Cry Havoc!: The Crooked Road to Civil War, 1861A "compact, engrossing narrative"* that vividly reimagines the events that led to the outbreak of the Civil War What separates historian Nelson D. Lankford's engaging examination of the causes of the Civil War from other books on the subject is its willingness to consider the alternative possibilities to history. Cry Havoc! recounts in riveting detail the small quirks of timing, character, and place that influenced the huge trajectory of events during eight critical weeks from Lincoln's inauguration through the explosion at Fort Sumter and the embattled president's response to it. It addresses the what-ifs, the might-have-beens, and the individual personalities that played into circumstances-a chain of indecisions and miscalculations, influenced by swollen vanity and wishful thinking-that gave shape to the dreadful conflict to come. |
Contents
Harpers Ferry October 1859 | 1 |
WAIT AND SEE | 24 |
CONTRIVANCES OF DELAY | 45 |
COLLISION COURSE | 59 |
FLASH POINT | 75 |
TIDINGS OF WAR | 88 |
CHEATED AND DECEIVED | 103 |
JOHN BROWN IN GRAY | 126 |
ALONE | 155 |
BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS | 171 |
SUNDAY REST | 181 |
WILD EXCITEMENT | 193 |
COUNTLESS RUMORS | 206 |
DISMEMBERING THE NATION | 219 |
Spring 1865 | 235 |
BURNING BRIDGES | 137 |
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Common terms and phrases
action American Anderson April arms army attack Baltimore began believed border Brown Butler called Cameron capital cause Charleston Civil command companies Confederacy Confederate Congress Constitution convention course crisis crowd Daily Davis decision defend delegates Diary face feared federal fighting fire flag followed force Fort Sumter gathered governor hands Harpers Ferry Hicks hope House inauguration John later leave Letcher Library Lincoln looked majority March Maryland meeting militia Navy newspaper North northern officers passed peace political Pratt president Press proclamation quotation Quoted reached received regiments remained Republican Richmond River Scott secession secessionist second quotation secretary sent Seward ships sides slave slavery soldiers southern Street Sumter telegraph thought thousand threat tion took town troops Union unionists United University upper South Virginia volunteers Washington week Wise wrote yard York
References to this book
Lincoln and the Decision for War: The Northern Response to Secession Russell McClintock Limited preview - 2008 |