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 -- 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 -- The reality of the battlefield -- Life during the campaign -- The psychological basis of tactics -- Infantry doctrine -- Cavalry : the beginning -- Fighting in the West -- Irregular troops and guerrilla warfare -- River and coastal warfare -- Developments during the war -- Grand tactice during the Civil War -- American artillery doctrine -- Artillery in practice -- Artillery developments during the war -- Cavalry developments during the war -- Field fortifications -- Fighting in the wilderness -- The appearance of hasty entrenchments -- The advent of trench warfare -- The effectiveness of the rifle musket -- The bayonet : myth and utility -- Breechloaders and repeaters : the debate continues -- Tactical developments in European warfare, 1859-17 -- Conclusion.