Thomas G. Clemens

I have been obsessed with the Civil War since I was a pre-teen. About 30 years ago I began volunteering at Antietam National Battlefield, doing everything from cannon firing programs to scenic restoration projects. Living a stone's throw from the battlefield allowed me to immerse myself in the quiet but compelling story of America's titanic struggle with itself. That started my quest to understand what happened there. I thought I had a good handle on it until I met Dr. Joseph Harsh, who in his gentle way showed me how little I had thought about the campaign. It was he who urged me to tackle the fascinating riddle of Ezra Carman and his definitive manuscript of the Maryland Campaign. That was in 1990 when I was pursuing a doctorate at George Mason University. Now I have completed that degree, Volume I is published,Vol. II released just before the 150th anniversary last year, and my only regret is that he did not live to see the second volume. I will always treasure his excitement when I gave him a copy of Volume I, and the wonderful afternoon we had together.

Both Dr. Harsh and Ezra Carman were true scholars, and both amaze me still. Carman was able to ferret out sources to understand the battle that even in today's technologically-advanced world are not easy to find. He sorted through mountains of letters, memoirs, and "old soldier stories" to arive at what is still today the most complete telling of America's bloodiest day. I hope you enjoy his book as much I have enjoyed annotating and editing it for publication.