The History Book Club discussion
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
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BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
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By Rod Gragg
Published June 10, 2013
"On June 10, 1863, the lead troops of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia left the army’s staging area near Culpeper Court House, Virginia and began a march northward.
Their destination: Pennsylvania – where Lee hoped to win a major battle on Northern soil and end the Civil War with a Southern victory.
Soon his army would be trailed by his main Northern adversary, the Federal Army of the Potomac. Ahead of both armies, across the Potomac River and in the heartland of southern Pennsylvania, lay the quiet crossroads town of Gettysburg, which would become the site of the largest battle ever fought in North America.
A compelling case can be made that the road to General Lee’s 1865 surrender at Appomattox began at Gettysburg.
It would also prove to be decisive battle of the American Civil War.
The war would continue for almost two more years until it claimed 620,000 American lives, but by many measures the battle of Gettysburg was its turning point.
Already, Northern forces had the South in a chokehold through successful invasions in the war’s Western Theater, victorious amphibious operations on the Southern coastlines and an increasingly effective naval blockade.
Despite Northern successes, however, Lee and his army had kept the war and Southern hopes alive in Virginia by defeating one Northern army commander after another.
If he could score a major battlefield victory on Northern soil, Lee believed, he might break the Northern people’s will to fight and win Southern nationhood, which was President Abraham Lincoln’s great fear.
At the three-day battle of Gettysburg, fought on July 1-3, 1863, more than 160,000 Americans in blue and gray engaged in an epic battle that could have gone either way.
The first day went to the South – to Lee’s army, which broke the Federal line and sent General George Meade’s Northern soldiers recoiling in retreat.
When the fighting ended on July 1, Lee appeared to have won his great victory, and both the Northern army and the Union appeared in grave peril. Northern forces regrouped, however, and established a formidable defensive line on a local stretch of high ground called, ironically, Cemetery Ridge.
There, and at flanking positions on Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill and Little Round Top, they successfully repulsed Lee’s seemingly invincible army with a hickory-hard defense that pushed back a mighty series of powerful, bloody assaults.
On the third day of battle, July 3, 1863, came the dramatic climax that would become known as Pickett’s Charge, when 13,000 of Lee’s best fighters dashed themselves against the center of the Federal line.
It was a magnificent assault – which encountered an equally magnificent and successful defense by General Meade’s Army of the Potomac.
Lee’s legions were turned back with heavy losses, and the battle of Gettysburg ended in a triumph for the Union.
Casualties on both sides were horrible: more than 51,000 Americans killed, wounded or missing. Of that staggering toll, more than 28,000 belonged to Lee’s army.
Northern casualties, while shocking, could be replaced, but the losses to Lee’s army were a severe blow in the manpower-short South.
Never again would Lee be able to mount another such an offensive operation against the North. While more than two years of bloody warfare lay ahead, a compelling case can be made that the road to Lee’s 1865 surrender at Appomattox began at Gettysburg.
Like the Civil War at large, the battle of Gettysburg proved to be a pivotal point in the nation’s history. It contributed mightily to the end of America’s bloodiest war.
It helped end a near-century of debate about the right of secession in America. And it thus helped destroy the institution of American slavery forever.
In all these ways, it also helped ensure the unification of the United States of America.
All of those historical superlatives give Americans everywhere just cause to pause and reflect on the upcoming 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg.
There is another reason to remember this epic battle. A very personal reason. The 160,000 soldiers in blue and gray who struggled in the flame and fury of Gettysburg – Americans all – there bequeathed to us all a legacy of American valor that has stood the test of time.
Author - Civil War historian Rod Gragg is the director of the Center for Military and Veterans Studies at Coastal Carolina University, and is the author of "The Illustrated Gettysburg Reader: An Eyewitness History of the Civil War’s Greatest Battle," which is newly published by Regnery Publishing.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/0...
Source: Fox News.
(no cover) The Illustrated Gettysburg Reader: An Eyewitness History of the Civil War's Greatest Battle by Rod Gragg (no photo)
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Map of the Gettysburg Campaign (up to July 3, 1863) of the American Civil War. Drawn by Hal Jespersen in Adobe Illustrator CS5.
(Overview map of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 1863. Drawn by Hal Jespersen in Adobe Illustrator CS5 - Gettysburg Battle Map Day 1
Map of actions in the Battle of Gettysburg, second day, Lee's plan. Drawn by Hal Jespersen in Adobe Illustrator CS5 - Gettysburg Day 2
This is day three of the battle at Gettysburg Pennsylvania when Robert E. Lee surendered. Gettysburg was not a planned battle it was just a run in but it was the turning point in the war.
