Virginia at War, 1862

Virginia at War

by William C. Davis, James I. Robertson Jr.

As the Civil War entered its first full calendar year for the Old Dominion, Virginians began to experience the full ramifications of the conflict. Their expectations for the coming year did not prepare them for what was about to happen; in 1862 the war became earnest and real, and the state became then and thereafter the major battleground of the war in the East. Virginia emerged from the year 1861 in much the same state of uncertainty and confusion as the rest of the Confederacy. While the North was known to be rebuilding its army, no one could be sure if the northern people and government were willing to continue the war. The landscape and the people of Virginia were a part of the battlefield. Virginia at War, 1862 demonstrates how no aspect of life in the Commonwealth escaped the war's impact. The collection of essays examines topics as diverse as daily civilian life and the effects of military occupation, the massive influx of tens of thousands of wounded and sick into Richmond, and the wartime expansion of Virginia's industrial base, the largest in the Confederacy. Out on the field, Robert E. Lee's army was devastated by the Battle of Antietam, and Lee strove to rebuild the army with recruits from the interior of the state. Many Virginians, however, were far behind the front lines. A growing illustrated press brought the war into the homes of civilians and allowed them to see what was happening in their state and in the larger war beyond their borders. To round out this volume, indefatigable Richmond diarist Judith McGuire continues her day-by-day reflections on life during wartime. The second in a five-volume series examining each year of the war, Virginia at War, 1862 illuminates the happenings on both homefront and battlefield in the state that served as the crucible of America's greatest internal conflict.

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

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Currently professor of history at Virginia Tech, William C. Davis has written over fifty books, most about the American Civil War. He has won the Jefferson Davis Prize for southern history three times, the Jules F. Landry Award for Southern history once, and has been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

For several years, he was the editor of the magazine Civil War Times Illustrated. He has also served as a consultant on the A&E television series Civil War Journal.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essays describing civilian attitudes, military supply, hospitals, local strategy and other concerns give breadth to this volume. Unlike the 1861 collection—which focused on Richmond—this book covers a larger geographic scope.

I particularly liked the development of hospitals and the straggler problems of Lee’s army. While these volumes require a certain level of understanding of tactics, politics and key events, the essays provide a depth of comprehension to the plight of Confederate Virginia and the impact on all concerned.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Virginia at War, 1862" is a series of 9 essays describing pretty much every aspect of life in the Old Dominion State throughout the second year of the American Civil War. In each essay various authors examine the daily trials & tribulations from the industrial to the military to the human side of life facing citizens of the state. Particular attention is paid to Richmond, the Confederate capital, which paid a harsh price at various times throughout the war & especially in 1862. The essays themselves stay away from the major military side of things within the war & focus on the human side. The final essay is also a look at diary of 6 months for a resident of the Richmond area. Overall a good book to read if you are looking for a different viewpoint of the Civil War especially in Virginia.

[Stella]

The third in a series of essays by fellow historians the books discusses different aspects of Virginian life in 1863. The essays cover a broad range of the area's social fabric, ranging from military actions to everyday lives. Scrapbooking emerges as an interesting historical tool, one which reveals local opinion of events. Other subjects discussed in the essays include the experiences of children and young adults, missionary teachers, and the role of Virginia's embattled churches. Another interesting aspect in the book is James Pritchard's essay discusses life in the Virginia mountains, which delves into the origins of The Mc Coy and Hatfield feud.