The Civil War represented a momentous change in the character of war. It combined the projection of military might across a continent on a scale never before seen with an unprecedented mass mobilization of peoples. Yet despite the revolutionizing aspects of the Civil War, its leaders faced the same uncertainties and vagaries of chance that have vex

List of Maps ix Preface xi Introduction 1 1 The Origins 13 2 The War's Strategic Framework 36 3 "And the War Came" 65 4 First Battles and the Making of Armies 93 5 Stillborn between Earth and Water: The Unfulfilled Promise of Joint Operations 119 6 The Confederacy Recovers, 1862 167 7 The Confederate Counter-Offensives, 1862 205 8 The War in the East, 1863 250 9 The War in the West, 1863 293 10 The Killing Time: The War in the East, 1864 354 11 Victory in the West, 1864 415 12 The Collapse of the Confederacy 469 13 The Civil War in History 509 Acknowledgments 549 Notes 551 Further Reading 569 Index 585

"If you think that there is nothing new to write about the Civil War, this book will prove you wrong."—H. R. McMaster, author of Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam"A Savage War is not just a riveting military narrative of the American Civil War written by two military historians with singular pragmatic experience, but a rare and much needed strategic assessment of the aims and methods of the Union and the Confederacy—highlighted with incisive, blunt—and persuasive— appraisals of all the major generals and supreme commanders."—Victor Davis Hanson, author of Carnage and Culture and The Savior Generals"More than just another narrative of the Civil War, this thoughtful and often provocative book is an engaging analysis of the leadership, personalities, and strategies of both sides during America's great nineteenth-century trauma."—Craig L. Symonds, author of Lincoln and His Admirals"A Savage War offers a splendid overview of the greatest military trauma in United States history. The authors explore Union and Confederate martial culture, navigate with a sure step through campaigns and battles, and assess leaders convincingly—all the while challenging hoary misconceptions about the conflict. Readers new to the topic, as well as more veteran students, will turn to this book with profit."—Gary W. Gallagher, author of The Union War"A Savage War is a marvelous book. Iconoclastic, endlessly fascinating, and wide-ranging, this work is a singular achievement, something sure to delight Civil War buffs. A must-read."—Jay Winik, author of 1944 and April 1865"Murray and Hsieh bring verve, insight, and originality to their account of the Civil War. In a crowded field, A Savage War still stands out as a book of required reading even for specialists."—Allan R. Millett, author of The War for Korea, 1950-1951: They Came from the North"[A] very important new history of the American Civil War by two important historians."—Newt Gingrich"A genuinely fresh set of insights about the Civil War. Murray and Hsieh have crafted a military narrative that goes well beyond anything else in the literature."—James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era"Forceful and convincing. Murray and Hsieh have succeeded in producing a very accessible book about a very complex series of events . . . A model of how to write military history."—John Gooch, author of Mussolini and His Generals: The Armed Forces and Fascist Foreign Policy, 1922–1940