Gettysburg Day 3
Portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, officer of the Confederate Army - Date; 1863
Gen. George G. Meade - 1855-65 - photographer - Matthew Brady
Winfield Scott Hancock - Date: Between 1860 and 1870
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_...
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Gettysburg 150
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/getty...
Also link:
http://www.eveningsun.com/gettysburg150
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http://www.gettysburg.travel/150/even...
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Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal"
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground-- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.
It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth
http://www.gettysburgcivilwar150.com/...
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https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/histo...
Synopsis:
Walk the streets where soldiers fought, civilians lived, and President Abraham Lincoln paraded to the National Cemetery for the 1863 dedication services. Learn more about life in Gettysburg before, during, and days after the fateful days of the Civil War. Enjoy the historic buildings, many dating back to pre-Civil War times.
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http://content.yudu.com/Library/A28jd...
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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/13...
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by Allen C. GuelzoSynopsis:
From the acclaimed Civil War historian, and coinciding with 150th anniversary of the legendary battle: a brilliant new history--the most intimate and richly readable account we have had--that draws the reader into the muck and grime of Gettysburg alongside the ordinary soldier, and depicts, as never before, the combination of personalities and circumstances that produced one of the great battles of all time.
Though the Battle of Gettysburg has been written about at length and thoroughly dissected in terms of strategic importance, never before has a book dived down so closely to the individual soldier to explore the experience of the three days of intense fighting for the people involved, or looked so closely at the way politics swayed military decisions, or placed the battle in the context of nineteenth-century military practice. Guelzo shows us the face, the sights and sounds of nineteenth-century combat: the stone walls and gunpowder clouds of Pickett's Charge; the reason that the Army of Northern Virginia could be smelled before it could be seen; the march of thousands of men from the banks of the Rappahannock in Virginia to the Pennsylvania hills. What emerges is a previously untold story: from the personal politics roiling the Union and Confederate officer ranks, to the peculiar character of artillery units. Through such scrutiny the cornerstone battle of the Civil War is given extraordinarily vivid new life
US News & World Report:
This summer marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, a clash that killed thousands and is considered by some scholars as the turning point in the Civil War. US News & World Report's Simon Owens chats with Allen Guelzo, a professor at Gettysburg College and author of the new book Gettysburg: The Last Invasion, about what motivated the Confederate army to invade the North and why this battle is remembered as one of the most significant in American history.
http://youtu.be/Lr_bCDunkOw
Gettysburg
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Stephen W. SearsSynopsis:
Drawing on original source material, from soldiers' letters to official military records of the war, Stephen W. Sears's Gettysburg is a remarkable and dramatic account of the legendary campaign. He takes particular care in his study of the battle's leaders and offers detailed analyses of their strategies and tactics, depicting both General Meade's heroic performance in his first week of army command and General Lee's role in the agonizing failure of the Confederate army. With characteristic style and insight, Sears brings the epic tale of the battle in Pennsylvania vividly to life.
My nephew is a Civil War reenactor with the North Carolina 35th and just returned from the Gettysburg event. Even though the 35th did not participate in the battle of Gettysburg, he was assigned to the 2nd Regiment during the reenactment. He has been doing reenactments for approximately 15 years and he said that Gettysburg left him breathless, awed, and saddened. He felt "in the moment" and declared it was one of the greatest moments in his life.
Very cool, Jill. It must have been an honor to be there for its 150th.
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Just a note to remind those who might want to visit Gettysburg and missed the 150th year re-enactment of the battle........November 19 will be the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address and two events will be held around that date this year. I'm not sure exactly what is planned but it will be worth the trip to relive the history of one of the greatest speeches in American history.
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I'm just about to finish
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Bill:Don't forget to put the required book citations. The guidelines can be found at:
www.goodreads.com/topic/show/287892
The book you mentioned should look like this:
by Allen C. Guelzo (no photo)
Thanks Jill and Bill.Bill-let us know how you like the book. I have been thinking about reading it myself:
by Allen C. Guelzo (no photo)
The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command
by Edwin B. Coddington (no photo)Synopsis:
The Battle of Gettyburg remains one of the most controversial military actions in America's history, and one of the most studied. Professor Coddington's is an analysis not only of the battle proper, but of the actions of both Union and Confederate armies for the six months prior to the battle and the factors affecting General Meade's decision not to pursue the retreating Confederate forces. This book contends that Gettyburg was a crucial Union victory, primarily because of the effective leadership of Union forces - not, as has often been said, only because the North was the beneficiary of Lee's mistakes.
