From the beginning of the Civil War the Confederate bastion at Vicksburg thwarted Federal hopes for gaining control of the all-important Mississippi River and cutting the far-flung Confederacy in half. By 1863, despite Federal successes at New Orleans and Memphis, Vicksburg stood defiant, keeping open the flow of badly needed supplies from the Trans-Mississippi West to the major Confederate armies in the East. But that year, an unlikely new Federal hero—scruffy, cigar-smoking Ulyssess S. Grant—prepared to launch an all out and highly risky campaign to topple the "Confederate Gibraltar." After several often imaginative but unsuccessful attempts to force the Rebels from their Mississippi stronghold, Grant closed in on one of the great prizes of the war. Around Vicksburg, General John C. Pemberton's hard-pressed Confederates held on desperately, expecting relief that never came. This, then, is the story of one of the war's longest and most decisive campaigns, told by one of its foremost authorities.

Vicksburg: Fall of the Confederate Gibraltar (Civil War Campaigns and Commanders Series)

History

Winschel, Terrence J.

Americas

McWhiney Foundation Pr

In a state as big as Texas the various regions differ widely in their histories and identities, which makes the cultivation of regional history essential. This collection of stories recounts the colorful past of the Clear Fork country -- the land along the Clear Fork of the Brazos in present Shackelford and Throckmorton Counties. The stories focus first on the area's military past, of Camp Cooper and Fort Griffin, and the society they spawned. The second focus is on the pioneers; the people who made the Clear Fork country their home and helped establish its character.The editors have masterfully blended the words of modern writers -- folks steeped in the region's history -- with those of men who made that history. Here, combined for the first time, are classic works from two great historians of an earlier era -- Rupert N. Richardson and Carl Coke Rister -- along with efforts by several noted local writers. Also included is a report from Captain R. B. Marcy's 1854 expedition through the then largely unexplored region and interviews with Clear Fork pioneers.This medley of voices offers a truly unique and personal perspective on the region and its people. It has all the elements of a classic western -- soldiers, settlers, Indians, outlaws, buffalo hunters, and cowboys. This is the stuff of which, quite literally, legends were made, not to mention novels, movies, and television shows.

Tracks Along the Clear Fork: Stories from Shackelford and Throckmorton Counties

The Last Stronghold: The Campaign for Fort Fisher (Civil War Campaigns and Commanders Series)

During the Civil War, the independence of the Confederacy hinged upon its ability to exist as a sovereign nation in the world. Part of this identity came from its continued connection to European goods. The port of Wilmington was a key city in mantaining this agenda and Fort Fisher its defender.

McCaslin, Richard B.

The Finishing Stroke: Texans in the 1864 Tennessee Campaign (Military History of Texas, 1)

Lundberg, John R.

Fire in the Cane Field: The Federal Invasion of Louisiana and Texas, January 1861 - January 1863

Frazier, Donald S.

Just what is it about Abilene - the one in Texas - that keeps attracting the attention of singers, songwriters, and listeners alike? Certainly Abilene is an easy word to rhyme, but there is more to it that just "Abilene, Abilene, prettiest town I've ever seen." The name also summons up images of West Texas and of a town, located between Fort Worth and El Paso, that offers a place for escape, for romance, for fresh beginnings. In The Women There Don't Treat you Mean: Abilene in song, Joe W. Specht surveys a potpourri of songs in which Abilene plays a role. The tunes range from 1890 and "The Cowboys' Christmas Ball" to 2004 and "The Jewel of Abilene." Specht devotes particular attention to what is likely the most famous Abilene-related number, "Abilene," the Number One hit in 1963 for George Hamilton IV. He also touches on dozens of songs that mention the city in passing. Integrating comments and insights from several of the songwriters, while relying on a variety of secondary source material, Specht's narrative presents the reader with the opportunity better to appreciate the fascination a disparate cast of tunesmiths had and continue to have for Abilene. An assortment of illustrations further enhances the text. The Women There Don't Treat You Mean also includes a special six song compact disc, recorded at Big Note Recording Studio and featuring local Abilene performers Slim Chance &amp; the Survivors, Victoria Moore, Happy Fat, JamisonPriest, and Greg Young, debuting their own versions of "Abilene," (Brown-Gibson-Loudermilk), "The Road of Abilene" (Jeff &amp; Vida), "Way Out in Abilene" (Lightnin' Hopkins) "The Jewel of Abilene" (Grey DeLisle), "Sweet Abilene" (Chip Taylor), and "A Prayer for Abilene" (Glenn Dromgoole).

