From Cedar Mountain to Antietam (Stackpole) by Edward J. Stackpole

by Edward J. Stackpole

A clear, perceptive, unpretentious presentation of the facts. And the result, generally, should please both the military beginner and the advanced student.The New York Times Book Review.

Genres: History, Civil War, American Civil War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

Edward J. Stackpole Jr. was an American newspaper publisher, businessman, author and military officer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A veteran of World War I and World War II, he attained the rank of major general, and was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, and Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters.

Stackpole was a native of Harrisburg, and was raised and educated in Harrisburg. He attended Harrisburg Academy and graduated from Yale University in 1915. After attending Citizens' Military Training Camps in 1915 and 1916, in 1917 he received his commission as a second lieutenant. He served with the Pennsylvania National Guard's 110th Infantry Regiment during the First World War, and received the Distinguished Service Cross and three awards of the Purple Heart. He continued to rise through the ranks of the National Guard and attained the rank of brigadier general in 1933, and major general in 1940. During the interwar years, his command assignments included the 104th Cavalry Regiment, 52nd Cavalry Brigade, and 22nd Cavalry Division.

During the Second World War, Stackpole accepted reduction in rank to brigadier general to enter active duty, and commanded the 56th Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 28th Infantry Division. Stackpole was subsequently assigned to lead the Panama Security Command, which staffed and managed early warning stations on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Panama Canal to guard the canal from attack by the Axis powers. He later performed special duty on the War Department staff, and his wartime service was recognized with award of the Legion of Merit. After the war, he commanded the 28th Infantry Division during its reorganization as a Pennsylvania National Guard unit, and was again promoted to major general. He retired from the military in 1947, and in 1956 was promoted to lieutenant general on Pennsylvania's retired list.

In his civilian career, Stackpole was president of the Telegraph Press, which published the Harrisburg Telegraph. He was also president of the Stackpole Company book publishing firm, WHP Radio, and the Military Service Publishing Company, a publisher of military texts and training manuals. He was a director of American Aviation Publications, the Harrisburg Trust Company, the Harrisburg Hotel Company, and the Penn-Harris Hotel Company. As a civic activist, Stackpole was president of the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania School for Children of Veterans, and a member of the board of the Harrisburg Hospital and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce.

Stackpole was also an author who specialized in historical works about the American Civil War. He died in Harrisburg on October 1, 1967. Stackpole was buried at Harrisburg Cemetery in Harrisburg.

Reviews

[Mark Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this before, many years ago. It’s a great read, fast and insightful. It’s at the Division/Brigade level, and not full of tactical details or first person accounts. But, the author did a great job in explaining this campaign. Excellent maps, about 35 of them, make this a super read.

[Mark Singer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic narrative about Robert E. Lee’s efforts in August and September 1862 to prevent the Union armies of John Pope and George McClellan from combining forces. Stackpole treats this as one long campaign starting with the battle of Cedar Mountain, through Second Manassas/Bull Run, and ending with the Confederate invasion of Maryland which culminated in the bloody battle of Antietam on September 17th. The book has many maps, and the story is easy to follow. Originally published in 1959, this edition was revised in 1993 by Scott Hartwig as he made some corrections to the historical record.

[Art · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good overall view of the Antietam Campaign from start to finish!