Glory RoadIn those critical months between the autumn of 1862 and midsummer of the following year, the eventual outcome of the Civil War was determined by the Army of the Potomac. After a bloody massacre at Fredricksburg, an aimless and muddy march up and down the banks of the Rapahannock, and a catastrophe of confusion at Chancellorsville, this army took a firm hand on the hills to the west of a small Pennsylvania town called Gettysburg and finally turned the fortunes of the war against the Confederacy. Here is the exciting story of this Army of the Potomac, of the people in it, and of the nation it defended. Of enlistees, volunteers and bounty men alike, who fought like fiends during each engagement but swapped coffee and tobacco with the Rebels between skirmishes. And of three generals in command during this crucial period: Burnside, "who meant so well and did so badly"; Hooker, a soldier's soldier who improved rations but was surprised into a disastrous defeat; and Meade, who took over only three days before the decisive battle of Gettysburg. |
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24th Michigan Abraham Lincoln Antietam army army's artillery attack battery Battles and Leaders bridges Burnside Burnside's camp Campaign cavalry Cemetery Cemetery Hill Cemetery Ridge Chancellorsville cheer Colonel column command Confederate cross Culp's Hill division enemy enlisted Falmouth Federal fight fire flank Fredericksburg front George Gordon Meade Gettysburg Gettysburg Campaign going governor ground gunners guns Halleck Hancock headquarters Hill History horses hospitals II Corps Indiana infantry Iron Brigade Joe Hooker killed Lee's Lincoln looked Major Massachusetts McClellan Meade miles military Morton moved night officers Official Records Ohio Pennsylvania picket plain pontoon Potomac railroad ranks Rappahannock rear Rebel regiments Ridge rifle river road seemed sent shot Sickles side skirmishers smoke soldiers Stanton stone wall Stoneman Stonewall Jackson Stuart things told took town troops Union veteran Volunteers wagons Washington wounded wrote Yankee York