The 1865 Stoneman's Raid Begins: Leave Nothing for the Rebellion to Stand Upon

Joshua Beau Blackwell

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781596298491
• eBook ISBN: 9781614232407
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

Striking out from Knoxville, Tennessee in late March of 1865, Major General George Stoneman unleashed his cavalry division upon Southern Appalachia intent on "leaving nothing for the Rebellion to stand upon." The raiders wreaked havoc on government stores, civilian property and indispensable infrastructure, dashing all hope for the dying Confederacy's stand on the rugged peaks of the Blue Ridge. They eventually trampled through five southern states, reduced to ashes one of the last major prisons in the south and helped pursue the renegade president. But much more than wanton destruction, their story is one of hardship, redemption and retribution. Taking into account the local folklore of the Raid, this volume traces the column's course as it departed Tennessee, penetrated Southwestern Virginia and stormed the North Carolina Piedmont.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1. “Than to Be Amongst Those Who Owe Their Escape to Considerations of Self-Preservation”
• 2. “The Union Men of East Tennessee Are Longing and Praying for the Hour When They Can Break Their Fetters”
• 3. “In Fact, I Thought Everybody around Stoneman Would Be Killed”
• 4. “I Believe I'm Talking to the Yankees Now”
• 5. “If We Are Working Hard, We Are Living Well”
• 6. “The People Are Looking for Stoneman to Come Here”
• 7. “You Can See Murder on the Face of It”
• Epilogue. “The Sympathy We Used to Feel for the Loyal Tennesseans Is Being Rapidly Transferred to Their Enemy”
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author