Challenges of Command in the Civil War

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 1611214335
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (112 download)

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Book Synopsis Challenges of Command in the Civil War by : Richard J. Sommers

Download or read book Challenges of Command in the Civil War written by Richard J. Sommers and published by . This book was released on 2018-06-14 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Richard Sommers’ Challenges of Command in the Civil War distills six decades of studying the Civil War into two succinct, thought-provoking volumes. This first installment focuses on “Civil War Generals and Generalship.” The subsequent volume will explore “Civil War Strategy, Operations, and Organization.” Each chapter is a free-standing essay that can be appreciated in its own right without reading the entire book. Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee stand out in Volume I as Dr. Sommers analyzes their generalship throughout the Civil War. Their exercise of command in the decisive Virginia Campaign from May 1864 to April 1865 receives particular attention—especially during the great Siege of Petersburg, about which the author has long ranked as the pioneering and pre-eminent historian. Five chapters evaluating Grant and Lee are followed by five more on “Civil War Generals and Generalship.” One of those essays, “American Cincinnatus,” explores twenty citizen-soldiers who commanded mobile army corps in the Union Army and explains why such officers were selected for senior command. Antietam, Gettysburg, and Petersburg are central to three essays on Northern corps and wing commanders. Both Federals and Confederates are featured in “Founding Fathers: Renowned Revolutionary War Relatives of Significant Civil War Soldiers and Statesmen.” The ground-breaking original research underlying that chapter identifies scores of connections between the “Greatest Generations” of the 18th and 19th Centuries—far more than just the well-known link of “Light Horse Harry” Lee to his son, Robert E. Lee. From original research in Chapter 10 to new ways of looking at familiar facts in Chapters 6-9 to distilled judgments from a lifetime of study in Chapters 1-5, Challenges of Command invites readers to think—and rethink—about the generalship of Grant, Lee, and senior commanders of the Civil War. This book is an essential part of every Civil War library.

Taming The Tar Heel Department: D.H. Hill And The Challenges Of Operational-Level Command During The American Civil War

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Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1786255863
Total Pages : 60 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (862 download)

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Book Synopsis Taming The Tar Heel Department: D.H. Hill And The Challenges Of Operational-Level Command During The American Civil War by : Major Brit K. Erslev

Download or read book Taming The Tar Heel Department: D.H. Hill And The Challenges Of Operational-Level Command During The American Civil War written by Major Brit K. Erslev and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this monograph is to identify skills and capabilities required by commanders to excel at the operational level of war and in the practice of operational art. The author evaluated the performance of Confederate Major General Daniel Harvey Hill in his role as a department commander during the American Civil War. Department commanders were responsible for sequencing tactical operations to support the accomplishment of their government’s strategic objectives but received little guidance on how to fulfill their missions. The monograph concludes that twenty first century American military officers in similar command positions must be able to make decisions given ambiguous guidance and a fluid operational environment, be creative and active in developing innovative techniques to better understand the operational environment, and be able to craft holistic campaign plans that go beyond offensive and defensive operations. An examination of Hill’s tenure as commander of the Confederate Department of North Carolina from February to July 1863 found that he was uncomfortable translating discretionary orders into action, he was unable to adequately visualize his operational environment, and he did not construct a coherent campaign plan to accomplish disparate missions and support Confederate strategic aims. Some of Hill’s struggles were due to the inability of the Confederate high command to articulate strategic priorities, the actions of the Union forces, and lack of experience in higher level commands. Previous tactical-level experiences in the war made Hill more cautious about committing force when presented with ambiguous situations and in his capacity as department commander he did not grasp his responsibility to provide recommendations to strategic-level decision makers regarding force disposition and types of combat operations.

The Art of Command in the Civil War

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Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
ISBN 13 : 9780803247857
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (478 download)

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Book Synopsis The Art of Command in the Civil War by : Steven E. Woodworth

Download or read book The Art of Command in the Civil War written by Steven E. Woodworth and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 1998-01-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The military history of the Civil War has tended to focus on such issues as tactics, courage under fire, and which leader was capable of the bold stroke (Lee) and which one wasn?t (McClellan). Overlooked in these important issues is the matter of command itself: mastery of the resources required for successful military action. Inøthis work seven experts examine particular instances of command problems?such as supply, military discipline, and effective relations with subordinate commanders?and show how a general?s handling of the problem illustrates an important feature of Civil War leadership.

Civil War Generalship

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Author :
Publisher : Praeger
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Civil War Generalship by : W. J. Wood

Download or read book Civil War Generalship written by W. J. Wood and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1997-04-09 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Higher level commanders on both sides were forced to create and develop a personal art of command while actually putting it into practice on campaign and on the battlefield. In so doing - however well or badly managed - the typical commanders under observation developed a pragmatic art that has left a legacy that still provides paradigms for military leaders in the late 20th century.

