Trembling in the Balance

Download or read book Trembling in the Balance written by Timothy R. Snyder and published by . This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The story of the Cheasapeake and Ohio Canal during the Civil War is a tale of the company's struggle to operate a transportation line in one of the of the country's major theaters of war. The canal's position along Maryland's southern border with Virginia left it in a unique position to experience the war first-hand, and indeed records show that the company was drawn into the conflict within days after the surrender of Fort Sumter ... An examination of the canal company during this period allows readers to see how the company responded to the many threats it faced, including the seizure and destruction of its property, military interference in its operations, and a chronic shortage of operating funds. Existing records are such that on some occasions the reader can determine how the canal company responded to a challenge -- such as a Confederate invasion -- on nearly a day-to-day basis, providing a glimpse into the operations of a company during the Civil War that few other accounts provide"--P. xv.