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807882382
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	04/01/2011
Series:	Civil War America
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Earl J. Hess is Stewart W. McClelland Chair in history at Lincoln Memorial University. He is author of many books on the Civil War, including, most recently, The Civil War in the West: Victory and Defeat from the Appalachians to the Mississippi.

Table of Contents

Preface     xiii
Engineer Assets in the Overland Campaign     1
The Wilderness     19
Spotsylvania, May 8-11     45
The Mule Shoe Salient at Spotsylvania, May 12     65
Spotsylvania, May 13-20     83
Bermuda Hundred     99
North Anna     121
Cold Harbor, May 27-June 2     139
Attack and Siege-Cold Harbor, June 3-7     155
Holding the Trenches at Cold Harbor, June 7-12     179
Conclusion     205
The Design and Construction of Field Fortifications in the Overland Campaign     217
Notes     255
Bibliography     291
Index     305

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A detailed examination of fieldworks. . . . Ideal for any Civil War reference collection. . . . Hess's meticulous attention to detail is enough to warrant his work a place in most military reference collections or on the shelf of a Civil War enthusiast.—North Carolina Historical Review



Intriguing, important, and authoritative.—Military History of the West



For military specialists and Civil War enthusiasts . . . Those with such a focused interest will be rewarded by reading Hess' intense study.—Journal of Southern History



Both compelling and refreshing. . . . Something new for the serious enthusiast.—Civil War Times



A most important addition to the literature on this major campaign and [it] has certainly earned a place on the bookshelves of those fascinated by the Civil War and the men who fought.—Virginia Magazine



Hess tells the story with clarity and tactical detail.—Blue & Gray



Hess tells the story [of trench warfare] with clarity and tactical detail.—Blue & Gray Magazine

Editorial Reviews

A significant addition to the military history of the American Civil War and adds an important argument to a topic generally ignored by Civil War historians.—Canadian Journal of History



The author covers familiar ground in writing about these battles, but does it in a brisk, informative way, offering his own analysis of command decisions and outcomes. . . . A valued resource.—H-Civil War



Hess's understanding of field fortifications is expertly conveyed, as are his explanations of why and how specific trenches were built. Maps and photographs add a visual layer to understanding the campaign. . . . Well-written and researched.—Maryland Historical Magazine

From the Publisher