In this groundbreaking achievement in Civil War scholarship, acclaimed military historian Brent Nosworthy leads an all-out attack on the many myths and misunderstandings about how the North and South fought, and covers for the first time in any book the variety of Civil War combat methods in their entirety. Now everything from grand tactics to hand-to-hand combat during our nation's costliest war is given its proper due in the development of warfare. Nosworthy weaves together the story of newly emerging weapons, the resulting changes in military doctrine, and the combatants' experiences as these innovations were applied to the battlefield. Detailing methods of warfare from General Irvin McDowell's first tentative efforts at Bull Run to Lee's and Grant's final exertions at Petersburg and Appomattox, the author examines tactical variations due to regional differences and the distinctive circumstances of each campaign. Along with maps, diagrams, and illustrations throughout, "The Bloody Crucible of Courage" recognizes the primacy of the war's most compelling voices, and contains hundreds of firsthand accounts from the front lines.

Part I. Prologue. Is the study of fighting methods meaningful? -- Advances in small arms, 1830-59 -- Developments in tactical doctrine, 1843-59 -- Artillery prior to the Civil War -- The reaction of the American military to European developments -- The development of the Ironclad, 1810-61 / Part II. The beginning of the war. The crisis erupts -- The initial training effort -- Artillery and ironclads at the beginning of the war -- Arming the infantry -- Unpreparedness: Bull Run and its aftermath / Part III. Infantry and cavalry. The reality of the battlefield -- Life during the campaign -- The psychological basis of tactics -- Infantry doctrine -- Cavalry: the beginning / Part IV. The West and specialized forms of warfare. Fighting in the West -- Irregular troops and guerrilla warfare -- River and coastal warfare -- Developments during the war / Part V. Artillery. Grand tactics during the Civil War -- American artillery doctrine -- Artillery in practice -- Artillery developments during the war -- Cavalry developments during the war -- Field fortifications / Part VI. The distinctiveness of later campaigns. Fighting in the wilderness -- The appearance of hasty entrenchments -- The advent of trench warfare / Part VII. Epilogue and conclusion. The effectiveness of the rifle musket -- The bayonet: myth and utility -- Breechloaders and repeaters: the debate continues -- Tactical developments in European warfare, 1859-71 -- Conclusion.