Serving the Republic

by Nelson Appleton Miles

Overview

BCR's Shelf2Life American Civil War Collection is a unique and exciting collection of pre-1923 titles focusing on the American Civil War and the people and events surrounding it. From memoirs and biographies of notable military figures to firsthand accounts of famous battles and in-depth discussions of slavery, this collection is a remarkable opportunity for scholars and historians to rediscover the experience and impact of the Civil War. The volumes contained in the collection were all written within 60 years of the end of the war, which means that most authors had living memory of it and were facing the effects of the war while writing. These firsthand accounts allow the modern reader to more fully understand the culture of both the Union and Confederacy, the politics that governed the escalation and end of the war, the personal experience of life during the Civil War, and the most difficult and polarizing question in the history of the United States: slavery. The American Civil War Collection allows new readers access to the contemporary arguments and accounts surrounding the war, and is a vital new tool in understanding this important and pivotal chapter in American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781116263800
Publisher:	BCR (Bibliographical Center for Research)
Publication date:	10/20/2009
Pages:	386
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)

Read an Excerpt

II FROM HOME TO THE BATTLE-FIELD ATTER the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln, active war measures increased, arsenals and custom-houses were seized, and fortifications erected to reduce or capture existing forts guarding Southern harbors. A quasi-army was organized under General Beauregard (who had resigned his commission in the United States army), and on April i2th the country was shocked by the bombardment of Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor. Those guns may have been intended to solidify and unite the Southern people in favor of secession, but they had the effect of arousing the great Northern power and patriotism. These were awakened in every community and almost every home. The martial spirit and devotion to country were developed to an intense degree. No people were ever more universally aroused in any great cause. I believe the loyal sentiment of the North and West was more uniform than the desire for secession in the South. There was a very strong Union element in the Southern States, especially Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. The call of President Lincoln for troops was responded to immediately, and whole regiments of State troops repaired to their armories, and many were prepared to march withintwenty-four hours. The first important measure was to save Washington. Large quantities of war material had been moved to Southern arsenals and forts, and then seized, which gave the Southern forces a better equipment at the commencement of the war. This was a serious embarrassment to the nation, and agents were immediately sent to foreign countries to secure arms and munitions of war, and were in many instances obliged to accept those thatwere obsolete or of an inferior quality. The Southern forces were advanced as far north as Ma...