Victory at Appomattox

Hampton Newsome is the author of several books about the Civil War, including The Fight for the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864 and Gettysburg's Southern Front: Opportunity and Failure at Richmond, both published by Kansas.

"Gifted historian Hampton Newsome has produced an outstanding operational history of the Appomattox Campaign, confronting traditional accounts with a fresh perspective. Combining deep research and thoughtful analysis with clear and lively prose, Victory at Appomattox provides readers with a comprehensive and insightful narrative of the final week of the Civil War in Virginia. Highly recommended!"-A. Wilson Greene, author of A Campaign of Giants: The Battle for Petersburg "Victory at Appomattox is the definitive account of the Appomattox campaign. Conjuring the dramatic stakes and uncertainty of the Civil War's endgame, Newsome offers new perspectives on iconic figures such as Grant and Custer; a wealth of insights into tactical decision-making; and judicious correctives to some stubborn myths. With careful attention to unsung figures such as Union scouts and USCT regiments, he gives the US rank-and-file its due for delivering this ultimate victory."-Elizabeth R. Varon, author of Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South "The Appomattox campaign, which resulted in Federal troops under Ulysses S. Grant capturing Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia in an open field race, was one of the most unique events in American military history. Now, Hampton Newsome finally gives that campaign its due by examining it as a military event rather than as the historical pageant that ended the Civil War. Based on extensive and well-considered evidence, filled with detail and analysis, it is a must-read for those interested in Lee's final defeat and Grant's greatest triumph."-Earl J. Hess, author of Shattered Courage: Soldiers Who Refused to Fight in the American Civil War "In as well-written, exhaustively researched, and thorough a study of the Appomattox Campaign as one could wish for, Victory at Appomattox ably chronicles the command decisions and operations that enabled Ulysses S. Grant to force Robert E. Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. In the process, Hampton Newsome provides fresh insights into such matters as how terrain and logistical considerations shaped operations, the high commands and front-line soldiers in both armies, and the strength of the armies. Persuasive in its arguments and crafted with great skill, this is first-rate military history by a first-rate scholar."-Ethan S. Rafuse, author of From the Mountains to the Bay: The War in Virginia, January-May 1862, and co-editor of Guide to the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign "In as well-written, exhaustively researched, and thorough a study of the Appomattox Campaign as one could wish for, Victory at Appomattox ably chronicles the command decisions and operations that enabled Ulysses S. Grant to force Robert E. Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. In the process, Hampton Newsome provides fresh insights into such matters as how terrain and logistical considerations shaped operations, the high commands and front-line soldiers in both armies, and the strength of the armies. Persuasive in its arguments and crafted with great skill, this is first-rate military history by a first-rate scholar."-Ethan S. Rafuse, author of From the Mountains to the Bay: The War in Virginia, January&8211;May 1862, and co-editor of Guide to the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign