A Stillness at Appomattox (1953) is a non-fiction history book written by Bruce Catton.[1]
It recounts the American Civil War's final year,[1] describing the campaigns of Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia during 1864 to the end of the war in 1865. It is the final volume of Catton's Army of the Potomac trilogy, having been preceded by Mr. Lincoln's Army (1951) and Glory Road (1952).[1]
It is the third volume of the Army of the Potomac trilogy that includes Mr. Lincoln's Army (1951) and Glory Road (1952).[1]
Sources
In his book's endnotes, Catton wrote that he used official war records, various collections of unpublished letters written by Federal soldiers, personal diaries of spouses and relatives, memoirs of soldiers and their families,[8][9] Also mentioned are many autobiographies, biographical studies, and memoirs of descendants of soldiers and ranking personnel.[8] A collection of letters from Major General Ulysses S. Grant III is used for its anecdotes and family recollections about his famous grandfather Ulysses S. Grant.[10]
Mr. Catton has combined historical accuracy with poetic insight to present the story of the Army of the Potomac in the final year of the Civil War. Writing from the point of view of the citizens who found themselves soldiers he has reaffirmed the great American tradition of a peace-loving people who, faced with necessity, can also produce greatness in war.[7][14][unreliable source?]