Corps Commanders in Blue

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Publisher : LSU Press
ISBN 13 : 080715704X
Total Pages : 428 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis Corps Commanders in Blue by : Ethan S. Rafuse

Download or read book Corps Commanders in Blue written by Ethan S. Rafuse and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The outcomes of campaigns in the Civil War often depended on top generals having the right corps commanders in the right place at the right time. Mutual trust and respect between generals and their corps commanders, though vital to military success, was all too rare: Corps commanders were often forced to exercise considerable discretion in the execution of orders from their generals, and bitter public arguments over commanders' performances in battle followed hard on the heels of many major engagements. Controversies that arose during the war around the decisions of corps and army commanders-such as Daniel Sickles's disregard of George Meade's orders at the Battle of Gettysburg-continue to provoke vigorous debate among students of the Civil War. Corps Commanders in Blue offers eight case studies that illuminate the critical roles the Union corps commanders played in shaping the war's course and outcome. The contributors examine, and in many cases challenge, widespread assumptions about these men while considering the array of internal and external forces that shaped their efforts on and off the battlefield. Providing insight into the military conduct of the Civil War, Corps Commanders in Blue fills a significant gap in the historiography of the war by offering compelling examinations of the challenges of corps command in particular campaigns, the men who exercised that command, and the array of factors that shaped their efforts, for good or for ill.

The Warrior Generals

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Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0609801732
Total Pages : 529 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (98 download)

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Book Synopsis The Warrior Generals by : Thomas Buell

Download or read book The Warrior Generals written by Thomas Buell and published by Crown. This book was released on 1998-03-31 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: master historian gives readers a fresh new picture of the Civil War as it really was. Buell examines three pairs of commanders from the North and South, who met each other in battle. Following each pair through the entire war, the author reveals the human dimensions of the drama and brings the battles to life. 38 b&w photos.

The War Within the Union High Command

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Publisher : Modern War Studies
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The War Within the Union High Command by : Thomas Joseph Goss

Download or read book The War Within the Union High Command written by Thomas Joseph Goss and published by Modern War Studies. This book was released on 2003 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As this book reveals, professional generals viewed the war as a military problem requiring battlefield solutions, while appointees (and President Lincoln) focused more emphatically on the broader political contours of the struggle. The resulting friction often eroded Northern morale and damaged the North's war effort. Goss challenges the traditional idea that success was measured only on the battlefield by demonstrating significant links between military success and the achievement of the Union's political objectives. Examining commanders like Benjamin Butler, Nathaniel Banks, John McClernand, John Fremont, and Franz Sigel, Goss shows how many filled vital functions by raising troops, boosting homefront morale, securing national support for the war--and sometimes even achieving significant success on the battlefield.

16 Cases of Mission Command

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Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781494407155
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (71 download)

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Book Synopsis 16 Cases of Mission Command by : Donald P., Donald Wright, Ph. D.

Download or read book 16 Cases of Mission Command written by Donald P., Donald Wright, Ph. D. and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-12 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the US Army to succeed in the 21st Century, Soldiers of all ranks must understand and use Mission Command. Mission Command empowers leaders at all levels, allowing them to synchronize all warfighting functions and information systems to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative against a range of adversaries. This collection of historical vignettes seeks to sharpen our understanding of Mission Command philosophy and practice by providing examples from the past in which Mission Command principles played a decisive role. Some vignettes show junior officers following their commander's intent and exercising disciplined initiative in very chaotic combat operations. Others recount how field grade officers built cohesive teams that relied on mutual trust to achieve key operational objectives. Each historical account is complemented by an annotated explanation of how the six Mission Command principles shaped the action. For this reason, the collection is ideal for leader development in the Army school system as well as for unit and individual professional development. Mission Command places great responsibility on our Soldiers.

Civil War Generals in Defeat

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Civil War Generals in Defeat by : Steven E. Woodworth

Download or read book Civil War Generals in Defeat written by Steven E. Woodworth and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains seven case studies evaluating Confederate and Union generals who might be considered "capable failures": officers of high pre-war reputation, some with distinguished records in the Civil War. Explores the various reasons these men suffered defeat such as flaws of character, errors of judgment, lack of preparation, or circumstances beyond their control. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Strategic-Operational Command and Control in the Civil War

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Author :
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781511941006
Total Pages : 54 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (41 download)

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Book Synopsis Strategic-Operational Command and Control in the Civil War by : School of School of Advanced Military Studies

