Despite Jefferson Davis’s claim that “all we ask is to be let alone,” some of the bloodiest and most important battles in the American Civil War occurred when the south went on the offensive, raiding and invading the north—the battles at Sharpsburg (Antietam) and Gettysburg come quickly to mind. In this tutorial we will examine the role played by raids and invasions carried out by the South. We will look in particular at Lee’s Maryland and Pennsylvania campaigns, Sibley’s invasion of New Mexico, Bragg’s Kentucky Campaign, Morgan’s Indiana and Ohio raid, and Early’s raid on Washington. We will examine their strategic and tactical aspects and consider their consequences. Readings will include memoirs and reports written by the participants. In addition to papers, discussions and oral reports, class work will include a film or two and a visit to a nearby battlefield.
