The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865

Everette Beach Long, is acknowledged among the culture of history reading America, as one of America's primary authorities regarding the United States Civil War/The War Between The States. The exhaustive work he and his wife created in 1985 may have left out a single shot, a scuffle or a rattle of sabers somewhere, someday, however I doubt there were very many. Long was scrupulous in his research. In his biography we read: "I got interested in the Civil War as a hobby," he explained. "Then it became an avocation, then a way of life. " Long was the director of research for Doubleday's multi-volume "Centennial History of the Civil War," written by Bruce Catton from 1955 to 1965. The Civil War Day by Day presents day-by-day activities during the years of 1860 - 1866 beginning with November and the election of Lincoln down to Aug 20 1866 when the war was finally declared to be over. That was when Johnson declared the uprising in Texas to be finished. For the many in our country who consider history to be 'boring', 'dry, and 'who cares, it was my least favorite class and how in blazes can there be 1135 pages in that stupid book when everyone knows there were only about six battles and it was over.' The Civil War Day by Day just may change your mind. The table of contents lists not only the years of the warfare; but in addition notes information most/many people forget, never knew or just plain have never thought about regarding the war. 1860 1861 1863 1864 1865 Aftermath Special Studies The People of War Men at War Economics of War I reckon we would be hard pressed to locate anyone in our country who has absolutely no consciousness at all regarding Vicksburg, Gettysburg or 'Bull Run.' Long writing in his preface said, 'No one, no matter what method he uses, can encompass the entire course of those five years of our nation's greatest crisis. One form, that can add at least a measure of factual depth is an almanac. ... The format used to present The Civil War Day by Day is straightforward. It covers many events of the Civil War/War Between the States period from the late fall of 1860 into early 1866, with main concentration on 1861-65. The design lends itself easily to use in classroom or for personal investigative study. Researchers, historians and readers may look for a specific date, or check the headlines under dates for specific occurrences. Secession of Southern states, including some states having Confederate ties are presented by date. Some readers, who are not aware that the actual number of seceding states was not the accepted eleven long called 'the Confederacy,' may be surprised to learn that many other states, territories and nations were included in the Confederate States of America. The firing on Ft. Sumter, and skirmishes in Missouri, two major battles near Manassas Junction, VA and two in Indian Territory at the Cabin Creek Crossing, battle at Chancellorsville, in Virginia and White Oak in Missouri, battle at the Wilderness, VA an

It certainly covers every day of the Civil War. If you wanted to know what happened on a certain day of a month during the war, it will tell you every newsworthy event that happened in a brief format. I can't think of a better book to answer to the question of "What happened on this day in the Civil War?".

This book has been used so many times at the battlefield information desk that the cover is ready to fall off and the pages to splay out across the desk. The daily accounts are brief yet informative and go far in giving the reader background material for a more researched dig into the past. The index is well laid out and gives the reader an excellent time line to help locate material, and the bibliography is on par with the index!Your Civil War book shelf would not be complete without it!

Well presented. See what happened on a particular day in the Civil War. The book provides a brief accout on what happened on a specific day. Well indexed with a lot of information. An easily searchable almamac format. A book that will stand the test of time. It will be as useful in 100 years as it is now. I cannot imagine my bookshelf without it.