Why did the Confederacy lose so many men? The authors contend that the Confederates bled themselves nearly to death in the first three years of the war by undertaking costly attacks. Offensive tactics, which had been used successfully by Americans in the Mexican War, were much less effective in the 1860s because an improved weapon--the rifle--had given increased strength to the defenders.

Includes index.

Preface; Acknowledgments; Part One: What Happened; 1. It Was Not War-It Was Murder; Part Two: How It Happened; 2. The Charge Decided the Victory; 3. The Weapon of the Brave; 4. The New Rifle Can Stop the Advance; 5. A Change of Tactics Is Absolutely Necessary; 6. Fieldworks Were Assaulted but Rarely Carried; 7. Desperate Valor; 8. Grandeur the South Could Not Afford; 9. Beyond the Noise No Great Harm Was Done; 10. The Cavalry Was Abruptly Checked; Part Three: Why It Happened; 11. We Dashed with Sword and Bayonet on the Foe; 12. The Rebels Are Barbarians; An Essay on Selected Sources