What do you think?
Rate this book
Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run – A History of Lincoln's Isolated Capital and the Panic Before War Began
For two weeks in 1861, Washington, D.C., was locked in a state of panic. Would the newly formed Confederate States of America launch its first attack on the Union by capturing the nation’s capital? Would Lincoln’s Union fall before it had a chance to fight?
Wedged between Virginia and Maryland―two states bordering on secession―Washington was isolated; its communications lines were cut, its rail lines blocked. Newly recruited volunteers were too few and were unable to enter the city. A recently inaugurated Lincoln struggled to form a plan―defense or attack?
In this final chapter of his trilogy on the Civil War, David Detzer pulls the drama from this pivotal moment in American history straight from the pages of diaries, letters, and newspapers. With an eye for detail and an ear for the voices of average citizens, he beautifully captures the tense, miasmic atmosphere of these first chaotic days of war.
Wedged between Virginia and Maryland―two states bordering on secession―Washington was isolated; its communications lines were cut, its rail lines blocked. Newly recruited volunteers were too few and were unable to enter the city. A recently inaugurated Lincoln struggled to form a plan―defense or attack?
In this final chapter of his trilogy on the Civil War, David Detzer pulls the drama from this pivotal moment in American history straight from the pages of diaries, letters, and newspapers. With an eye for detail and an ear for the voices of average citizens, he beautifully captures the tense, miasmic atmosphere of these first chaotic days of war.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
83 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 24, 2023
In what eventually became a trilogy about the early days of the Civil War, this book was the third that Detzer wrote but the second chronologically. So I read it second, as it took place after the events of Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War and before those of Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861.
The question I had going into it, and while reading it, was whether the narrow period of time between the attack on Fort Sumter and the First Battle of Bull Run offered enough of a narrative to warrant its own book. Was this a story that needed to be told, or did Detzer just decide to connect the dots between his two books and knock out a third to turn it into a neat trilogy?
Overall, not a whole lot happened in the first few months post-Sumter, which is why most general Civil War narratives don’t devote a ton of time to this period. There were, though, a few key events that constitute the bulk of Detzer’s narrative - Lincoln’s call for troops to suppress the rebellion, those troops’ efforts to get to Washington, and Virginia’s secession.
The most dramatic event of the book, and arguably its centerpiece, is a vivid and thorough description of the Baltimore riot of 1861, as Northern troops tried to make their way through the city and the effort devolved into chaos. This is one event that isn’t done justice in most general Civil War narratives that hurry from Fort Sumter to Bull Run, so Detzer’s focus on the event provides a valuable and intensive you-are-there perspective.
The next dramatic event involves the Confederate capture of the Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth, which was a more meaningful and devastating loss to the Union than the more symbolic loss of Sumter.
Together, the events in Maryland and Virginia put Washington in a pincer, so the bulk of the book recounts concerns that Washington itself would be lost. This discussion gets repetitive, though, as Detzer seems to ask and answer a dozen different ways whether a realistic Confederate plot to seize the capital really existed or could have been successful (concluding, each time he brings it up, no and no).
With few other dramatic events to describe, the narrative is largely character-driven, but not necessarily by important characters. While some prove to be important in the long run, others get long introductions and mini-biographies, but end up playing a small role and then fading away. This makes the narrative start to feel padded, as though there’s not enough story to tell so Detzer is forced to tell mini-stories within the larger story.
And while the writing in this book is not as ostentatiously grating as I often found it to be in Allegiance, it’s still often jarringly casual and conversational. It kind of undercuts the seriousness of the subject matter to be told that the hordes in Baltimore were "not the right sort of folks to invite to a family barbeque."
The narrative eventually winds its way toward Union troops crossing into Virginia for the first time to secure Arlington Heights, which constitutes the beginning of the “invasion of the Confederacy” that is described more fully in Donnybrook. And then the book concludes with an attempt to reach for a profound, grand conclusion on the meaning of the war that doesn't quite land.
