Not War But Murder Cold Harbor 1864

Ernest Furgurson, author ofAshes of GloryandChancellorsville 1863, brings his talents to a pivotal and often neglected Civil War battlethe fierce, unremitting slaughter at Cold Harbor, Virginia, which ended the lives of 10,000 Union soldiers. In June of 1864, the Army of the Potomac attacked heavily entrenched Confederate forces outside of Richmond, hoping to break the strength of Robert E. Lee and take the capital. Facing almost certain death, Union soldiers pinned their names to their uniforms in the forlorn hope that their bodies would be identified and buried. Furgurson sheds new light on the personal conflicts that led to Grant's worst defeat and argues that it was a watershed moment in the war. Offering a panorama rich in detail and revealing anecdotes that brings the dark days of the campaign to life,Not War But Murderis historical narrative as compelling as any novel. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Ernest B. Furgurson lives in Washington, D.C.