The Maryland Campaign of September 1862: Volume 1, South Mountain
Ezra Carman s long-unpublished history of the 1862 Maryland Campaign is an essential source on the operations that produced the bloodiest day in American military history and largest surrender of U.S. troops before World War II and there is no one better qualified than Thomas Clemens to bring it to print. Not only does this volume make Carman s study broadly accessible to students of the war, but Clemens s many years studying the events of September 1862 and unmatched knowledge of Carman and his work enable him to skillfully and authoritatively explain and scrutinize Carman s take on events. In addition to being a magnificent contribution to literature on the Civil War, this outstanding book will also advance the process of securing Clemens a place alongside Carman and Harsh in the pantheon of Maryland Campaign scholars. I cannot recommend it highly enough. --Ethan S. Rafuse, author of McClellan s War: The Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union and Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield GuideTom Clemens has spent many long years poring over both the Carman manuscript and related letters and documents from other holdings to provide Civil War students with the most up-to-date version of Carman s Maryland Campaign epic. The past few decades have witnessed the publication of thousands of books on the Civil War. Only a slim handful stand the test of time. I can confidently conclude that this volume will remain one of the most important of the genre ever to be published --Ted Alexander, Historian, Antietam National BattlefieldAt last, Dr. Thomas Clemens, a leading authority on the Maryland Campaign, has done a great service in finally bringing the Carman manuscript to life. Brilliantly and meticulously edited, The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 is, quite simply, a must-have book for anyone wishing to gain a thorough understanding of what was arguably the Civil War s most significant campaign and one of its most important battles. Indeed, as far as must-haves go, this book is at the top of the list --John David Hoptak, Park Ranger, Antietam National Battlefield, and author of First in Defense of the Union and Our Boys Did Nobly