Now Available from the ECW Series: To Hell or Richmond: The 1862 Peninsula Campaign
On April 4, 1862, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan began marching his massive Army of the Potomac up the James River Peninsula in an effort to close in on Richmond, Virginia. Doing so, he believed, was the surest road into the Confederate capital. “On to Richmond!” Union boosters cheered.
And now YOU can head on to Richmond, too, with a new Emerging Civil War Series book from Doug Crenshaw and Drew Gruber: To Hell or Richmond: The 1862 Peninsula Campaign. It’s available now from Savas Beatie (click here to order).
I am always excited whenever we roll out a new ECWS book, but I have to admit, I was especially excited to have this book show up on my porch. This book took years to find its way into print, which isn’t necessarily uncommon, but writing delays, COVID, supply shortages, and personal tragedy all set this one back over the course of its production. The delays seemed to cascade upon and compound one another, stretching out the timeline in almost exponential manner. It frustrated all of us, but it was all beyond our control.
Fortunately, Doug and Drew proved to be a dream time to work with, showing good grace and patience throughout. In fact, Doug might be the easiest-going guy on our entire ECW team. I swear, I never saw him without a smile.
Drew was a first-time book author, so we both felt bad for him that his first publishing experienced was plagued—literally—with setbacks. Drew possesses an indominable optimism, and his energy kept us going.
Get your copy now in advance of the spring anniversary of the campaign. The driving tour included in the book will take you to sites related to both armies, and it takes advantage of new sites recently added to the Civil War Trails system. It’s a great way to follow both armies on their trek up the peninsula. As they neared the Confederate capital, the stakes grew enormous, surprises awaited, and the soldiers themselves had only two possible destinations in mind: Hell or Richmond.
We promise: your journey with To Hell or Richmond will be much more pleasant!
I hate to say anything positive or empathetic about The Little Napoleon, but when you stand on the banks of the Chickahominy River in the midst of spring floods, you can almost understand his sense of topographical paranoia. I stress the word “almost”. Looks like a great book!
The Chickahominy is a swamp that pretends to be a river when the water goes down. I do understand why it was a particularly bedeviling topographical challenge. But I still have little sympathy for Little Mac. The Chickahominy was as much of a problem for the Confederates as the Federals, yet they someone managed (sort of).
Nicely done, Doug and Drew! Looking forward to it.
If I had been Lincoln I would have ordered McCellan shot. He was a spineless coward and a drag on the union war effort.
I’d recommend taking a look at West Virginia in ’61 the Peninsula Campaign up till Seven Days, and the movements up to and after Antietam and you might find a pretty aggressive McClellan in command.