In the end, the detailed description of the Baltimore riot is the best, and perhaps the only really necessary, part of the book. It serves as the most dramatic illustration of the growing tensions in the days after Fort Sumter, and a refutation of the notion that the attack on Sumter was immediately followed by troops facing off on the battlefield. Detzer does the best with what he has to work with here, but sandwiched as it is between two more dramatic events covered in his two other books, it’s just unclear in the end whether this period of time warranted an entire book of its own.
The question I had going into it, and while reading it, was whether the narrow period of time between the attack on Fort Sumter and the First Battle of Bull Run offered enough of a narrative to warrant its own book. Was this a story that needed to be told, or did Detzer just decide to connect the dots between his two books and knock out a third to turn it into a neat trilogy?
Overall, not a whole lot happened in the first few months post-Sumter, which is why most general Civil War narratives don’t devote a ton of time to this period. There were, though, a few key events that constitute the bulk of Detzer’s narrative - Lincoln’s call for troops to suppress the rebellion, those troops’ efforts to get to Washington, and Virginia’s secession.
The most dramatic event of the book, and arguably its centerpiece, is a vivid and thorough description of the Baltimore riot of 1861, as Northern troops tried to make their way through the city and the effort devolved into chaos. This is one event that isn’t done justice in most general Civil War narratives that hurry from Fort Sumter to Bull Run, so Detzer’s focus on the event provides a valuable and intensive you-are-there perspective.
The next dramatic event involves the Confederate capture of the Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth, which was a more meaningful and devastating loss to the Union than the more symbolic loss of Sumter.
Together, the events in Maryland and Virginia put Washington in a pincer, so the bulk of the book recounts concerns that Washington itself would be lost. This discussion gets repetitive, though, as Detzer seems to ask and answer a dozen different ways whether a realistic Confederate plot to seize the capital really existed or could have been successful (concluding, each time he brings it up, no and no).
With few other dramatic events to describe, the narrative is largely character-driven, but not necessarily by important characters. While some prove to be important in the long run, others get long introductions and mini-biographies, but end up playing a small role and then fading away. This makes the narrative start to feel padded, as though there’s not enough story to tell so Detzer is forced to tell mini-stories within the larger story.
And while the writing in this book is not as ostentatiously grating as I often found it to be in Allegiance, it’s still often jarringly casual and conversational. It kind of undercuts the seriousness of the subject matter to be told that the hordes in Baltimore were "not the right sort of folks to invite to a family barbeque."
The narrative eventually winds its way toward Union troops crossing into Virginia for the first time to secure Arlington Heights, which constitutes the beginning of the “invasion of the Confederacy” that is described more fully in Donnybrook. And then the book concludes with an attempt to reach for a profound, grand conclusion on the meaning of the war that doesn't quite land.
In the end, the detailed description of the Baltimore riot is the best, and perhaps the only really necessary, part of the book. It serves as the most dramatic illustration of the growing tensions in the days after Fort Sumter, and a refutation of the notion that the attack on Sumter was immediately followed by troops facing off on the battlefield. Detzer does the best with what he has to work with here, but sandwiched as it is between two more dramatic events covered in his two other books, it’s just unclear in the end whether this period of time warranted an entire book of its own.
December 28, 2012
I read this book after reading Detzer's 'Allegiance' (Fort Sumter) & 'Donnybrook' (Bull Run) and was disappointed at the writing in 'Dissonance.' The extremely casual writing style was grating... it almost seemed as if he were writing for children. If you're interested in a well-executed, well-written book on pretty much this same subject, I recommend The Siege of Washington: The Untold Story of the Twelve Days that Shook the Union.
July 31, 2017
This book reads as a chronologically arranged series of interesting historical vignettes set between the attack on Fort Sumter and the Battle of Bull Run. Detzer fails to create a compelling theme to tie together the idea of the "dissonance" of the early days of the war.
