A fully illustrated narrative of the Maryland campaign 1862, culminating in Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American military history.
By the late summer of 1862, it appeared as though the United States would be permanently split in two, and by the beginning of September, General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was on the doorstep of Washington, D.C. Panicked and defeated Federal soldiers huddled behind the capital’s defenses. Rather than attacking the city, Lee turned his attention north into Maryland, seeking a decisive battlefield victory to influence public opinion at home and diplomatic opinion overseas. Major General George B. McClellan led the reorganized Army of the Potomac into the state to meet Lee.
Over a span of 18 days, the two armies fought four significant battles, including the climactic engagement along Antietam Creek outside Sharpsburg on September 17, 1862. The battle there still holds the distinction as the bloodiest single day in American military history. Forced from Maryland, Lee withdrew into Virginia, leaving President Abraham Lincoln free to follow up this strategic victory with the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, a measure that changed the nature of the American Civil War.
Copious illustrations and maps paired with a detailed text, this account of the Maryland campaign will have wide appeal.
Kevin R. Pawlak is a historic site manager for Prince William County’s Office of Historic Preservation and a Certified Battlefield Guide at Antietam National Battlefield. He previously worked as a Park Ranger at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. This is Kevin’s seventh book about the American Civil War, including To Hazard All: A Guide to the Maryland Campaign, 1862, part of the Emerging Civil War Series.
“With the publication of Such a Clash of Arms, civil war historian Kevin R. Pawlak provides a compendium of illustrations and maps paired with a detailed text. [A] particularly recommended pick…”
~Midwest Book Review
“…with a balance description of events the resulting narrative provides an integrated and useful overview of the entire campaign.”
~The NYMAS Review
“[A] decent overview of the soldiers and their weapons, strategies, and battles, and zeroes in on some of the details often skipped, like the battles in the gaps, as well as offering ideas about who dropped the orders wrapped around three cigars.”
~Historical Miniatures Gaming Society
“…an excellent reference for battlefield visitors. [This volume] provides an excellent introduction to the military operations leading up to the battle, the course of the engagement, and subsequent maneuvers resulting in the Confederate withdrawal to Virginia. The author is an expert on the subject… his knowledge of the Civil War, particularly the events described in his book, is both scholarly and practical, combining mastery of historical sources with an understanding of the ground where the conflict occurred.”
~The Journal of America's Military Past
“This superb Casemate Illustrated volume provides a fully illustrated book depicting the campaign history of this critical turning point of our Civil War. Kevin’s eloquence shines in this presentation of Such a Clash of Arms, the Maryland campaign in September 1862.”
~Argunners.com
“Kevin R. Pawlak’s interesting and detailed account Such a Clash of Arms is complemented by a plethora of photos, illustrations and maps.”
~Toy Soldier Collector
“[Such a Clash of Arms] does what it sets out to do, joins up the dots, and encourages us to find out more. Even though we might have overburdened bookshelves, this will be a welcome and worthy addition.”
~UK Civil War Roundtable
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