Download or read book Strategic-Operational Command and Control in the Civil War written by School of School of Advanced Military Studies and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-04-30 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American Civil War introduced the operational level of war and with its introduction came one of the greatest challenges ever confronted by military commanders--operational command and control. In that regard, the objective of this monograph is to determine by what means high level Civil War commanders, here defined as army or army group equivalent, dealt with that challenge. First, the characteristics of the war that led to its being considered the first conflict to experience "operations" is described. Second, the command structure and general staff organization of late Civil War Union field armies is addressed. A description of the different means of exercising command and control over those armies form the main body of this study and includes the roles played by staffs, aerial telegraphy and electro-magnetic telegraphic systems. Finally, an example of the ways in which the various command and control means were used is offered through an analysis of the planning and early execution of the Union Army's 1864 spring offensive--Grant's final campaign.

Abraham Lincoln And Jefferson Davis: A Comparison Of Civil War Commanders In Chief

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Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782894314
Total Pages : 97 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (828 download)

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Book Synopsis Abraham Lincoln And Jefferson Davis: A Comparison Of Civil War Commanders In Chief by : L-Cmdr Michael S. Trench

Download or read book Abraham Lincoln And Jefferson Davis: A Comparison Of Civil War Commanders In Chief written by L-Cmdr Michael S. Trench and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-15 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a study of the effectiveness of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis as Commanders in Chief during the Civil War. It begins by comparing their backgrounds prior to assuming the Presidency; then comparing their military strategies and command structures. The final area of comparison is their involvement in the first military draft in American history. Davis had extensive government and military experience, but exhibited personality traits early on that later hampered his performance as a war-time Commander in Chief. Lincoln had very little experience, but excelled at dealing with people. Lincoln tried several staff arrangements before finally appointing Grant as General in Chief. Davis changed his structure very little throughout the war. Although he appointed Lee as General in Chief in the first year, he lost his services by placing him in command of a field army. Both faced strong challenges from a powerful governor over the draft. Davis first tried to win over the governor, then appealed directly to the people. Lincoln publicly kept distant from the draft and worked behind the scenes.

Strategic-Operational Command and Control in the Civil War

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Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781522885603
Total Pages : 56 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (856 download)

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Book Synopsis Strategic-Operational Command and Control in the Civil War by : School of Advanced Military Studies

Download or read book Strategic-Operational Command and Control in the Civil War written by School of Advanced Military Studies and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-12-23 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American Civil War introduced the operational level of war and with its introduction came one of the greatest challenges ever confronted by military commanders--operational command and control. In that regard, the objective of this monograph is to determine by what means high level Civil War commanders, here defined as army or army group equivalent, dealt with that challenge. First, the characteristics of the war that led to its being considered the first conflict to experience "operations" is described. Second, the command structure and general staff organization of late Civil War Union field armies is addressed. A description of the different means of exercising command and control over those armies form the main body of this study and includes the roles played by staffs, aerial telegraphy and electro-magnetic telegraphic systems. Finally, an example of the ways in which the various command and control means were used is offered through an analysis of the planning and early execution of the Union Army's 1864 spring offensive--Grant's final campaign.

Key Command

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Publisher : University of Missouri Press
ISBN 13 : 0826265294
Total Pages : 372 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (262 download)

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Book Synopsis Key Command by : T. K. Kionka

Download or read book Key Command written by T. K. Kionka and published by University of Missouri Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "From his command post in Cairo, Illinois, Grant led troops to Union victories at Belmont, Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson. Kionka interweaves the story of Grant's military successes and advancement with a social history of Cairo, highlighting the area's economic gains and the contributions of civilian volunteers through first-person accounts"--Provided by publisher.

Supreme Command

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 074324222X
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (432 download)

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Book Synopsis Supreme Command by : Eliot A. Cohen

Download or read book Supreme Command written by Eliot A. Cohen and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-04-17 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The relationship between military leaders and political leaders has always been a complicated one, especially in times of war. When the chips are down, who should run the show -- the politicians or the generals? In Supreme Command, Eliot Cohen examines four great democratic war statesmen -- Abraham Lincoln, Georges Clemenceau, Winston Churchill, and David Ben-Gurion -- to reveal the surprising answer: the politicians. Great states-men do not turn their wars over to their generals, and then stay out of their way. Great statesmen make better generals of their generals. They question and drive their military men, and at key times they overrule their advice. The generals may think they know how to win, but the statesmen are the ones who see the big picture. Lincoln, Clemenceau, Churchill, and Ben-Gurion led four very different kinds of democracy, under the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They came from four very different backgrounds -- backwoods lawyer, dueling French doctor, rogue aristocrat, and impoverished Jewish socialist.Yet they faced similar challenges, not least the possibility that their conduct of the war could bring about their fall from power. Each exhibited mastery of detail and fascination with technology. All four were great learners, who studied war as if it were their own profession, and in many ways mastered it as well as did their generals. All found themselves locked in conflict with military men. All four triumphed. Military men often dismiss politicians as meddlers, doves, or naifs. Yet military men make mistakes. The art of a great leader is to push his subordinates to achieve great things. The lessons of the book apply not just to President Bush and other world leaders in the war on terrorism, but to anyone who faces extreme adversity at the head of a free organization -- including leaders and managers throughout the corporate world. The lessons of Supreme Command will be immediately apparent to all managers and leaders, as well as students of history.

