The Organizational History of Field Artillery, 1775-2003, traces the evolution of one of the U.S. Army's premier combat arms-field artillery, the King of Battle. Janice E. McKenney's study is a systematic account of the organization of artillery units, both field and coast (until their separation in the early twentieth century) and then field artillery alone until 2003. Tracing the development of one of the Army's most complex arms, the author highlights the rationale behind each major change in the branch's organization, weapons, and associated equipment, and lays out for all field artillery soldiers the rich heritage and history of their chosen branch. The work also complements the forthcoming revised edition of the lineage volume Field Artillery.
A history of the United States' greatest archival project and how it has shaped what we know about the Civil War Winner of the 2024 Tom Watson Brown Book Award * Shortlisted for the 2024 Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize The Civil War generated a vast archive of official records--documents that would shape the postwar era and determine what future generations would know about the war. Yael Sternhell traces these records from their creation during wartime through their deployment in a host of postwar battles, including those between the federal government and Southerners seeking reparations and between veterans blaming each other for defeat. These documents were eventually published in the most important historical collection ever to have been assembled in the United States: The War of the Rebellion: The Official Records of the Union and the Confederate Armies. Known as the OR, it is the ultimate source for generations of scholars and writers and ordinary citizens researching the war. By delving into the archive, Sternhell reveals its power to shape myths, hide truths, perpetuate rancor, and foster reconciliation. Far more than a storehouse of papers, the Civil War archive is a major historical actor in its own right.
Cecily N. Zander’s The Army under Fire is a pathbreaking study focusing on the fierce political debates over the size and use of military forces in the United States during the Civil War era. It examines how prominent political figures interacted with the professional army and how those same leaders misunderstood the value of regular soldiers fighting to reunify the fractured nation.