Gettysburg--The First Day
by Harry W. Pfanz (no photo)Synopsis:
For good reason, the second and third days of the Battle of Gettysburg have received the lion's share of attention from historians. With this book, however, the critical first day's fighting finally receives its due. After sketching the background of the Gettysburg campaign and recounting the events immediately preceding the battle, Harry Pfanz offers a detailed tactical description of events of the first day. He describes the engagements in McPherson Woods, at the Railroad Cuts, on Oak Ridge, on Seminary Ridge, and at Blocher's Knoll, as well as the retreat of Union forces through Gettysburg and the Federal rally on Cemetery Hill. Throughout, he draws on deep research in published and archival sources to challenge many long-held assumptions about the battle.
Gettysburg--The Second Day
by Harry W. Pfanz (no photo)Synopsis:
The second day's fighting at Gettysburg—the assault of the Army of Northern Virginia against the Army of the Potomac on 2 July 1863—was probably the critical engagement of that decisive battle and, therefore, among the most significant actions of the Civil War.
Harry Pfanz, a former historian at Gettysburg National Military Park, has written a definitive account of the second day's brutal combat. He begins by introducing the men and units that were to do battle, analyzing the strategic intentions of Lee and Meade as commanders of the opposing armies, and describing the concentration of forces in the area around Gettysburg. He then examines the development of tactical plans and the deployment of troops for the approaching battle. But the emphasis is on the fighting itself. Pfanz provides a thorough account of the Confederates' smashing assaults—at Devil's Den and Litle Round Top, through the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard, and against the Union center at Cemetery Ridge. He also details the Union defense that eventually succeeded in beating back these assaults, depriving Lee's gallant army of victory.
Pfanz analyzes decisions and events that have sparked debate for more than a century. In particular he discusses factors underlying the Meade-Sickles controversy and the questions about Longstreet's delay in attacking the Union left. The narrative is also enhanced by thirteen superb maps, more than eighty illustrations, brief portraits of the leading commanders, and observations on artillery, weapons, and tactics that will be of help even to knowledgeable readers.
Gettysburg—The Second Day is certain to become a Civil War classic. What makes the work so authoritative is Pfanz' mastery of the Gettysburg literature and his unparalleled knowledge of the ground on which the fighting occurred. His sources include the Official Records, regimental histories and personal reminiscences from soldiers North and South, personal papers and diaries, newspaper files, and last—but assuredly not least—the Gettysburg battlefield. Pfanz's career in the National Park Service included a ten-year assignment as a park historian at Gettysburg. Without doubt, he knows the terrain of the battle as well as he knows the battle itself.
Gettysburg--Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill
by Harry W. Pfanz (no photo)Synopsis:
In this companion to his celebrated earlier book, Gettysburg--The Second Day, Harry Pfanz provides the first definitive account of the fighting between the Army of the Potomac and Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill--two of the most critical engagements fought at Gettysburg on 2 and 3 July 1863.
Pfanz provides detailed tactical accounts of each stage of the contest and explores the interactions between--and decisions made by--generals on both sides. In particular, he illuminates Confederate lieutenant general Richard S. Ewell's controversial decision not to attack Cemetery Hill after the initial southern victory on 1 July. Pfanz also explores other salient features of the fighting, including the Confederate occupation of the town of Gettysburg, the skirmishing in the south end of town and in front of the hills, the use of breastworks on Culp's Hill, and the small but decisive fight between Union cavalry and the Stonewall Brigade.
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A fascinating book about the battle that turned the tide of the War Between the States to the Union side. One of the most important battles at Gettysburg.Twilight at Little Round Top
by Glenn W. LaFantasie(no photo)Synopsis:
Little Round Top has become iconic in Civil War literature and American memory. In the emotional recollection of our great war, if there was one speck on the landscape that decided a battle and the future of a nation, then surely this was it. The story of the July 2, 1863 struggle for that hill outside Gettysburg goes deeper into our consciousness than that, however. The men who fought for it then and there believed it to be decisive, and that is why they died for it. Glenn W. LaFantasie's Twilight at Little Round Top addresses that epic struggle, how those warriors felt then and later, and their physical and emotional attachment to a piece of ground that linked them forever with their nation's fate. This is military and social history at its finest.This judicious and engaging book navigates confidently through a welter of contradictory testimony to present a splendid account of the action. It also places events on Little Round Top, which often are exaggerated, within the broader sweep of the battle. All readers of Civil War history should read this book.