June 17, 2020
After shots were fired, and all sides realized that a Civil War was truly on, the scramble for positioning began. Washington was laughably undefended; Detzer's book chronicles Lincoln's urgency in defending the capitol (Virginia being a day's march away!) as well as the Confederacy's war mobilization, leading up to the true initiation of major hostilities at Manassas. There are a few other skirmishes and deaths here and there, some of them quite memorable. A good, incisive look at the shock and sometimes panic, even foolhardy confidence of the two sides who felt that Bull Run would decide the war. How wrong they were.
March 31, 2018
Starts off really strong - especially his description of the Pratt Street Riots - but the narrative dries out quickly. The last few pages try to make something of the book that it didn't set out to do. The subject matter is often glanced over in studies of the conflict, but I really had to push myself to get through the second half.
June 28, 2012
I made it halfway through before stopping. This isn't new territory and is so damn boring. Pick a better book about this early book....there are thousands.
November 28, 2019
April of 1865 has been referred to as the month that saved America but April of 1861 may have been just as vital if not more so. It was during this time that Washington DC sat completely surrounded by two states that were teetering on the verge of secession. Once Virginia did leave the Union only Maryland provided the federal government with a connection to the rest of the nation and it was a tenuous connection at best.
Abraham Lincoln was clearly out of his league in this early stage of the game and he leaned heavily on General Winfield Scott. For his part, Scott was keenly aware of the danger facing Washington and began to immediately call for any militia units that could get to DC quickly from loyal northern states. The problem was that these militia units would have to travel through Maryland, a slave state that might well consider these Yankee troops to be invaders and could easily be pushed into the Confederacy by such an affront to state sovereignty. It was also distinctly possible that these militia units might be attacked by not only the people of Maryland but also ultimately by the state militia.
In the meantime Virginia forces had seized the federal armory at Harper's Ferry and the Gosport navy yard near Hampton Virginia. Rumors are rampant in DC that the Virginia militia that had taken Harper's Ferry was preparing to move on Washington and many in the Federal City were in a state of panic.
The questions that arise from this drama involve the decision making process on both sides and the ultimate question is of course whether Washington DC was ever in any real danger. Did the Confederacy in fact lose it's only real chance for ultimate victory during this time period? David Detzer has done an admirable job in this book of not only bringing this evolving drama to life but also of answering these questions in a clear and concise manner.
This book reads much like a great historical drama and the author's writing style is superbly readable. It is rare for the author of a history book to achieve such a sense of drama since the reader usually already knows the outcome. Detzer has accomplished this however and although I was keenly aware of what was about to happen at every turn I had a tough time putting the book down. This invigorating writing style is often derisively referred to as popular history but Detzer blows the sides off of that old mold by not only offering new information but also keen observations that cut directly to the heart of this eventful period of American history. No hero of American history is spared criticism when criticism is due and conversely even Ben Butler is praised when his actions merit it.
This is the story of those fateful days of April and May of 1861 and it is a story that is well told by this supremely able author. This book is well researched, very well written and the story is told from the point of view of both governments as well as the lowliest private in the Pennsylvania militia. It is a story upon which the fate of the United States once turned.
Abraham Lincoln was clearly out of his league in this early stage of the game and he leaned heavily on General Winfield Scott. For his part, Scott was keenly aware of the danger facing Washington and began to immediately call for any militia units that could get to DC quickly from loyal northern states. The problem was that these militia units would have to travel through Maryland, a slave state that might well consider these Yankee troops to be invaders and could easily be pushed into the Confederacy by such an affront to state sovereignty. It was also distinctly possible that these militia units might be attacked by not only the people of Maryland but also ultimately by the state militia.
In the meantime Virginia forces had seized the federal armory at Harper's Ferry and the Gosport navy yard near Hampton Virginia. Rumors are rampant in DC that the Virginia militia that had taken Harper's Ferry was preparing to move on Washington and many in the Federal City were in a state of panic.
The questions that arise from this drama involve the decision making process on both sides and the ultimate question is of course whether Washington DC was ever in any real danger. Did the Confederacy in fact lose it's only real chance for ultimate victory during this time period? David Detzer has done an admirable job in this book of not only bringing this evolving drama to life but also of answering these questions in a clear and concise manner.
