Shenandoah Valley 1862
A detailed account of the Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, which saw Confederate forces under “Stonewall” Jackson overwhelm a series of superior Union forces in a 48-day campaign.
Major General “Stonewall” Jackson became a legend for his actions in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, in 1862. Marching over 600 miles in 48 days, he, along with his army, won five major battles. His forces, never numbering more than 17,000 men, overcame a combined Union force of 50,000, demonstrating his ability to maneuvre his troops and deceive his enemies into believing he possessed the advantage. Charted throughout these pages is the journey leading up to, and including, “Stonewall” Jackson’s final victory, all the while performing better than anyone could have expected.
As Clayton and James Donnell show, the campaign became a showcase for the mobility and success of Jackson’s outnumbered men, who held the larger Union forces pinned down and off balance, consequently allowing Jackson to force march his men to take part in the Seven Days Battles that saved Richmond and gained him victory.
Clayton Donnell has had a life-long fascination with the Brialmont forts built at Liège and Namur. He spent his early years living in Belgium, and often visited the sites of the forts. Over the years he has amassed a large collection of material relating to this period, and has translated much of it from French to English. He has previously co-written Modern European Military Fortifications, 1870-1950: A Selected Annotated Bibliography (Praeger, 2004), and has created websites on the forts of Liège and Namur, and the Maginot Line.
James Donnell has been fascinated with the Civil War ever since he made a visit to the Gettysburg battlefield in elementary school. He has studied Civil War history and tactics for 25 years. In that time, he has amassed a considerable library of military history, in general, and Civil War history in particular. In 2000, he retired from the US Air Force, and is currently living in southeast Virginia, where he spends his spare time touring the innumerable Civil War sites in the area.
Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on the Aztecs, the Greeks, several 19th-century American subjects, and a number of books in the Fortress series. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world.