The Confederate Capital at War

Opening with a concise overview of the role of Richmond in the war, the authors, both of whom have several books on the Civil War to their credit, then devote a series of chapters to particular aspects of the life of the city during the period.

So, for example, “Battles and Battlefields” examines the fighting in and around the city, while “The Richmond Slave Trade” takes a look at what was probably the city’s biggest “industry”. “Hospitals” looks at the remarkably numerous and largely good medical facilities established in Richmond, and “Monuments” considers the many memorials erected there postwar with some reflection on their purposes.

Each chapter offers a good deal of historical information, much of it neglected in histories of the war, such as food riots, slave auctions, or the responsibility for the burning of much of city center. In addition, each chapter is essentially a guide to visiting sites related to its theme, which are accompanied by many maps and illustrations. As the authors proceed through the city, they address the very current issue of what constitutes appropriate memorialization of the war and its place in history.

A volume in the Savas series “Emerging Civil War”, Embattled Capital is a valuable read for anyone interested in the Civil War

---///---

Note: Embattled Capital is also available in several e-editions.