In 1861, when the Civil War began, few generals on either side had experience commanding troop formations larger than a single regiment. In the rugged mountains and dense forests of western Virginia, Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan received their first opportunities to command an army in combat -- each against the other. Lee vs. McClellan: The First Campaign is a vivid, gripping account of this crucial -- but often overlooked -- campaign of the Civil War. Military historian Clayton R. Newell tells the story with a masterly grasp of strategy, a soldier's feel for the grueling realities of war, and a keen understanding of the military and political stakes. Although soon overshadowed by the much bigger, bloodier battles that followed, Lee and McClellan's first campaign was a historic contest of two generals who would later achieve reputations for greatness. Newell shows how the generals' preparations and command on the battlefield determined the campaign's outcome -- and their own immediate futures -- for better or worse. Finally, Newell shows how the campaign profoundly affected not only the rest of the war, but its aftermath -- not least by resulting directly in the creation of the state of West Virginia. - Jacket flap.
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