The Army of the Potomac

I read a lot of Bruce Catton when I was young; I owe a lot of my understanding of the Civil War to him. Most especially, “A Stillness at Appomattox” impressed me as an elegant and unforgettable synthesis of literature and history. — Chris

• 1954 Pulitzer Prize for History
• 1954 National Book Award for Nonfiction

Synopsis from online sources:

Bruce Catton’s “Army of the Potomac” trilogy is a landmark of historical story-telling, one of the most popular and influential works ever written about the Civil War.

“Mr. Lincoln’s Army,” the first book, describes the Army of the Potomac’s formation as the bulwark of the Union war effort as friction between the army’s commanding general George McClellan and the Commander in Chief in Washington reaches a crisis in the wake of the deadly battle at Antietam.

“Glory Road” recounts the critical months between the autumn of 1862 and midsummer 1863, including the battles at Fredericksburg, Rappahannock and Chancellorsville which set the stage for the costly Union victory at Gettysburg. Catton’s retelling of the story of Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg remains unrivalled.

In “A Stillness of Appomattox,” which won both Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Army of the Potomac, now under the driving command of Ulysses S. Grant, finally gains the upper hand against Robert E. Lee, culminating in one of the most vividly drawn accounts of Lee’s final surrender.