Description:
In Jubal Early's Raid on Washington, historian Benjamin Franklin Cooling delivers the definitive study of the most serious Confederate threat to the United States capital during the Civil War. In the summer of 1864, Confederate general Jubal A. Early launched a rapid and daring offensive through the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland, pushing Union defenses to the brink and bringing fighting to the outskirts of Washington itself. Drawing on detailed operational analysis and contemporary accounts, Cooling reconstructs the raid, the Battle of Fort Stevens, and the improvised Union response that ultimately saved the capital. More than a narrative of battles, this work examines leadership decisions, civil-military coordination, and the vulnerability of political centers in modern warfare, making it essential reading for students and scholars of the Civil War and military history.
Review Quotes:
"Cooling has produced what is sure to become the definitive scholarly account of the campaign. Drawing on a vast array of sources, including seldom-used veterans' accounts, Cooling presents a comprehensive campaign study from origins to aftermath. Not only does Cooling masterfully describe the specific movements of the opposing forces, but he also never loses sight of the wider context in which the campaign was fought. In fact, Cooling's greatest contribution may be his clear demonstration that Grant was fooled by Early's operations and took an uncommonly long time to react to a very serious threat." --American Historical Review