Gettysburg's southern front : opportunity and failure at Richmond / Hampton Newsome.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Newsome, Hampton, author.

Series:

Modern war studies.

Modern war studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gettysburg Campaign, 1863.

Richmond (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.

Richmond (Va.).

Dix, John A. (John Adams), 1798-1879.

Dix, John A.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (421 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2022]

Summary:

"On June 14, 1863, U.S. General John Adams Dix received a dispatch from U.S. General-in-Chief Henry Halleck: 'All your available force should be concentrated to threaten Richmond, by seizing and destroying their railroad bridges over the South and North Anna Rivers, and do them all the damage possible.' Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia had made their way toward Gettysburg, PA, and now Richmond was virtually unguarded. In response, Dix, who had lived a life of extraordinary public service but possessed limited military experience, gathered his men and began a slow advance. To some, Dix's campaign presented a tremendous chance for U.S. forces to strike hard at Richmond while Lee's Army fought in Pennsylvania. To others, it was an unnecessary lark that tied up forces that could have been deployed more effectively to protect Washington or to fight against Lee on northern soil. Gettysburg's Southern Front points to the often-unrecognized value in examining the American Civil War's lesser-known operations beyond the larger, famous battles and campaigns. At the time, political and military leaders on both sides carefully weighed Dix's operations against Richmond and understood them as having the potential to generate far-reaching impacts. This piece of the Gettysburg Campaign may rank as one of the Union war effort's more compelling lost opportunities, as it could have changed the course of the war"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

List of Maps

Introduction

Part One: An Opportunity in Virginia

1. Lee Heads North

2. John Dix and the Department of Virginia

3. The Union Raid on Aylett's Foundry

4. Halleck's Plans to Counter Lee's Invasion

5. Richmond's Defenders

Part Two: Spear's Strike Against the Virginia Central

6. Dix Begins His Peninsula Campaign

7. Spear's Raid to the South Anna

8. Rooney Lee's Capture

9. Rebel Diplomacy

10. Richmond Prepares

Part Three: The Blackberry Raid

11. Dix Prepares the Second Wave

12. Keyes's Advance to Bottom's Bridge

13. The Fight at Crump's Crossroads

14. Getty's Expedition to the South Anna

15. To the RF&amp

P Bridge

16. The Attack on the RF&amp

Part Four: In Gettysburg's Wake

17. The Peace Mission

18. The End at Richmond

19. Halleck's Bootless Plans

Part Five: Conclusion: Looking Back

20. The Forgotten Campaign

21. Questions of Supply

22. The Broader Scope

Appendix A: Federal Order of Battle

Appendix B: Confederate Order of Battle

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Back Cover.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 383-400) and index.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Print version: Newsome, Hampton Gettysburg's Southern Front

ISBN:

9780700633487

OCLC:

1345580629