I AM GRATEFUL to a number of people who assisted me throughout the research and writing of this book. This project had its roots in a question that was posed in a summer seminar for history teachers at the University of Virginia led by Gary W. Gallagher and William G. Thomas. My inability to identify William Mahone led to a reading of Nelson Blake’s 1935 biography and a number of questions about why he had apparently been forgotten in historical memory. Not until I returned to school to complete a master’s degree in history at the University of Richmond in 2003 did I have the opportunity to address my questions in a more systematic manner. Thanks to Professor Robert Kenzer for encouraging me to explore Mahone’s legacy—along with the battle that he is so closely identified with—as a thesis topic. His timely and thorough comments on multiple drafts were of immense value as I worked to refine my argument. More important, his encouragement to present my work at academic conferences and submit sections of the thesis to journal editors put me in touch with a whole new community that I continue to embrace.
In 2007 Peter Carmichael invited me to submit the manuscript for inclusion in the University Press of Kentucky’s New Directions in Southern History series. The process took much longer than I anticipated owing to my responsibilities as a high school history teacher. I especially appreciate Peter’s patience and encouragement throughout this period. He never lost interest in the project and understood that my first priority was to my students.
This book would not have been possible without the financial support of the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia, where I worked for ten years. Thanks to George Conway, former headmaster, and Diana Smith, former dean of academics, for encouraging me to further my education and for making available the school’s professional development funds to pay for it. During my tenure at the school I benefited from working with an incredibly talented and passionate faculty. Thanks to Paul Evans, who read an early draft of chapter 3, and to John Noffsinger, who painstakingly read the entire manuscript and offered detailed comments and suggestions to help improve the narrative. Finally, I want to thank my students, who challenged me to be a better teacher, adviser, and historian.
In the summer of 2004, Earl J. Hess contacted me to see if I might be interested in collecting archival material for his planned study of Petersburg’s earthworks as well as what became a fine study of the battle of the Crater. Much of the material I collected in Richmond made its way into this book, and I also appreciate Professor Hess’s willingness to share material that he had already collected. More recently, Professor Hess provided me with copies of two images from Battles and Leaders of the Civil War for this project.
No one has taught me more about the challenges of interpreting the Civil War at our national parks than John Hennessy, chief historian at Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park. Our many conversations and battlefield walks remain among the most pleasant and enjoyable experiences of this journey. At the Petersburg National Battlefield, I benefited from Chris Calkins’s and James Blankenship’s knowledge of the battle and campaign. I also enjoyed spending time with park ranger Emmanuel Dabney, who represents a new generation of National Park Service historians committed to an expansive interpretation of Civil War battlefields that does not ignore the tough questions of race and slavery.
I also benefited from the advice and generosity of a number of scholars, including William Blair, Keith Bohannon, Michael C. Cavanaugh, John Coski, William Freehling, A. Wilson Greene, Mark Grimsley, Caroline E. Janney, Nelson Lankford, William Marvel, Mike Musick, Kenneth W. Noe, Donald R. Shaffer, Aaron Sheehan-Dean, Brooks Simpson, Mark Snell, and Peter Wallenstein. Thanks as well to the research staffs in the Special Collections departments at Duke University, Emory University, the Library of Virginia, the Museum of the Confederacy, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia Historical Society. I want to thank Anne Dean Watkins and the rest of the staff at the University Press of Kentucky for easing this first-time author through the various stages of publication. It has been a pleasure working with them.
A good deal of the material contained in this book was first introduced on my Weblog, Civil War Memory, which I began in November 2005. The site has given me the opportunity to test new ideas with a core group of loyal readers who bring a wealth of knowledge and perspective to my work. Rarely did a day go by that I did not receive a blog comment or private e-mail that included sound criticism or pointed me in the direction of new sources. My readers not only helped to further my understanding of the Crater, they enriched my understanding of some of the central issues surrounding how Americans have chosen to remember the Civil War. There are too many people to thank by name and the vast majority I have never met in person, but I hope they will embrace this book as a token of my gratitude.
I owe more to my parents than they will ever know. Their unconditional love and support through some very difficult times provided the foundation for any accomplishments that I can claim. Finally, this book is lovingly dedicated to my wife, Michaela, who has been by my side for the past thirteen years. Ever since visiting the Crater with me for the first time and remarking, “Is that really it?” she has embraced this project with the love and support that continues to bring great joy to my life.