There are two books one must read on Grant's first offensive at Petersburg, June 15-18, 1864.
The first was by Thomas Howe, The Petersburg Campaign: Wasted Valor, June 15-18, 1864, written in 1988. It provides a solid introduction to the fight and is particularly focused on debunking the theory that Grant's soldiers were too traumatized by attacking earthworks during the Overland Campaign to assault them at Petersburg. The maps are good. There is not as much manuscript or newspaper material as one expects nowadays.
The second book on Grant's first offensive is much more recent, by Sean Chick: The Battle of Petersburg, June 15-18, 1864. In substance, this book represents an advance beyond Wasted Valor. For one thing, the maps are better. But in this day of digitalized research, much more could have been done with manuscript and newspaper material.
There is room for another book on Grant's first offensive that utilizes digitalized research better. Many, many regimental histories, personal memoirs and letter collections are available online now. Newspapers galore are available at chroniclingamerica.com (the Library of Congress newspaper archive) and newspapers.com.
Likewise, there is room for another book on the Bermuda Hundred Campaign because both Roberson's Back Door to Richmond and Schiller's Bermuda Hundred Campaign were written before the digitalization of so many sources eased the scholar's burden.
The first was by Thomas Howe, The Petersburg Campaign: Wasted Valor, June 15-18, 1864, written in 1988. It provides a solid introduction to the fight and is particularly focused on debunking the theory that Grant's soldiers were too traumatized by attacking earthworks during the Overland Campaign to assault them at Petersburg. The maps are good. There is not as much manuscript or newspaper material as one expects nowadays.
The second book on Grant's first offensive is much more recent, by Sean Chick: The Battle of Petersburg, June 15-18, 1864. In substance, this book represents an advance beyond Wasted Valor. For one thing, the maps are better. But in this day of digitalized research, much more could have been done with manuscript and newspaper material.
There is room for another book on Grant's first offensive that utilizes digitalized research better. Many, many regimental histories, personal memoirs and letter collections are available online now. Newspapers galore are available at chroniclingamerica.com (the Library of Congress newspaper archive) and newspapers.com.
Likewise, there is room for another book on the Bermuda Hundred Campaign because both Roberson's Back Door to Richmond and Schiller's Bermuda Hundred Campaign were written before the digitalization of so many sources eased the scholar's burden.
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