Now available in paperback, The Last Battle of Winchester is the first
serious study to chronicle the largest, longest, and bloodiest battle
fought in the Shenandoah Valley. The fighting began about daylight and
did not end until dusk, when the victorious Union army routed the
Confederates off the field. It was the first time Stonewall Jackson's
former corps had ever been driven from a battlefield, and the stinging
defeat set the stage for the final climax of the 1864 Valley Campaign at
Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. The Northern victory was a long time
coming.
Author Scott Patchan, the foremost authority on the 1864 Valley
Campaign, dissects the five weeks of complex maneuvering and sporadic
combat leading up to Third Winchester, followed by a brilliant tactical
and leadership analysis of the day-long affair. Patchan's vivid prose is
based on more than two decades of meticulous firsthand research and an
unparalleled understanding of the battlefield. Nearly two dozen original
maps, scores of photos, hundreds of explanatory footnotes, and seven
invaluable appendices enhance our understanding of this watershed
battle. Rich in analysis and dramatic character development, The Last
Battle of Winchester is certain to become a classic Civil War battle
study.
