Spring 1865: The Closing Campaigns of the Civil War

Great Campaigns of the Civil War

by Perry D. Jamieson

When Gen. Robert E. Lee fled from Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, in April 1865, many observers did not realize that the Civil War had reached its nadir. A large number of Confederates, from Jefferson Davis down to the rank-and-file, were determined to continue fighting. Though Union successes had nearly extinguished the Confederacy’s hope for an outright victory, the South still believed it could force the Union to grant a negotiated peace that would salvage some of its war aims. As evidence of the Confederacy’s determination, two major Union campaigns, along with a number of smaller engagements, were required to quell the continued organized Confederate military resistance. In Spring 1865 Perry D. Jamieson juxtaposes for the first time the major campaign against Lee that ended at Appomattox and Gen. William T. Sherman’s march north through the Carolinas, which culminated in Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s surrender at Bennett Place. Jamieson also addresses the efforts required to put down armed resistance in the Deep South and the Trans-Mississippi. As both sides fought for political goals following Lee’s surrender, these campaigns had significant consequences for the political-military context that shaped the end of the war as well as Reconstruction.

Genres: Civil War, Nonfiction, History, American History, American Civil War

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book somewhere, some time ago, back when I was looking for something efficient that would cover a long period of time in the Civil War, instead of reading about each major battle individually. As it turns out, reading about each major battle individually is exactly what I ended up doing over the past couple of years.

What I didn’t realize is that this is actually an entry in a series of books by a series of authors about the “Great Campaigns of the Civil War,” which aim to offer “concise syntheses of the major campaigns of the war.” The title “Spring 1865” makes this appear to be a standalone book, but the subtitle “The Closing Campaigns of the Civil War” makes it a little more clear that this is a concluding volume in a series.

So I wouldn’t have sought this out today, and I wouldn’t have read it had it not already been sitting on my shelf. But then it’s only fair that I rate the book for what it is and what it aimed to accomplish, and not for what I personally got out of it.

The book begins by setting the scene in early 1865. The far-flung, multi-front war of previous years has essentially come down to Grant vs. Lee in Virginia and Sherman vs. Johnston in the Carolinas at this point. The Confederacy is not yet defeated, but it’s on a quickening downward spiral, as the Southern army is plagued with desertions, with supplies drying up, families pleading with absent husbands and fathers to return home, and more Southerners beginning to see the cause as hopeless.

From here, Jamieson tells the story of the war’s waning days, on a high level but in an easy-to-follow, efficient and well-written way. Individual chapters focus on individual battles or areas of operation, as Grant and Sherman wear down their respective opponents. He doesn’t end as many who write books on this time period do, with Lee’s surrender at Appomattox or with Lincoln’s assassination, but follows the war to the very end, from Johnston’s surrender, to Jefferson Davis’s capture, to the final few “scattered embers” of resistance that continued long after the war was largely considered over.

As the series promises, this is a synthesis and not a unique work of scholarship. But there’s no attempt to hide or excuse this - the book is written almost as a survey of previously published works, as Jamieson cites other books and quotes liberally from their authors, instead of paraphrasing their insights and burying his citations in the endnotes. He also ends the book with a lengthy bibliographic essay, directing readers to his sources so they can read up on any aspect of the war that his book summarized.

And it is a summary - the book succinctly explains what happened and where, but only two pages at the very end even attempt to offer any conclusions about what it all meant. So you get the nuts and bolts here, but you would have to look elsewhere for more in-depth studies.

So it’s on me for not knowing quite what this book was, when I first got it and when I sat down to read it. But it largely succeeds in what it sets out to do, in offering an efficient, well-told summary of this period of the war. Novices who come to this book or this series cold may find it too detailed, while those more knowledgeable about the Civil War probably won’t learn anything new. But if you’re somewhere in between, you may find this short book to be just right.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging look at the last six months of field operations of the largest armies of the Civil War. The only fault I found was that there wasn't much background as far as personalities go. The book was a good overview of the final campaigns of the war. The narrative is brisk but very crisp and nuanced. If you are unfamiliar with the major players, you might want to pick up Lee's Lieutenants and/or Lincoln's Lieutenants, by Douglas S. Freeman and Stephen W. Sears, respectively. Those are the two background books I would recommend. Although they are quite verbose, they are central to understanding the personalities involved in Jamieson's overview. Bottom line- this is not a book for Civil War novices, but those familiar with the subject will find it a welcome addition to their library.

[Steve Barney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good account of the last spring of the Civil War. Focus of course on Grant and Sherman’s last campaigns that effectively ended the civil war. Well written.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main focus of this book is on the Appomattox Campaign (including the tail end of the Petersburg Campaign) and the Carolinas Campaign, along with the surrenders at Appomattox and the Bennett Place. It tends to be something of a "bare-bones" narrative of these operations. The other campaigns at the end of the Civil War are barely covered at all, like the Mobile Campaign, Wilson's Raid, and Palmito Ranch, while others are skipped entirely (like Stoneman's Raid).

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spring 1865, The closing Campaigns of the Civil War by Perry D. Jamieson is a detailed account of the final days of the Civil War. It contains a tremendous amount of detail about the final battles, the Generals and the political leaders. It is informative, but rather dull and a struggle to finish. There are far better books about the Civil War.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise, readable history of the Civil War’s final campaigns, along with all of the relevant political and social issues, although these aren’t covered in as much detail. The prose is academic but not too dry. While only 216 pages, the narrative never feels rushed.

It’s also mostly focused on events in Virginia and the Carolinas, and there is little on events beyond the Appalachians. It also relies mainly on secondary sources. The narrative begins with Petersburg and the start of Sherman’s campaign through the Carolinas. Jamieson also discusses why the Confederacy did not engage in a guerrilla war, and clearly describes the Union’s superiority in logistics and transportation (rather than just manpower). Each of the battles are described at length, although Mobile gets only a single paragraph. Throughout the narrative, the transition between strategic and tactical developments is smooth. The author also suggests that the South viewed Lee and his army as the embodiment of their national identity, which would help explain the Confederacy’s weak prospects following Appomattox.

A balanced, well-researched and well-written volume, although some more maps would have helped.