LAWRENCE, Kan. - s4story -- The University Press of Kansas announces the publication of From the Valley to the Tidewater: The War in Virginia, May 21–June 12, 1862 by Ethan S. Rafuse, a new civil war history that reveals the three crucial weeks that changed the fate of Virginia, and the Union War effort. By the spring of 1862, the Union appeared closer than ever to ending the Civil War. Military advances across Virginia fueled hopes that Confederate resistance was weakening and that victory, and national restoration, might soon follow. Yet in the span of just three critical weeks, those expectations unraveled. In this sweeping new Modern War Studies series volume, Ethan Rafuse offers a richly detailed account of a decisive moment when battlefield events and home-front realities combined to alter the course of the war.

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Continuing the narrative begun in From the Mountains to the Bay: The War in Virginia, January–May 1862, Rafuse presents a comprehensive examination of Virginia at a moment when military opportunity gave way to uncertainty. As Union momentum slowed under the weight of operational and logistical challenges, Confederate forces seized the initiative, producing consequential engagements at Front Royal, Winchester, Hanover Court House, Fair Oaks, Cross Keys, and Port Republic. Together, these encounters reshaped strategic expectations for both sides.

Rafuse demonstrates that understanding this phase of the Civil War requires looking beyond troop movements to the political calculations and civilian experiences that defined life behind the lines. As military campaigns stalled and resistance endured, Union leaders confronted difficult questions about governance, loyalty, and what would be required to reunite the nation. The result was not simply a shift in military fortunes but a transformation in how victory itself would be understood. This volume offers readers a deeper understanding of how campaigns unfold not only on the battlefield, but also in homes, government offices, and the contested spaces where wars are ultimately decided.

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Key Features & News Angles:

• Three Weeks That Changed the War: Examines a compressed but decisive period in May–June 1862 when shifting military momentum transformed expectations for both the Union and Confederacy.
• Beyond Battlefield History: Combines military narrative with political and social analysis to show how civilians and policymakers shaped events alongside armies in the field.
• The Limits of Military Victory: Explores the Union's two-part strategy of battlefield success and civilian reconciliation—and the challenges that emerged when that approach met reality.

Learn more about the book here: https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700643578/