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Terrible Swift Sword (Centennial History of the Civil War, Bk 2)
Terrible Swift Sword - Centennial History of the Civil War, Bk 2 Author:Bruce Catton In "The Coming Fury", the first volume of this magnificent American Civil War trilogy, Bruce Catton described the forces that combined to drive the United States apart -- a portrait of a gathering storm finally erupting at Bull Run. — Now, in "Terrible Swift Sword", he shows how the Union and Confederacy slowly reconciled them... more »selves to all-out war. To begin with there was little action as each side reviews its position and counted its heads and guns. The North had positive advantages (but not one in General McClellan who is impaled forever in this book by extracts from his arrogant letters). The South recognized that it would have to strike hard to win, but it had terrible handicaps (including flintlock rifles that would not fire in the rain). It waited for the inevitable. Gradually the action changed from small skirmished to major battles and with it the stature of Lee, Grant, Jefferson Davis and Sherman emerged. Slowly and inexorably the conflict changed its nature from an uninspiring police action to a series of bloody clashes in the cause of ending human slavery. It became a was for freedom.« less