A narrative analysis of the complex evolution of the Continental Army; with the lineages of the 177 individual units that comprised the Army; and fourteen charts depicting regimental organization. On 19 April 1775 local Massachusetts militiamen and regular British troops began the War of American Independence at Lexington and Concord. The New England colonists reacted to this news by raising four separate armies. Each jurisdiction formed its force according to its particular experience in earlier wars and its individual interpretation of European military developments over the previous century. The speed of the American response stemmed from a decade of tension and from the tentative preparations for possible armed conflict that the colonists had made during the preceding months. The concentration of four separate armed forces at Boston under loose Massachusetts hegemony as a de facto regional army paved the way for establishing a national Continental Army. The Continental Army was the product of European military science; but like all institutions developed by the American colonists; its European origins had been modified by the particular conditions of American experience. A proper appreciation of that Army in the context of its own times thus requires an understanding not only of the general developments in the military art of western civilization during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; but also of the particular martial traditions and experiences of the English colonists in North America. In the seventeenth century Europeans developed a new range of weapons and gradually introduced them into their armies. At the same time a wave of dynastic wars in western Europe led to the creation of increasingly larger forces serving nation-states. Commanders and leading military theoreticians spent most of the eighteer:th century developing organizational structures and tactical doctrines to exploit the potential of the new weapons and armies. The full impact of these changes came at the end of that century. Volume contains 18th century correspondence as it appeared at the time.
#1160451 in Books Savas Beatie 2009-06-10 2009-06-25Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.69 x .59 x 7.98l; 1.36 #File Name: 193271460X144 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Jim Olsenwritten by a college I attended; president5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. HELPS THE READER CUT THROUGH THE FOG OF WARBy CTS 2631I used this book to help follow the action while reading four books on the campaign and battle of First Manassas/Bull Run and two books on the raid/battle of Ball's Bluff and it made a big difference in my ability to keep up with the text since none of the books on these military actions have enough maps!(Morgan's book on Ball's Bluff had the best battle maps but "The Maps Of First Bull Run" did a great job showing the situation in Northern Virginia in late 1861 and the Union Army of the Potomac's movements prior to the battle. Plus; the battlefield situation at Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry is enlarged and colorized; making the action easier to follow)First; here are the books I read on the subjects covered by the maps in this volume:1. The First Battle of Manassas by John Hennessy2. A Single Grand Victory by Ethan S. Rafuse3. Battle at Bull Run by William C. Davis4. Donnybrook by David Detzer5. A Little Short of Boats by James A. Morgan III6. Ball's Bluff by Byron FarwellAll of these books were a good source to learn about the campaign and battle of First Manassas/Bull Run and Ball's Bluff but by using "The Maps of First Bull Run" I feel my ability to follow the armies movements leading upto the clash of arms and the complicated maneuvers and fighting on these battlefields was greatly enhanced.The book uses a format where the map is on the right hand page and the text describing the actions on that map are located on the left hand page so there is no flipping back and forth through the book looking for the appropriate map to follow the course of events.The maps show all the terrain types (including elevations unlike many military history books) needed to help the reader picture what the armies saw and understand how their decisions were influenced by the lay of the land. Units are shown as brigades; regiments; battalions; companies; batteries; and sections. There are 51 maps total. The first ten maps detail the situation in the Northern Virginia/Shenandoah Valley theater of operations; the movements of both sides to the banks of Bull Run and the movements in the Valley including Confederate General Joe Johnston's evasion of Union General Patterson's forces to reinforce Beauregard at Manassas; the Battle of Blackburn's Ford 18 July; 1861; and McDowell's planning of the battle 19 and 20 July; 1861. The next 27 maps show the Battle of First Manassas/Bull Run from the Union flanking march to the Federal forces rout and retreat to Washington. The last 14 maps cover the time period after the battle and upto the action at Ball's Bluff October 21; 1861 and its aftermath. Appendix 1 gives an Order of Battle for both sides with losses at First Manassas/Bull Run; Appendix 2 gives the same for Ball's Bluff; followed by a nice section of Notes for each map; a decent Bibliography; and Index.The maps and text are great. If you want to better understand these early battles in Virginia; "The Maps of First Bull Run" is a great help for a Civil War buff; or just a casual reader of history. Highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great addition to your Civil War CollectionBy MEnnis0852If you want the detail as to where and when each unit of both armies were during the battle; this book is for you. I keep waiting for more of this series.
