Terrible Swift Sword

SUMMARY:
The second episode in this award-winning trilogy impressively shows how the Union and Confederacy, slowly and inexorably, reconciled themselves to an all-out war--an epic struggle for freedom.

"A solid
masterpiece.
. .in this volume,
Catton again distinguishes himself as perhaps today's top Civil

War historian He displays a marked ability to

be absolutely fair and impartial to both
sides."

—Charlotte
Observer

"American
history at its most brilliant
...
in
this
second volume of The Centennial History of the Civil War,
Catton has repeated with ease
the
triumph
he
achieved in The Coming Fury.
Once
again,
with
out faltering, he has displayed the mastery of
detail
and characterization that
will
make this series
a
vital reference work for
more than a generation.
...
In short, this is history as it should be written."

—Oakland
Tribune

"In
TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD
author
Catton lets the emotions swell     He effectively makes the

vast
panorama come alive by dipping into telling details while he broadly strokes
the massive background. He organizes the flow of his words, so the reader
finds understanding where other Civil War books have left him confused."

—Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette

"Once more Bruce Catton
demonstrates almost uncanny ability to translate this annealing national experience
into a folk saga
...
ought to be
required reading for every American."   
-Los
Angeles Times

"Good and very
possibly great history."

-The
New York Times

Books
by Bruce Catton

The
Coming Fury Never Call Retreat A Stillness at Appomattox Terrible Swift Sword
This Hallowed Ground

Published
by WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS

Most Washington
Square Press Books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk
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For details write the office of the Vice President of
Special Markets, Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York
10020.

BRUCE CATTON

Terrible Swift Sword

The
Centennial History

of the Civil War

VOLUME TWO

WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS PUBLISHED BY POCKET BOOKS NEW YORK

A Washington Square Press Publication
of

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020

Copyright © 1963 by Bruce Catton

Cover photograph copyright © 1985 Ron Tunison

Published by arrangement with Doubleday & Company, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this
book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 245 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017

ISBN: 0-671-61933-0

First Pocket Books printing July, 1967

15   14   13   12

WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS,
WSP and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Printed in the U.S.A.

To
Thurber Catton

Foreword

The
CENTENNIAL
HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR by Bruce Carton is a project begun in 1955 by
Doubleday & Company, Inc., in conjunction with
The
New York Times.
As originally
planned, this is a three-volume work constituting a modern history, based on
the fullest as well as the most recent research. The three volumes, which are
entitled THE COMING FURY, TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD, and NEVER CALL RETREAT, may be
read and understood separately.

In the foreword of Volume One of the
original publication of the work, Mr. Catton wrote of Mr. E. B. Long: "As
Director of Research for this project he has made a more substantial
contribution than it is possible to acknowledge properly." Mr. Catton also
noted the "able assistance given by that indefatigable and charming
person, Mrs. Barbara Long."

Contents

Foreword                                                             vii

List of
Maps                                                          xi

Chapter
One:
THE LEADERS AND THE LED

1.
 
Tornado
Weather                                              1

2.
 
A
Mean-Fought Fight                                     10

3.
 
The
Hidden Intentions                                   21

4.
 
End
of Neutrality                                             31

5.
 
Mark
of Desolation                                        42

6.
 
The
Road to East Tennessee                          53

Chapter
Two:
A VAST FUTURE ALSO

1.
 
Magazine
of Discord                                      65

2.
 
Struggle
for Power                                          74

3.
 
The
Hammering of the Guns                        87

4.
 
"We
Are Not Able to Meet It"                      98

5.
 
Revolutionary
Struggle                                 110

6.
 
The Want of Success                                      119

Chapter
Three:
THE MILITARY PARADOX

1.
 
Decision
in Kentucky  130

2.
 
Unconditional
Surrender  139

3.
 
The
Disease Which Brought Disaster  151

4.
 
Time
for Compulsion  162

5.
 
Contending
with Shadows  173

6.
 
Forward
to Richmond   183

Chapter
Four:
STRIDE OF A GIANT

1.
 
The
Ironclads                                                 193

2.
 
The
Vulture and the Wolf                           204

3.
 
Pittsburg
Landing                                         214

4.
 
Threat
to New Orleans                                226

5.
 
Fire
on the Waters                                        237

6.
 
Brilliant
Victory                                           250

Chapter
Five:
TURNING POINT

1.
 
The
Signs of the Times                                264

2.
 
Do
It Quickly                                                276

3.
 
The
Last Struggle                                         287

4.
 
Railroad
to the Pamunkey                          298

5.
 
Seven
Days                                                    308

6.
 
Letter
from Harrison's Landing                   321

Chapter
Six:
UNLIMITED WAR

1.
 
Trading
with the Enemy                               332

2.
 
The
Ultimate Meaning                                 343

3.
 
A
Long and Strong Flood                              353

4.
 
Triumph
in Disaster                                     363

5.
 
The
Pressures of War                                   374

6.
 
Scabbard
Thrown Away                                383

Chapter
Seven:

THENCEFORWARD
AND FOREVER

1.
   
Recipe
for Confusion                                    395

2.
   
The
Terrible Weariness                               406

3.
 
To
Risk Everything                                        415

4.
   
A
Town Called Sharpsburg                          425

5.
   
Taking
the Initiative                                     435

6.
   
Nobly
Save or Meanly Lose                        444

Notes                                                                  459

Bibliography                                                       517

Acknowledgments                                             537

Index                                                                   539