“In all the vast collection of books on the American Civil War there is no book like this one,” says Bruce Catton. Never before has such a stunning body of facts dealing with the war been gathered together in one place and presented in a coherent, useful, day-by-day narrative. And never before have statistics revealed human suffering of such heroic and tragic magnitude. The text begins in November, 1860, and ends with the conclusion of hostilities in May, 1865, and the start of reconstruction. It is designed to furnish the reader not only with information, but to tell a story. Here, in addition to the momentous events that are a familiar part of our history, the daily entries recount innumerable lesser military actions as well as some of the other activities and thoughts of men great and unknown engaged in America’s most costly war: · May 5, 1864—a private in the Army of Northern Virginia writes at the beginning of the Battle of the Wilderness, “It is a beautiful spring day on which all this bloody work is being done.” · May 6, 1864—Gen. Lee rides among his men and is shouted to the rear by his protective troops. · April 30, 1864—Joe David, five-year-old son of the Confederate President, dies after a fall from the high veranda of the White House in Richmond. · April 14, 1865—President Lincoln’s busy day includes a Cabinet meeting where he tells of his recurring dream of a ship moving with great rapidity toward a dark and indefinite shore; that night Mr. Lincoln attends a performance of a trifling comedy at Ford’s Theatre, “Our American Cousin”.

The hardcover reference titles in the Day by Day series examine the evolution of wars in a chronological timeline, from the first skirmish to the last battle and everything in between. These books are a historical companion to each major war in the nineteenth and twentieth century. The fate of soldiers, battalions, armies, can change in the blink of an eye—with this comprehensive book readers can follow the conflicting sides in their strategy, weaponry, and policies. The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history, claiming the lives of over 600,000 Americans between 1861 and 1865. The Civil War Day by Day is a chronological, month-by-month approach to the conflict, allowing the reader to see at a glance the key battles on land and at sea; bloody engagements such as the First Bull Run, Antietam, Nashville, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor and Gettysburg. Illustrated throughout with hundreds of contemporary photographs and illustrations, this book also includes full-color maps of all the major battles and campaigns of the war. Each chapter contains boxes on the weapons that were used by both sides in the war, and the tactics that were employed on the battlefield.

From the early seizure of government property during the latter part of 1860 to the final Confederate surrender in 1865, this book provides a day-to-day account of the U.S. Civil War. Although the book provides a daily chronicle of the combat, it is written in narrative form to give readers some continuity as they move from skirmish to skirmish. During the course of the saga, the book also chronicles the life spans of more than 600 Union and Confederate vessels, documenting when possible the time of each vessel's acquisition, commissioning, major engagements, and decommissioning. Seven appendices provide lists of prominent Union and Confederate officers, primary naval actions, and Medal of Honor recipients from 1863 to 1865.

Describes events on a typical day virtually at the midpoint of the American Civil War.

More Americans died during the Civil War than in any other war in the history of the United States. In this day-by-day chronicle of the war, relive the courage and conflicts of our divided nation as North and South struggle both to destroy and to survive. From the diaries, letters, and books of soldiers and civilians, from newspaper reports and historical archives, the events of the war are told exactly as they happened. With background information on the population of America, its society and economics, the issue of states' rights, and even medical practices of the day, Robert E. Denney sets the scene that was the country at that time, and annotates the days and months of the war.[Book jacket].

Civil War Day by Day is a chronological history of the conflict Illustrated throughout with photographs. illustrations and maps.