Military Monday With John D. Gresham and Author Mike Haskew – Appomattox

As the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War winds down, there are still some important events that enthusiasts and historians are looking forward to. Arguably, one of the most important was the showdown between the Union Army of the Potomac, and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. What had begun in 1864 at the Battle of the Wilderness, had turned into the bloody Overland Campaign that had ended with the two armies facing off near the town of Petersburg, Virginia. There both sides had dug in, and a monotonous trench warfare reminiscent of World War I had developed. And despite occasional Union attempts to break the Confederate trench lines, the stalemate had prevailed through early 1865. There, in March and April, the Union forces finally managed to break out, beginning a desperate race by both armies into Southwestern Virginia. For weeks the pursuit continued, with Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's forces gradually encircling Lee's Army. Finally, at Appomattox Court House, the pursuit ended, and Gen. Lee conceded defeat. It was the beginning of the end of America's bloodiest war, one that still touches us deeply.

 To learn more about the Appomattox Campaign, please tune in to Military Monday (#MilitaryMonday on the Writestream Radio Network (@Writestream)) hosted by best-selling author, historian, journalist, game designer, and documentary filmmaker John D. Gresham (@greshamj01). His guest this week will be respected Zenith Press (@Zenith_Press) author and historian Mike Haskew. Mr. Haskew is the author of the new book APPOMATTOX, a single volume history of the campaign that ended the American Civil War. Mr. Haskew will describe the nuances of the campaign, including many of the personal stories and background that are rarely told outside the historian community. Listeners are encouraged to call in, and offer questions and comments on this fascinating final military campaign of America's bloodiest war.