Civil War Weather in Virginia First Edition, First

I was so pleased to receive this book as it provides much need information that is otherwise not widely know.It is a most useful tool to have in your library if you a true civil war buff.

Good reference book for research and writing. Was a bit disappointed that there was not more temperature data for the entire war. But the author can't record what was not recorded.

Just as I expected from the good works of RK Krick. Thanks for your great service follow through.

For years it has been generally accepted that after every large battle in the Virgina Cockpit (as well as Gettysburg) there were torrential rain storms. Often this was true; sometimes not. This book will give students and writers of the Civil War in Virginia much needed evidence as to what role the all-important factor of weather played in tactics and strategy. Weather has often been alluded to, but never studied to this extent before (unlike the phenomenon of acoustic shadows).The only regret I have is that, as a Virginia resident in the area of the major battlefields, I know the weather in Richmond and DC often has very little resemblance to the weather in the Shenandoah or the Piedmont, EXCEPT for temperature. Here this book makes a great contribution. No one writing about events in this area of war can afford to overlook it in the future.It would be nice if this were turned into a website, where the myriad of Civil War buffs could send any chance weather observations they come across in their reading and research to a central clearinghouse for use in the next edition

This remarkable book takes you day-by-day through the Civil War with records & comments about weather in Virginia from 1861 through 1865. It makes an extraordinary background to the daily existence of ancestors living and fighting through that period.

Excellent book for the purpose. Just perfect.

What is the temperature of "very hot" or "almost frozen"? How many inches of rain are in a "torrent"? Douglas Southall Freeman speaking in 1955 cited a need for detailed information on weather during the Civil War. With the exception of Joseph L. Harsh's, book "Sounding the Shallows"; no one has tried to address this subject. Harsh's book only considers weather during the month of September 1862 as part of his detailed study for the Antietam Campaign. Part of the problem is detailed weather records were not a government responsibility. The little detail we have is from amateur meteorologists and the families that preserved their work. The record have gaps, illegible entries and areas where no one kept records. All of these problems, taken together, make a detailed weather record spanning years a difficult undertaking. Robert Krick recognizes this by saying the Victorian title would be "Civil War Weather in Washington, D.C., and in the Virginia Theater of War, Encompassing Virginia and Maryland and Pennsylvania, including Weather Affecting Some Military Operations in what became West Virginia Halfway through the War." The current title is much easier to use but the Victorian title gives you a much better idea of what this book contains.Each month from October 1860 to June 1865 is a one page. The monthly format is a few pages of contemporary observations about the weather and a daily table for the month. Table entries are date, day of the week, sunrise and sunset in Richmond and the DC temperature at 7 AM, 2 PM and 9 PM. Each day has a remarks entry for comments like overcast, amount of rain or an observation about the day. This may not seem to be much but it is invaluable in building a picture of the war. Using September to November 1861, as an example, I developed a real understanding of why sickness could become such a problem. The volunteers lived in tents and subjected to constant drilling suffered about a 30-degree drop in the 2 PM temperature coupled with 23 days of rain. Snow fell starting November 24 adding to their misery. The tables are clear, concise and very easy to use. The above took only a couple of minutes and presents a clear impression of weather during these months. The tables allow us to check contemporary accounts and help us understand what the writer thinks happened. Robert Krick observes that based on the readings, it is doubtful that bodies froze overnight at Fredericksburg. This will not cause us to reject the accounts but requires we understand other factors may have contributed to the memory. Gettysburg College maintained the 7 AM, 2 PM and 9 PM schedule for temperature readings and these are included for the battle.This is not a "sit down n read" book. It is a much-needed book and the information will help complete our picture of the war. Only an author with the status of Robert Krick could have brought this book to the public. I thank the University of Alabama Press for publishing so valuable book and adding to the understanding of the war in Virginia. This type of technical reference is invaluable in gaining a fuller understanding of the conditions that the armies faced. This knowledge helps a student of the war to more fully understand those decisions on which battles and campaigns turn.

Robert K. Krick signed my volume during the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg. He's a very interesting guy with more than his share of stories. This book provides the reader with a clear understanding of the weather conditions in the Eastern theater and rounds out ones understanding of the challenges commanders on both sides had to face.