Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West

by William L. Shea

Other authorsEarl J. Hess (Author)
Paperback, 1997

Rating

(18 ratings; 4.3)

Library's rating

½

Library's review

This landmark book is an excellent treatment of an often neglected decisive American Civil War battle near Bentonville, AR (of Walmart fame), which knocked Arkansas out of the war. The Confederates should never have undertaken the campaign - their forces might have made the difference at Shiloh.

The
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Union commander, Samuel Curtis, displayed excellent generalship, steely nerves and a good grasp of logistics. He was fortunate in having excellent brigade commanders, though burdened with the second in command Franz Sigel. It is an irony of history that the incompetent politician-general Sigel was transferred to the Eastern Theater to play an expanded and catastrophic role in further campaigns while the quiet, professional soldier Curtis languished in the marginal theater.

Shea and Hess have written a compelling and beautifully illustrated study of the battle.
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Publication

The University of North Carolina Press (1997), Paperback, 432 pages

Description

The 1862 battle of Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas was one of the largest Civil War engagements fought on the western frontier, and it dramatically altered the balance of power in the Trans-Mississippi. This study of the battle is based on research in archives from Connecticut to California and includes a pioneering study of the terrain of the sprawling battlefield, as well as an examination of soldiers' personal experiences, the use of Native American troops, and the role of Pea Ridge in regional folklore. "A model campaign history that merits recognition as a major contribution to the literature on Civil War military operations.--Journal of Military History "Shines welcome light on the war's largest battle west of the Mississippi.--USA Today "With its exhaustive research and lively prose style, this military study is virtually a model work of its kind.--Publishers Weekly "A thoroughly researched and well-told account of an important but often neglected Civil War encounter.--Kirkus Reviews "Offers the rich tactical detail, maps, and order of battle that military scholars love but retains a very readable style combined with liberal use of recollections of the troops and leaders involved.--Library Journal "This book is assured of a place among the best of all studies that have been published on Civil War campaigns.--American Historical Review "Destined to become a Civil War classic and a model for writing military history.--Civil War History "A campaign study of a caliber that all should strive for and few will equal.--Journal of American History "An excellent and detailed book in all accounts, scholarly and readable, with both clear writing and excellent analysis. . . . Utterly essential . . . for any serious student of the Civil War.--Civil War News… (more)

Original publication date

1992

Physical description

432 p.; 9.18 inches

Pages

432

ISBN

0807846694 / 9780807846698

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