The Hard Hand of War explores the Union army's policy of destructive attacks on Southern property and civilian morale - how it evolved, what it was like in practice. From an initial policy of deliberate restraint, extending even to the active protection of Southerners' property and constitutional rights, Union armies gradually adopted measures that were expressly intended to demoralize Southern civilians and to ruin the Confederate economy. Yet the ultimate "hard war" policy was far from the indiscriminate fury of legend. Union policymakers promoted a program of directed severity - and Professor Grimsley demonstrates how and why it worked.

Includes maps of: Southeastern United States, 1861-1862; Lower Mississippi Valley and Vicinity, 1862-1864; Major Union Raids, 1864-1865.

Introduction -- The roots of a policy -- Conciliation and its challenges -- Early occupations -- Conciliation abandoned -- War in earnest -- Emancipation: touchstone of Hard War -- From pragmatism to Hard War -- The limits of Hard War -- Gestures of mercy, pillars of fire.