This extraordinary story of General Grant's overland campaign and the unique role played by the troops from the state of Vermont also includes never-before-published material on the experiences on the home front. The Battered Stars is a new and unique contribution to the literature of the War Between the States. Civil War historian Howard Coffin has unearthed never-before-seen archival sources to bring first-hand reports from the battlefields of Spotsylvania, The Wilderness, and many others. He also tells the story of the home front, taking us behind the lines to dozens of small towns in Vermont to show how the great battles of the Civil War affected the lives of ordinary citizens. Archival prints and photographs illustrate the extraordinary bravery at the battlefront and granite-like resolve at home that brought victory, but at a phenomenal price. Includes of a great deal of "back home" information—a whole new focus for the National Park Service. 75 black and white photographs and illustrations, 5 maps, index.