I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the help given me on this manuscript by Peter Cozzens, John Hennessy, and Robert K. Krick. I admire them greatly as historians and writers and they have been more than generous in helping me avoid many of the pitfalls and traps that await novice Civil War historians. The book is much better for their help. I would also like to thank H. W. Brands for his advice on researching the Civil War era. It was invaluable and saved me much time. Drury Wellford, former photo archivist for the Museum of the Confederacy—and an old Time magazine colleague—brought wonderful expertise to the task of finding photographs and images for the book. Finally, I would like to thank battlefield scout Peter Maratta, who helped me understand the terrain and troop movements at the battles of First and Second Manassas and Antietam.