Gateway to the Confederacy: New Perspectives on the Chickamauga and Chattanooga Campaigns, 1862-1863

by Evan C. Jones (editor), Wiley Sword (Editor), Russell S. Bonds (Contributor)

A collection of ten new essays from some of our finest Civil War historians working today, Gateway to the Confederacy offers a reexamination of the campaigns fought to gain possession of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Each essay addresses how Americans have misconstrued the legacy of these struggles and why scholars feel it necessary to reconsider one of the most critical turning points of the American Civil War.The first academic analysis that delineates all three Civil War campaigns fought from 1862 to 1863 for control of Chattanooga -- the trans-portation hub of the Confederacy and gateway to the Deep South -- this book deals not only with military operations but also with the campaigns' origins and consequences. The essays also explore the far-reaching social and political implications of the battles and bring into sharp focus their impact on postwar literature and commemoration. Several chapters revise the traditional portraits of both famous and con-troversial figures including Ambrose Bierce and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Others investigate some of the more salient moments of these cam-paigns such as the circumstances that allowed for the Confederate breakthrough assault at Chickamauga.Gateway to the Confederacy reassesses these pivotal battles, long in need of reappraisal, and breaks new ground as each scholar re-shapes a particular aspect of this momentous part of the Civil War.CONTRIBUTORSRussell S. Bonds Stephen Cushman Caroline E. Janney Evan C. Jones David A. Powell Gerald J. Prokopowicz William Glenn Robertson Wiley Sword Craig L. Symonds

Genres: Civil War, American Civil War

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 12, 2014

Reviews

[Matthew Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout the battles and campaigns of the Civil War which are studies, much attention is given to the battlefield of Gettysburg. A fact like this pointed out many times in the introduction of this collection of essays on Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Even before the creation of the Gettysburg National Military Park, these battlefields are more well preserved and more established than any other battlefield in the country. While not as written about as Gettysburg, this campaign has been ignored in the wake of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Chickamauga and Chattanooga are treated with distinction in this incredible collection of essays.
The two editors of the collection, Evan C. Jones and Wiley Sword, both contributed essays to the work and are no strangers of these battlefields. Evan C. Jones is a former National Park ranger who has spent a good amount of time at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park along with many other battlefields from the Civil War. Wiley Sword is an accomplished author and historian who has devoted his career to these campaigns. The other authors of this work include Russell S. Bonds, David A. Powell, Gerald J. Prokopowicz, William Glenn Robertson, Craig L. Symonds, Stephen Cushman and Caroline E. Janney. All of their contributions to this work have a short biography within the body of the book.
Gateway to the Confederacy is an important work for many reasons. First and foremost, it is a great introduction to the campaigns of Chickamauga and Chattanooga in both the years of 1862 and 1863. One essay talks about the 1862 campaign of Chattanooga which most people tend to forget about. The essay goes over many of the events which happened during that campaign but more important was the attention made to the politicking going on in the army for Don Carlos Buell in those actions. The book opens with an essay about the overall terrain of Chickamauga and Chattanooga and the importance the land had to the campaigns and the people who had settled there. The essay titled, “The Funnel of the Universe” explains in detail the industry which surrounded the area of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama and how Chattanooga was a large hub for this industry. Through these studies, one can see why Chickamauga and Chattanooga was the Gateway to the Confederacy and without it, the victories at both Gettysburg and Vicksburg would not have meant much of anything. Wiley Sword in his essay talks about the issues of arming slaves and the possibility of what could have happened if it became a reality. These essays are not only well written, they are thought provoking which exceeds expectations when it comes to the realm of Civil War academia.
Gateway to the Confederacy is highly recommended for any Civil War reader. This collection of essays is one of the better collections I have come across in the recent years. The input of both Evan C. Jones and Wiley Sword are greatly appreciated both in their editing and their essays. They are correct in stating that sometimes, Civil War historians tend to gravitate towards Gettysburg and Vicksburg because of their grandiose nature, and though not written about as much as Gettysburg, all the contributors give an excellent outlook onto the campaigns rarely talked about in the annals of Civil War history.

Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle

[Theo Logos · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent source of information on a critical Campaign in the War’s Western Theater, but dry, clinical writing. Five stars if you are reading for serious study, but avoid it if your interest is more casual and you are reading mainly for pleasure. If you are a serious student of the Civil war you will want this book in your library as a reference.

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine collection of essays from historians who are looking beyond the mundane mainstream of Civil War scholarship. Loved the essay by Powell on innovation in the Army of the Cumberland.