The Maps of First Bull Run: An Atlas of the First Bull Run (Manassas) Campaign including the Battle of Ball’s Bluff,
Cartographer and historian Bradley M. Gottfried has followed his well-researched and well-received The Maps of Gettysburg: An Atlas of the Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 - July 13, 1863 with another tour de force, this time depicting the beginning campaign of the war in the East. The new volume is a fine addition to the series. As evident from the title, this book is about maps and about the maneuvers or actions depicted on those maps. There are a total of 51 maps showing troop dispositions, with a facing page of text discussing the action depicted on each map. The maps in the first part of the book show the armies forming in front of Washington, movements to Manassas, the skirmish at Blackford’s Ford, preliminaries in front of Bull Run and finally the battle itself. The 24 maps of the Battle of Bull Run are broken down into the Matthew’s Hill Fight, the Henry Hill Fight, Chinn Ridge, Blackburn’s Ford and the Federal Retreat — ending with a summation of the fighting and the results. The battle maps show a range of time frames from as little as 15 minutes of battle to two days of maneuvering. The second part is three maps showing the positions in front of Washington and vicinity, including the skirmish at Lewinsville, from July through September. The last part is 12 maps showing the Battle at Ball’s Bluff on 21 October with an aftermath of Edwards Ferry on 22 October. These maps depict periods of time from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. All maps are in color, well drawn, and easy to follow. They depict troops, roads, ridges, streams and flora. The larger units shown on the maps are identified by their commanders; the smallest units shown are regiments and batteries identified by their unit designations. The text explaining the maps is well written and well researched. Besides an overview of the action, it includes commentary from participants. There are also two appendices showing the orders of battle and losses by regiment for First Bull Run and Ball’s Bluff. This very interesting book is highly recommended. It can stand alone as a history of the campaign and battles, it is an essential companion to any history of these battles, and it is a must for any Civil War buff visiting these battlefields. Reviewer: Joseph A. Derie Joseph A. Derie is a VMI graduate and a long time Civil War buff and military book reviewer. A retired Coast Guard officer and licensed officer of the Merchant Marine, he is a Certified Marine Investigator and marine surveyor.
|
Maps, notes, appendices, bibliography, index, 134 pp, 2010. Savas-Beattie,