Jeff Shaara. Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefields: Discovering America‘s
Hallowed Ground. New York: Ballantine Books, 2006.
As reviewed by Ted Odenwald
Jeff Shaara has written two fine Civil War novels, Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, which, joined with his father’s Killer Angels, comprise a powerful and moving trilogy analyzing several major battles and presenting portraits of key figures of both the Confederacy and the Union. …Battlefields… is a welcome addendum to those novels, as it urges the reader to venture out to the locations of ten landmark battles of that great war.
Shaara believes that it would be tragic for Americans to lose sight of the enormity of the war-to lose sight of the grounds hallowed by the shedding of blood by hundreds of thousands on both sides. The author has selected his battlefields based not solely on the significance of each conflict, but also based upon the quality of the historical preservation exemplified in each site. He invites readers to relive and savor American history in some of its most intriguing and appalling episodes. In his introduction, Shaara indicates that he is so committed to site preservation and restoration, that he is dedicating much of the proceeds from this publication to battlefield preservation groups.
Each chapter is set up similarly. He establishes the context of each battle, identifying the events that led the opposing forces into the specific conflict, the rival commanders, complete with their respective strengths, weaknesses, objectives, and tactical tendencies. He then explains in detail what happened during each battle. Shaara’s coverage might not be as detailed as McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom or Shelby Foote’s Civil War trilogy, but it is informative, clear, and succinct. He then discusses why each of these battles was significant in terms of the war’s progress. Finally, he acts as a kind of tour guide, suggesting specific directions that tourists should follow, sites of significant clashes, and the layouts of the preserved landscapes. He also includes relevant maps, photographs (both from the 1860’s and the present), and descriptions of nearby sites of historical interest.
Shaara concedes that his selection of battles is subjective, but clearly, these are significant sites, and visiting them will help history buffs and casual tourists alike appreciate the complexity and enormity of each battle. He begins with Shiloh in Tennessee, a battle which shocks the public early in the war: “…[the battle]..is the first bit of graphic evidence that the cost of this war will in fact be much higher and much more horrible than anyone could have previously imagined, ” as nearly 24,000 men were killed, wounded , or missing in a two-day stalemate.
In the Battle of Antietam in Maryland, Lee had hoped to prove the supremacy of his army in order to gain British support and to move the action away from his home state of Virginia. But another costly draw forced Lee to return to Virginia and encouraged President Lincoln to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, virtually guaranteeing that England would remain neutral. The third battle analyzed is Fredricksburg/Chancellorsville. Here Lee inflicts devastating losses upon the Union Forces, although there is an ill omen in the loss of his key leader, Stonewall Jackson; Lee realizes that he will not win a war of attrition. Attempting to frighten Washington in submission, Lee drives back into the North, but is halted at the next great battle, Gettysburg, “the Civil War’s greatest catastrophe” in which 50,000 are killed, wounded, or missing in three days of fighting. At approximately the same time, Vicksburg, Mississippi is the target of Union attacks and a siege. Since the Mississippi River “…is recognized by both sides as the key to economic survival…,” Grant’s victory virtually guarantees that the Confederacy will collapse economically.
The Battle of Chickamauga in Georgia also includes major action in nearby Chattanooga. The costly see-saw fighting yields a temporary and Pyrrhic victory for the South, for they are eventually pushed back when Grant has his entrapped forces burst out of Chattanooga. The Union victory opens the way for the conquest of Atlanta, thus enabling “Sherman’s March to the Sea.”
The last battles examined all occur in Virginia during the last two years of the war. The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor all are the result of the two armies’ shifting to the south, as Lee hopes to protect Richmond, while Grant simply hopes to draw Lee into the open where he knows that the war of attrition will doom the South. The war has changed in complexion: “Mutual respect, which has shown itself on nearly every battlefield, has been replaced by an astounding level of viciousness….the two armies demonstrate in graphic terms that they have grown to hate each other.” Petersburg is the last major conflict of the war. Much of the battle is a ten-month siege which immobilizes Lee’s army. The advantage is totally with the North, who are rich in supplies while their opponents have been basically cut off from most supplies. The battle of New Market is the last major victory for the Confederacy in the Shenandoah Valley; the Valley had been a source of humiliation for the Federal troops throughout the war as the South continually outmaneuvered and outfought much larger and more cumbersome Union units.
The Civil War is very much alive for Jeff Shaara; his enthusiastic quest for the feel of each of these battlefields permeates his discussion of the events, their consequences, and the men who fought. He embraces each “hallowed” piece of land , grateful to those of the various park services, museums, and historical groups who have insured that each site will be unchanged by time, ever a part of our national memory.
Ted Odenwald and his wife, Shirley have lived in Oakland for 40 years. He taught HS English at Glen Rock High School for all of those years plus one more. Now he is enjoying time spent with his family, singing in the North Jersey Chorus and quenching his wanderlust. Ted is also the Worship Leader at the Ramapo Valley Baptist Church in Oakland.