BetweentheendofMayandthebeginningofAugust1864,Lt.Gen.UlyssesS.GrantandGen.RobertE.LeeoversawthetransitionbetweentheOverlandcampaign--aremarkablesagaofmaneuveringandbrutalcombat--andwhatbecameagruelingsiegeofPetersburgthatmanymonthslatercompelledConfederatestoabandonRichmond.AlthoughmanyhistorianshavemarkedGrant’scrossingoftheJamesRiveronJune12-15asthecloseoftheOverlandcampaign,thisvolumeinterpretsthefightingfromColdHarboronJune1-3throughthebattleoftheCrateronJuly30asthelastphaseofanoperationthatcouldhaveendedwithoutaprolongedsiege.Thecontributorsassessthecampaignfromavarietyofperspectives,examiningstrategyandtactics,theperformancesofkeycommandersoneachside,thecentralityoffieldfortifications,politicalrepercussionsintheUnitedStatesandtheConfederacy,theexperiencesofcivilianscaughtinthepathofthearmies,andhowthefamousbattleoftheCraterhasresonatedinhistoricalmemory.Asagroup,theessayshighlighttheimportantconnectionsbetweenthehomefrontandthebattlefield,showingsomeofthewaysinwhichmilitaryandnonmilitaryaffairsplayedoffandinfluencedoneanother.ContributorsincludeKeithS.Bohannon,StephenCushman,M.KeithHarris,RobertE.L.Krick,KevinM.Levin,KathrynShivelyMeier,GordonC.Rhea,andJoanWaugh.
