The Most Fearful Ordeal; Original Coverage of the Civil War by Writers and Reporters of The New York Times

by Introduction and Notes by Pulitzer-Prize Winner James M. McPherson

• ISBN13: 9780312331238
• ISBN10: 0312331231
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2004-06-01
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Summary

The Most Fearful Ordeal Original Coverage of the Civil War by The New York Times The Staff of The New York Times Introduction and Notes by James M. McPherson A must-have for Civil War buffs-The New York Times' original coverage of the major events, battles, and personalities of the Civil War he Most Fearful Ordeal contains The New York Times' coverage of the crucial events of the Civil War: Harper's Ferry, Fort Sumter, Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, Lincoln's assassina-tion, Lee's surrender. This fascinating book gives us history as it was being transmitted by the newly invented telegraph by some of the very first eyewitnesses on the scene: the debates, speeches, vivid accounts of victory or defeat, and lists of the dead and wounded. Here are words that were pored over by citizens for whom newspapers offered the only source of infor-mation. Amplified by period photographs and period maps that explain the military strategies behind the major battles, the beautifully written dispatches evoke the fervor of time-the uncertainty, despair, exhilaration, and hope. Featuring an intro-duction and headnotes by renowned Civil War historian James M. McPherson, The Most Fearful Ordeal is an essential addition to the shelf of anyone interested in this tumultuous, bloody, and defining period in America's history. JAMES M. MCPHERSON is the author of Ordeal by Fire and other books on the Civil War. He teaches history at Princeton University. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey. History 0-312-33123-1 $35.00 $51.95 Canadian 71/2" x 91/4" / 400 pages Includes 50 b&w photos and 6 maps throughout June

Author Biography

James M. McPherson is a professor of history at Princeton University. He is the author of Battle Cry of Freedom, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfction, as well as other works on the Civil War, including Ordeal by Fire, Marching Toward Freedom, and most recently, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam.

Table of Contents

Introduction	vii
Part One: 1859--1861	1	(90)
Uprising at Harper's Ferry	3	(7)
Execution of John Brown	10	(14)
Lincoln Elected	24	(8)
South Carolina Secedes	32	(23)
Fort Sumter	55	(24)
Battle of Bull Run	79	(12)
Part Two: 1862	91	(132)
Fort Donelson	93	(18)
Monitor vs. Merrimac	111	(14)
Battle of Pittsburgh Landing	125	(14)
Capture of New Orleans	139	(11)
Battling for Richmond	150	(20)
Second Battle of Bull Run	170	(13)
Antietam	183	(23)
Emancipation Proclamation (Preliminary)	206	(4)
General McClellan Dismissed	210	(4)
Fredericksburg	214	(9)
Part Three: 1863	223	(48)
Chancellorsville	227
Emancipation Proclamation (Final)	225	(9)
Death of Thomas ``Stonewall'' Jackson	234	(2)
Vicksburg	236	(8)
Gettysburg	244	(15)
Draft Riots in New York City	259	(9)
Gettysburg Address	268	(3)
Part Four: 1864	271	(24)
Battle of the Wilderness	273	(5)
Petersburg	278	(6)
Battle of the Crater at Petersburg	284	(8)
Fall of Atlanta	292	(3)
Part Five: 1865	295	(100)
Abolition of Slavery	297	(3)
Occupation of Richmond	300	(8)
Surrender at Appomattox	308	(12)
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln	320	(40)
Abraham Lincoln's Funeral	360
Inauguration of Andrew Johnson	344	(19)
John Wilkes Booth Killed	363	(6)
Trial of Assassins	369	(13)
Conspirators Sentenced	382	(1)
Four Assassins Hanged	383	(12)
Part Six: Obituaries	395	(18)
Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)	397	(3)
Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)	400	(6)
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889)	406	(4)
William T. Sherman (1820-1891)	410	(3)
Index	413