This book reads much like a great historical drama and the author's writing style is superbly readable. It is rare for the author of a history book to achieve such a sense of drama since the reader usually already knows the outcome. Detzer has accomplished this however and although I was keenly aware of what was about to happen at every turn I had a tough time putting the book down. This invigorating writing style is often derisively referred to as popular history but Detzer blows the sides off of that old mold by not only offering new information but also keen observations that cut directly to the heart of this eventful period of American history. No hero of American history is spared criticism when criticism is due and conversely even Ben Butler is praised when his actions merit it.
This is the story of those fateful days of April and May of 1861 and it is a story that is well told by this supremely able author. This book is well researched, very well written and the story is told from the point of view of both governments as well as the lowliest private in the Pennsylvania militia. It is a story upon which the fate of the United States once turned.
January 10, 2018
Some interesting points, and well-written in terms of easy-to-read. Somewhat loose interpretation of a few events that I am familiar with from other sources. Some very good sections and some ordinary, and some interpretations that I’m a little uneasy about.
January 26, 2018
magnificent. to be able to squeeze that much meaning - and make it a fun read! - out of so brief a period in history was truly amazing.
June 18, 2020
Date read is a guess. This is an excellent look at how both sides scrambled between the first shots and the first major battle and explains a lot about why the war took the turns it did.
February 4, 2012
David Detzer's discussion of the events that followed Fort Sumter in the early days of the Civil War is an instant classic for Civil War readers. There are few books that really take the time to look at the time between the fall of Fort Sumter and the first major engagement of Bull Run and how the country quickly spiraled out of control. This book focuses on several geographic areas from Washington DC and the fear of a confederate invasion to the rioting in Baltimore that prevented troops from quickly reaching the capital. The siege of the naval yards at Norfolk is also told very well in this book and the story of how a few radicals in Virginia were able to tip public opinion through their actions towards war. While the outcome would probably not have been any different their quick actions set the stage for Bull Run. With confederate armies (I use the term loosely at this point) in control of Harpers Ferry, the Naval yards and Arlington the strike at Bull Run seems almost inevitable as political pressures were on General Scott to do something. It is in this book that all of these events are analyzed clearly and in excellent prose giving a clear picture of the early days in the Civil War. Highly recommended for those interested in Civil War history.
June 3, 2011
This was a surprisingly good book. I've read several books on the Civil War, and I had a decent grasp of the timeline leading up to the Battle of Bull Run.
However, this book focused on a very short time period often glossed over by most histories. While most of us know of the attack on Harper's Ferry, Detzer tells us who was behind it. I knew of the riots in Baltimore and that the Capitol was cut off from the rest of Union, but Detzer's book describes the confrontation between the 6th Massachusetts and the angry mob. He details how the troops made it to Washington eventually by repairing torn up track.
I found it difficult to put this book down and I learned of several people I have a new-found admiration for.
However, this book focused on a very short time period often glossed over by most histories. While most of us know of the attack on Harper's Ferry, Detzer tells us who was behind it. I knew of the riots in Baltimore and that the Capitol was cut off from the rest of Union, but Detzer's book describes the confrontation between the 6th Massachusetts and the angry mob. He details how the troops made it to Washington eventually by repairing torn up track.
I found it difficult to put this book down and I learned of several people I have a new-found admiration for.
July 27, 2007
I found this book to be by far the weakest of Detzer's Civil War books so far. It's still a very good book but lacked the drama of Allegiance and Donnybrook. This one may not be for you unless you're really into the details of the Civil War.
January 28, 2013
Really like this book, because though you can tell Detzer researched at a very high level of detail, his writing is still very non-academic, and even at times a little too relaxed and commentary-like. However, his comments are very targeted and usually very well used.
July 31, 2008
The start of the Civil War (American): Baltimore's in a fury, Virginia decides to secede, and Washington DC is under threat--crazy stuff before it all went out the window. Engaging popular history.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews