The Dahlgren Affair

Examines the events of March 5, 1864 when young Union commander Ulric Dahlgren, killed during a raid on a Confederate prison camp, was discovered to have been carrying orders instructing his men to find and execute Jefferson Davis and the rest of the Confederate cabinet; and discusses the implications of the affair on the remainder of the war.

The only biography on Ulric Dahlgren, a brilliant, ambitious young man who became the youngest full colonel in the United States Army at the age of 21 yet died before his 22nd birthday, this account chronicles his full life story. Offering evidence of Dahlgren's ties to Abraham Lincoln, this extensively researched record addresses the theory that Lincoln authorized the kidnapping and assassination of the entire Confederate cabinet, including President Jefferson Davis. Looking at the notorious Dahlgren Affair within the context of Dahlgren's entire life, this examination provides insight into a unique individual's past as well as an unclear incidence in American history.

A portrait of the Union spy leader notes her organization's efforts to gather intelligence, compromise Confederate efforts, and aid Union prisoner escapes, citing her sometimes controversial stands on such issues as slavery and war. (Biography)

After the unprecedented violence of the 1864 Overland Campaign, Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant turned his gaze south of Richmond to Petersburg, and the key railroad junction that supplied the Confederate capital and its defenders. Nine grueling months of constant maneuver and combat around the “Cockade City” followed. As massive fortifications soon dominated the landscape, both armies frequently pushed each other to the brink of disaster. As March 1865 drew to a close, Grant planned one more charge against Confederate lines. Despite recent successes, many viewed this latest task as an impossibility—and their trepidation had merit. “These lines might well have been looked upon by the enemy as impregnable,” admitted Union Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright, “and nothing but the most resolute bravery could have overcome them.” Grant ordered the attack for April 2, 1865, setting the stage for a dramatic early morning bayonet charge by his VI Corps across half a mile of open ground into the “strongest line of works ever constructed in America.” Dawn of Victory: Breakthrough at Petersburg by Edward S. Alexander tells the story of the men who fought and died in the decisive battle of the Petersburg campaign. Readers can follow the footsteps of the resolute Union attackers and stand in the shoes of the obstinate Confederate defenders as their actions decided the fate of the nation.

This chronicle of the legendary Confederate Army of Northern Virginia brings vivid detail and insight to the campaigns of Maj. Gen. Jeb Stuart. By the summer of 1863, following the Southern victory at Chancellorsville, it was clear to everyone on both sides of the Civil War that the Army of Northern Virginia was the most formidable force Americans had ever put in the field. Much of that army’s success was attributable to its cavalry arm, led by Maj. Gen. J.E.B. “Jeb” Stuart. But while Stuart could literally run rings around the enemy, Union arithmetic and expertise were gradually catching up. In Year of Desperate Struggle, author Monte Akers tracks Stuart and his cavalry from Gettysburg to the Overland Campaign, concluded only when Jeb himself succumbed to a gunshot wound at the gates of Richmond. It was a year of grim casualties and ferocious fighting—in short, a year of desperate struggle with the gloves off on both sides. In this sequel to Year of Glory, historian Monte Akers provides a minute examination of Stuart’s cavalry during the controversial Gettysburg campaign, followed by nine months of sparring, during which the Union Army of the Potomac declined to undertake further thrusts against Virginia. After Stuart’s death, the Army of Northern Virginia would eventually be cornered, but while he was alive, it was often the Northerners who most needed to look to their security.

The Fellers Called Him Bill is a story of the American Civil War by P.J. Kearns. It is a thoroughly engaging account of the Great Rebellion following one young mans incredible journey through it. The generously illustrated narrative is presented as a three volume set Book 1 - Secession and the Outbreak of War Book 2 - The Rebellion Intensifies Book 3 - The Final Desperate Fighting and the Aftermath of War The story touches on the military, social, political, and economic realities of the era while introducing the larger-than-life Americans who shaped history in the mid 19th century. Loaded with fascinating anecdotes, photos, drawings, and maps. The Fellers Called Him Bill offers the reader a compelling narrative covering the most incredible period in American history. For a student of American History, the set of books would serve as an excellent source of material.

A fascinating look at some of the most intriguing generals in the Union's Army of the Potomac and at some of the most extraordinary events of the Civil War, chronicled by a leading historian, Stephen W. Sears.

The first book to explicitly name white supremacy as the motivation for Lincoln's assassination, America's Original Sin is an important and eloquent look at one of the most notorious episodes in American history.