The Women There Don't Treat You Mean: Abilene in Song

Arts & Photography

Specht, Joe W.

Music

The Buffalo Gap Historic Village, in Buffalo Gap, Texas, got its start in 1956 as the "Ernie Wilson Museum of the Old West" and was housed in the original Taylor County Courthouse. Over the next fifty years, however, the museum evolved into a full-fledged historic village, boasting twenty buildings and more than 9,000 artifacts. With this transformation, the historic village also began to tell a story about the history of a time period--the critical decades between 1875 and 1925.
 The Texas You Expect(tm) does more than simply relate the history of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village. It tells the story of how a frontier transformed into a heartland of America. Following the three interpretive periods displayed at the historic village (1883, 1904, 1925), the authors paint a picture of what life in America was like in each of those decades. The book weaves together the story of the practical and technological advances that ultimately brought the frontier period to an end. Using the buildings and artifacts of the village as examples, the book acts as a virtual tour, not only of the historic village, but of this critical half century of our nation's past.

The Texas You Expect: The Stoy of Buffalo Gap Historic Village

Pace, Robert F.

Wettemann, Robert P., Jr.

Earlier biographers of Abilene, the present author included, laid heavy emphasis on "the people," the human element in the establishment and continuing life of the city. But the geographical character of "the place" is also important in its creation, its history, and its future. The intertwining of these two themes dictated much of the story of the town called Abilene, Texas. The Texas and Pacific Railroad gave birth to Abilene in 1881. Among several dozen sister communities established along the T&P, the company designated the one at Milepost 407 to be "the future great city of West Texas." The original settlers of the town, alone among all the other railroad towns, received the right to pick their own name, and they chose "Abilene" after the raucous trailhead town in Kansas. Abilene, Texas, like its namesake, was a frontier town, less than a decade removed from Indian raids, buffalo hunts, and the open range. But on the day of the first sale of town lots, the population already stood at over 3,000--instant community! In its first century, the city grew by fits and starts, alternating decades of rapid growth with decades of relative stability. Its economy was based originally on trade in sheep, cattle, and buffalo bones. Over the years, farming became important, then commerce, finance, education, the military, medicine, and light industry.  A People, A Place: The Story of Abilene is a tale of industrious, ambitious people trying to prosper in a place with a challenging climate and terrain.

A People, A Place: The Story of Abilene

Sledge, Robert W.

 Early biographers of Abilene, the present author included, laid heavy  emphasis on "the people," the human element in the establishment and  continuing life of the city. But the geographical characteristics of  "the place" is also important in its creation, its history, and its  future. The intertwining of these two themes dictated much of the story  of the town called Abilene, Texas. The Texas Pacific Railroad  gave birth to Abilene in 1881. Among several dozen sister communities  established along the T&P, the company designated the one at  Milepost 407 to be "the future great city of West Texas." The original  settlers of the town, alone among all the other railroad towns, received  the right to pick their own name, and they chose "Abilene" after the  raucous trailhead town in Kansas. Abilene, Texas, like its namesake, was  a frontier town, less than a decade removed from Indian raids, buffalo  hunts, and the open range. But on the day of the first sale of town  lots, the population already stood at over 3,000- instant community.   In its first century, the city grew by fits and starts, alternating  decades of rapid growth with decades of relative stability. Its economy  was base originally on trade in sheep, cattle, and buffalo bones. Over  the years, farming became important, the commerce, finance, education,  the military, medicine, and light industry. A People, A Place is a tale of industrious, ambitious people trying to prosper in a place with challenging climate and terrain.  

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the McWhiney Foundation Pr publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by McWhiney Foundation Pr

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the McWhiney Foundation Pr publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Vicksburg: Fall of the Confederate Gibraltar (Civil War Campaigns and Commanders Series)

Tracks Along the Clear Fork: Stories from Shackelford and Throckmorton Counties

The Last Stronghold: The Campaign for Fort Fisher (Civil War Campaigns and Commanders Series)

The Finishing Stroke: Texans in the 1864 Tennessee Campaign (Military History of Texas, 1)

Fire in the Cane Field: The Federal Invasion of Louisiana and Texas, January 1861 - January 1863

The Women There Don't Treat You Mean: Abilene in Song

The Texas You Expect: The Stoy of Buffalo Gap Historic Village

A People, A Place: The Story of Abilene

A People, A Place: The Story of Abilene