New Book Tells Story of Civil War’s “Valley Forge” and the Winter that Saved the Union

EL DORADO HILLS, CA:  April 13, 2016 – Savas Beatie recently announced the release of new book, Seizing Destiny: The Army of the Potomac’s “Valley Forge,” by authors Albert Conner and Chris Mackowski, which tells the story of the greatest non-battle turning point since Valley Forge in the American Revolution.

Following the catastrophic defeat at the battle of Fredericksburg in December, 1862, the army settled into winter quarters—and despair settled into the army in the forms of depression, desertion, and disease. Then Major General Joseph Hooker took command, and with Chief of Staff Dan Butterfield working alongside, Hooker literally rebuilt the army from the bottom up. During this 93-day resurgence, the Army of the Potomac reversed its fortunes and set itself on the path to ultimate victory. Seizing Destiny is the first in-depth examination of this true crucial turning point of the war, grounded in hundreds of primary sources that let the soldiers speak, from the lowest private to the highest general. Here, finally, is the full story of how the citizen-soldiers of the Army of the Potomac overcame adversity, seized their destiny, and saved the nation through leadership, perseverance, patriotism, and faith.

“Most people who look at the Civil War like to concentrate on the battles because that’s where the action is, but Al [Conner] is the one who really saw the downtime between Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville as being so important,” Mackowski said. “As Al’s research demonstrates, it’s actually a major turning point of the war, but one that has largely gone unrecognized.”

“War is tumult, but sometimes change finds root in the quietude between battles,” said John Hennessy, author of Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas. “The chill, mud, defeat, and depression of the winter of 1862-63 coincided with a white-hot debate about the nature and purpose of the American Civil War. Years of research by Al Conner and a collaborative writing effort with Chris Mackowski bring light and insight to a critical time in the history of the Army of the Potomac, and a time of dramatic change for our nation.”

About the Authors: Albert Z. Conner Jr. is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and Georgetown University. A former president of the Fredericksburg Civil War Roundtable and Stafford County Historical Society and a volunteer with the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Al lives in Stafford, Virginia, the scene of this remarkable story. Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is a professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York, and a former historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. He has published extensively on the Civil War and is the co-founder of the blog Emerging Civil War.

About Savas Beatie LLC: Savas Beatie LLC is a leading military and general history publishing company. Read more about Seizing Destiny, including excerpts from the book and an interview with author Chris Mackowski: http://tinyurl.com/hw64a4k .

Contact: Michele Sams, Savas Beatie LLC
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 916-941-6896, Fax: 916-941-6895