war, is the war in 1864. good morning. if you could all take a seat, please. i am pete carmichael, professor of history here at gettysburg college. i am also the director of the civil war institute. it is my pleasure this morning to introduce brooks simpson, the asu foundation professor of history at arizona state university. he is a historian of 19th century america. the american presidency as well as the civil war and reconstruction. he has written extensively about ulysses s. grant. he is the author of let us have peace:. s grant and the politics of reconstruction, released in 1991. he is also the author of u.s. grant: triumph over adversity. that earned distinction as a new york times notable book of the year. just recently, he has published and edited a boeing by the library of america a volume by the library of america, voices of the civil war. sharesy brooks stephen brooks shares. he has given talks focusing on the war and the east and we know he is a supe
was more than just a state of mind, although it seems to take up space rent-free in the minds of many union civil and military leaders. the majoria was obstacle facing union military strategy for two reasons. the state contended the confederate capital, richmond, virginia, which soon became an obsessive point of attack for union planters. and because that capital was defended by none other than robert e lee and his army of northern virginia, the largest fighting force the confederacy had to offer, led by its most brilliant commander. richmond,ons, lee and transfixed union military planners. therefore poses a problem, and poses a problem .ilitarily for union planners it is, after all, the home field of lee and his army. the army of northern virginia won all the big ones in virginia. if they left virginia, they might encounter a little difficulty, but in their home ballpark, they acquitted themselves exceedingly well against numerically superior union forces. how do you change
obsessive point of attack for union planters. and because that capital was defended by none other than robert e lee and his army of northern virginia, the largest fighting force the confederacy had to offer, led by its most brilliant commander. richmond,ons, lee and transfixed union military planners. therefore poses a problem, and poses a problem .ilitarily for union planners it is, after all, the home field of lee and his army. the army of northern virginia won all the big ones in virginia. if they left virginia, they might encounter a little difficulty, but in their home ballpark, they acquitted themselves exceedingly well against numerically superior union forces. how do you change that? pattern, inreak the the tennis parlance, of holding serve? in fact, that army was the primary target of an army with serious problems of its own. the army of the potomac, which today could be a fine reality show, at least in terms of its officer corps, its dysfunctionality i do not know
to partner with the bryant park coordination so it s always great to come out and see our members and sometime wes have members from the museum as well as members in our chairman s council to come out and support us. jonathan white is a fellow at the where he also serves as the university s pre and treason in the civil war. he is currently at work on three books, including lincoln s advice for lawyers, the final voyage of the uss monitor during the civil war. please join me in welcoming jonathan w. white. thank you so much for having me. can you all hear me okay in the bleacher seats back there? okay. i love having an opportunity to come to new york city. this is actually only my third trip here. i spent two weeks here, though, about eight years ago, i had a fellowship and i spent two weeks at the new york historical society. i love going there to do research, in fact i stopped by there this afternoon with my daughter, she s 14 months old and we had to get a picture of
how important was gettysburg. right but i am honored. to present this morning s speakers. they are both exceptional people. our first speaker will be professor gary gallagher. who is the john l? no, is that the way it s pronounced nau now? a professor emeritus in the history of the american civil war and director of the center for civil war history at the university of virginia. he s the author coauthor and editor of numerous civil war era works. he has served as president of the society of civil war historians and received the tom watson brown book prize from the society in 2012 for his the union war. prior to that honor his the confederate war was a finalist for the 1998 lincoln prize copies of his books including this one causes one lost and forgotten how hollywood and popular art shape what we know about the civil war. this one is there and i got this one because i hadn t read it yet, but there are several others that are available in the symposium bookstore. please help