This book was written by Eric Mills, published in 1996, the narrative is 284 pages and is illustrated with black and white photos and drawings. At the start of the Civil War, the Chesapeake Bay was a crucially important piece of watery real estate, with North and South struggling for it's control. Up the Potomac, the Chesapeake's second largest tributary, lay the capital of the United States. Up the James River, the Chesapeake's third largest tributary, lay the Confederate capital. Whoever controlled the bay would determine the course of the war. On the Rappahannock and other rivers of the region, fierce and tragic battles were fought. Down by the Bay, the greatest American army ever assembled waged war. In Chesapeake waters, naval warfare was transformed forever, and on the rivers and open bay, the Civil War was finally won. This thoroughly readable narrative covers events in Chesapeake country, from the months preceding the conflict to shortly after the death of Lincoln. Throughout the war the bay was a marshy danger zone crawling with privateers, smugglers and spies. It was a place where classic army-navy operations were carried out, where runaway slaves became contraband, where brother literally fought brother, and where freedom was denied, for the sake of preserving freedom. The book is in mint condition and does not come with a dust cover.

Item # AA1916