Joseph T. Glatthaar’s first chapter on the eastern theater looks at the changing nature of the Civil War’s first year of combat. Both sides struggled to find the right combinations of material support and effective command. While the Union held an early advantage due to its industrial base and the organizational skill of George McClellan, that advantage dissipated in the Shenandoah Valley and along the James River. The extraordinary leadership of Robert E. Lee and his subordinates, particularly Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, turned the war’s momentum. Glatthaar also examines the growth of “hard war” policies, and the transformation of Union war aims. These movements culminated at the Battle of Antietam, after which Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation.
This chapter includes:
- Detailed animations of Jackson’s famous Valley campaign and the Battle of Antietam;
- Animated chapter timeline, showing the development of military and political events across time and space;
- Other animated maps including McClellan’s Peninsular campaign and Lee’s invasion of Maryland;
- Biographies of key military leaders such as George McClellan, “Stonewall” Jackson, and Robert E. Lee;
- Tactics widgets discussing the use of artillery on the battlefield and the effect of adopting “contrabands” to the Union war effort;
- Interactive illustrations discussing the gear of a Union soldier, the innovative ironclad warship the C.S.S. Virginia, and the debate over Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation; and
- Richly colored still maps depicting other important military actions, such as the Seven Days Battles and Second Bull Run.
