Wilderness and Spotsylvania 1864: Grant versus Lee in the East

Description

In May 1864 the Union Army of the Potomac under General George Meade had been in a leisurely pursuit of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia for nearly a year after the defeat of the Rebels at Gettysburg. Confederate commander General Robert E. Lee still retained his awe-inspiring reputation for wrecking Union armies that got too close to Richmond and Meade was still cautious. His tactics at Gettysburg were defensive and he was unsure that he was able to take the offensive against Lee. However, things changed when President Abraham Lincoln appointed General Ulysses S. Grant to command all Union armies. Grant came east and laid out a comprehensive strategy for the rest of the war. In the deep South, General William T. Sherman would march out of Tennessee to cut the Confederacy in half by taking Atlanta. Grant would lead the Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan River and march on Richmond. He had the manpower and equipment to accomplish his objective, easily outnumbering Lee. Lee, on the other hand, was far from beaten. The stage was set for one of the defining campaigns of the Civil War in the East.

Andy Nunez is the author of four books about life and lore on Maryland's Eastern Shore and co-authored two local history books for History Press and Arcadia. He has been the editor of Against the Odds wargaming magazine since issue 5. Against the Odds won a Charles S. Roberts award four years in a row for best magazine and several games have won awards for best design. Andy lives in Salisbury, Maryland, has a Bachelor's Degree in Art, is married, and has one child and three stepchildren. He has had a keen interest in the American Civil War since he was a child. Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.