And it ended with the Emancipation Proclamation that would deprive the Confederacy of potential allies, since no democratic nation wanted to be seen fighting for slavery. It saw the ascendancy of George McClellan, who talked big but dodged the action to an extraordinary degree (supposedly not through timidity, but through extreme reluctance to sacrifice the men to whom he was so devoted) before resigning in order to run against Lincoln for president. This would not be the neat, short, limited war both sides had envisioned. First, he describes how the war slowly but steadily got out of control. The period in question (July 1861 – October 1862) saw the opening-up of the war in the west, with sickening corruption out in the wild places with nobody watching, and slow chaos dogging the Union agenda for many months. In Terrible Swift Sword, Bruce Catton tells the story of the Civil War as never beforeof two turning points which changed the scope and meaning of the war. As always with Catton, the battles are vividly described, especially the naval operations, which seem to bring out a special enthusiasm in the author (he had once served briefly in the navy, so perhaps there was still a sailor in him somewhere.) And he provides an interesting Greek chorus in the form of Charles Francis Adams, the US ambassador in London, who played a useful role in keeping Britain out of the war.
This change in the whole nature of the conflict is well-handled - both governments slowly grasping that they did not control the war, because the war was increasingly controlling them. And gradually too the civil war changed its nature from an uninspiring police action to a series of bloody clashes in the cause of ending human slavery.Middle volume of Catton’s war trilogy - starting with Lincoln in shock after losing the first set-piece battle, and ending with the narrow win that gave him the authority to ‘proclaim’ (though not procure) the freedom of all southern slaves, turning the war into an abolitionist crusade. Gradually the action emerged and with it the stature of Lee, Grant, Jefferson Davis and Sherman. The South recognised that it would have to strike hard to win, but it had terrible handicaps (including flintlock rifles which would not fire in the rain).
The North had positive advantages (but not one in General McClellan who is impaled forever in this book by extracts from his arrogant letters). Īt the start of this period there was little action as each side reviewed its position and counted its heads and guns. At the start of this period there was little action as each side reviewed its position and counted its heads and guns.
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