Meade at Gettysburg

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Publisher : UNC Press Books
ISBN 13 : 1469662000
Total Pages : 488 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (696 download)

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Book Synopsis Meade at Gettysburg by : Kent Masterson Brown, Esq.

Download or read book Meade at Gettysburg written by Kent Masterson Brown, Esq. and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2021-05-03 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although he took command of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the first shots were fired at Gettysburg, Union general George G. Meade guided his forces to victory in the Civil War's most pivotal battle. Commentators often dismiss Meade when discussing the great leaders of the Civil War. But in this long-anticipated book, Kent Masterson Brown draws on an expansive archive to reappraise Meade's leadership during the Battle of Gettysburg. Using Meade's published and unpublished papers alongside diaries, letters, and memoirs of fellow officers and enlisted men, Brown highlights how Meade's rapid advance of the army to Gettysburg on July 1, his tactical control and coordination of the army in the desperate fighting on July 2, and his determination to hold his positions on July 3 insured victory. Brown argues that supply deficiencies, brought about by the army's unexpected need to advance to Gettysburg, were crippling. In spite of that, Meade pursued Lee's retreating army rapidly, and his decision not to blindly attack Lee's formidable defenses near Williamsport on July 13 was entirely correct in spite of subsequent harsh criticism. Combining compelling narrative with incisive analysis, this finely rendered work of military history deepens our understanding of the Army of the Potomac as well as the machinations of the Gettysburg Campaign, restoring Meade to his rightful place in the Gettysburg narrative.

How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781887901154
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War by : Edward H. Bonekemper

Download or read book How Robert E. Lee Lost the Civil War written by Edward H. Bonekemper and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book challenges the general view that Robert E. Lee was a military genius who staved off inevitable Confederate defeat against insurmountable odds. Instead, the author contends that Lee was responsible for the South's loss in a war it could have won.Instead, as this book demonstrates, Lee unnecessarily went for the win, squandered his irreplaceable troops, and weakened his army so badly that military defeat became inevitable. It describes how Lee's army took 80,000 casualties in Lees first fourteen months of command-while imposing 73,000 casualties on his opponents. With the Confederacy outnumbered four to one, Lee's aggressive strategy and tactics proved to be suicidal. Also described arc Lee's failure to take charge of the battlefield (such as on the second day of Gettysburg), his overly complex and ineffective battle plans (such as those at Antietam and during the Seven Days' campaign), and his vague and ambiguous orders (such as those that deprived him of Jeb Stuart's services for most of Gettysburg).Bonekemper looks beyond Lee's battles in the East and describes how Lee's Virginia-first myopia played a major role in crucial Confederate failures in the West. He itemizes Lee's refusals to provide reinforcements for Vicksburg or Tennessee in mid-1863, his causing James Longstreet to arrive at Chickamauga with only a third of his troops, his idea to move Longstreet away from Chattanooga just before Grant's troops broke through the undeemanned Confederates there, and his failure to reinforce Atlanta in the critical months before the 1864 presidential election.Bonekemper argues that Lee's ultimate failure was his prolonging of the hopeless and bloody slaughter even afterUnion victory had been ensured by a series of events: the fall of Atlanta, the re-election of Lincoln, and the fall of Petersburg and Richmond.Finally, the author explores historians' treatment of Lee, including the deification of him by failed Confederate generals attempting to resurrect their own reputations. Readers will not fred themselves feeling neutral about this stinging critique of the hero of The Lost Cause.

The Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, 1861-1865

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Author :
Publisher : Government Printing Office
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 60 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis The Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, 1861-1865 by : Jeffery S. Prushankin

Download or read book The Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, 1861-1865 written by Jeffery S. Prushankin and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the Civil War had a "forgotten theater," it was the Trans-Mississippi West. Starting in 1861 with the Lincoln administration's desire to maintain control of the far west, Jeffery Prushankin covers battles in New Mexico, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, including Pea Ridge in March 1862 and Pleasant Hill in April 1864. The Red River Expedition and Price's Raid are also described. The narrative places these campaigns and battles in their strategic context to show how they contributed to the outcome of the war.