The First Winter

Book excerpt: This first winter would see naval maneuvers on the Mississippi River and tighter blockades on the Atlantic coast. A new weapon, the ironclad, would make its debut in the Battle of Hampton Roads, near Norfolk, Virginia. Both armies would be moving through the Alleghenies. The Confederate forces would continue their tactical success. The Battle of Shiloh loomed ahead, and both sides would come to the realization that this war would not be easy or short-lived.