Chattanooga--A Death Grip on the Confederacy

by James Lee McDonough

Book Overview

In the wake of the bloodshed at Chickamauga, the struggle for Chattanooga became a decisive engagement of the Civil War. McDonough reconstructs the siege and battles as they appeared to both Rebels... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870494252
• ISBN13: 9780870494253
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: University of Tennessee Press
• Length: 298 Pages
• Weight: 1.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Book Review

This book is another clear, concise, easily read work on the American Civil War by James Lee McDonough. He paints a clear picture of what transpired at and in advance of the battle without getting bogged down in excessive detail. A good choice for either the advanced or novice historian.

Excellent Revisionist History

Perhaps McDonough's finest civil war study, Chattanooga is not only highly readable and dramatic, but an excellent revisionist history. It lays to rest major old chestnuts over 125 years old at the time of publication, most importantly the nature of and reasons for the charge on Missionary Ridge. Written essentially from the middle command perspective, the grasp of tactics, deployments, and all things military is faultless. McDonough, however, did not stop with battle reports and other prior published studies, but got out and walked the battlefield to understand precisely what happened. He thus was able to uncover facts long obscured both by the smoke of battle and the subsequent ongoing war of words. There is also much original research here from never published diaries only available in state and local historical collections, casting further light. Nor does McDonough spoil his product by sensationalist claims of old versus new conclusions; he unassumingly blends all available sources into a new synthesis. With apparent focus on the battle from human witnesses, readability and drama are increased -- but never so far as to make the book merely anecdodal. Further, the error of many classical studies merely concentrating on the highest command is abolished, without verging into the like trap of seeing it all from the level of "citizen soldier," etc. McDonough simply has no apparent axe to grind whatsoever. The footnotes and sources are full and clear, the maps ample and readable. All in all, this is state of the art civil war history at its best, setting a new standard in the genre for both the general and specialized reader.

Competent military history

This competent military history of the Chattanooga campaign is organized in a supremely logical fashion, and its literary merit is above average if no challenge to Bruce Catton or James McPherson. McDonough occasionally seems puzzled by emotions that the war generated, and his attempts to humanize the campaign are sometimes lame. For instance, he treats professed reliance upon God as a sign of weakness.

Thorough and Entertaining

Having just read James M. McPhereson's Battle Cry Freedom, I was anxious to read a Civil War battle history. This was a good choice.McDonough provides an engaging narative of the battle. He tells of the friction between Bragg and his generals and how it affected Confederate efforts on the battlefield. He gives a detailed and thorough analysis of the battle for Missionary Ridge, explaining why the Union's assault was successful when Pickett's Charge at Gettysburgh, a similar assault, was not.There are many maps - more than I expected in a book this length. However, in my opinion, there cannot be too many maps.

Chattanooga is an excellent study of the crucial battle.

James Lee McDonough comes through with flying colors. Chattanooga -- A Death Grip on the Confederacy depicts the Union and Confederate struggle for the strategic city in the fall of 1863. McDonough begins his book with the climax of the Battle of Chickamauga Creek, a Union defeat that leads to a retreat to Chattanooga and the removal of General Rosecrans. The next chapters depict the Union and Confederte operations, including the arrival of Generals Grant and Sherman for the North and the bickering within the Confederate camp. McDonough's depiction of the troop movements and battles are insightful and supported with several maps. The details of the battle are drawn from diaries and official records of both Union and Confederate sources. It is a plus that McDonough manages to keep a neutral tone throughout the book, analyzing both the reasons for Union success and Confederate failure. Strategy and tactics are not the only point McDonough is trying to make. He does and excellent job of bringing to life the feelings and emotions of some of the common soldiers involved on both sides. The narrative flows well and is entertaining. Chattanooga is an easy read for both the scholar and the layman.