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by George F. Franks III (no photo)Synopsis:
The story of the Gettysburg Campaign, both before and after the July 1-3, 1863, battle, has recently received increased attention from historians. The movement of the Army of Northern Virginia from Gettysburg and its pursuit by the Army of the Potomac are every bit as important to the study of the American Civil War as the events in and around the small crossroads town in Pennsylvania. Many historians agree the Gettysburg Campaign concluded with the Battle of Falling Waters, Maryland, on July 14, 1863. Although not the climactic battle of the war desired by President Abraham Lincoln, it remains a story of miscalculation, bravery, larger-than-life personalities, tragedy and a cover-up. This new book tells the story of that final battle.
The story does not end with the battle. Included is an intriguing tale about veterans of the Battle of Falling Waters, Maryland decades after Gen. Robert E. Lee's rear guard clashed with Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's cavalry. The book concludes with a detailed description of the battlefield today and efforts to preserve portions of the land for future generations.
George Franks has made extensive use of first-hand accounts, detailed maps, period drawings and photographs to breathe life into the crucial yet little remembered end of the Gettysburg Campaign.
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A disgrace to the Union uniform during the War Between the States.Sickles at Gettysburg
by James A. Hessler (no photo)Synopsis
This book is the most deeply-researched, full-length biography to appear on this remarkable American icon. And it is long overdue.No individual who fought at Gettysburg was more controversial, both personally and professionally, than Major General Daniel E. Sickles. By 1863, Sickles was notorious as a disgraced former Congressman who murdered his wife's lover on the streets of Washington and used America's first temporary insanity defense to escape justice. With his political career in ruins, Sickles used his connections with President Lincoln to obtain a prominent command in the Army of the Potomac's Third Corps-despite having no military experience. At Gettysburg, he openly disobeyed orders in one of the most controversial decisions in military history. No single action dictated the battlefield strategies of George Meade and Robert E. Lee more than Sickles' unauthorized advance to the Peach Orchard, and the mythic defense of Little Round Top might have occurred quite differently were it not for General Sickles. Fighting heroically, Sickles lost his leg on the field and thereafter worked to remove General Meade from command of the army. Sickles spent the remainder of his checkered life declaring himself the true hero of Gettysburg.
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http://www.civilwar.org/books/intervi...
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I have no dog in the hunt (smile)
Me neither. I just think he was a stinker!!!! :>
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It makes me want to read the book now :-).
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Cushing of Gettysburg: The Story of a Union Artillery Commander
by Kent Masterson Brown (no photo)Synopsis:
Kent Brown's stunning account of the career of Lt. Alonzo Hereford Cushing offers valuable insights into the nature of the Civil War and the men who fought it. Brown's vivid descriptions of the heat and exhaustion of forced marches, of the fury of battle, have seldom been matched in Civil War literature.
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by Thomas A. Desjardin (no photo)Synopsis:
Fought amid rocks and trees, in thick blinding smoke, and under exceedingly stressful conditions, the battle for the southern slope of Little Round Top on July 2, 1863 stands among the most famous and crucial military actions in American history, one of the key engagements that led to the North's victory at Gettysburg.
In this powerfully narrated history, Maine historian Tom Desjardin tells the story of the 20th Maine Regiment, the soldiers who fought and won the battle of Little Round Top. This engaging work is the culmination of years of detailed research on the experiences of the soldiers in that regiment, telling the complete story of the unit in the Gettysburg Campaign, from June 21 through July 10, 1863.
Desjardin uses more than seventy first-hand accounts to tell the story of this campaign in critical detail. He brings the personal experiences of the soldiers to life, relating the story from both sides and revealing the actions and feelings of the men from Alabama who tried, in vain, to seize Little Round Top. Indeed, ranging from the lowest ranking private to the highest officers, this book explores the terrible experiences of war and their tragic effect. Following the regiment through the campaign enables readers to understand fully the soldiers' feelings towards the enemy, towards citizens of both North and South, and towards the commanders of the two armies. In addition, this book traces the development of the legend of Gettysburg, as veterans of the fight struggle to remember, grasp, and memorialize their part in the largest battle ever fought on the continent.
With a new preface and updated maps and illustrations, Stand Firm Ye Boys of Maine offers a compelling account of one of the most crucial small engagements of the Civil War.
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by Noah Andre Trudeau (no photo)Synopsis:
America's Civil War raged for more than four years, but it is the three days of fighting in the Pennsylvania countryside in July 1863 that continues to fascinate, appall, and inspire new generations with its unparalleled saga of sacrifice and courage. From Chancellorsville, where General Robert E. Lee launched his high-risk campaign into the North, to the Confederates' last daring and ultimately-doomed act, forever known as Pickett's Charge, the battle of Gettysburg gave the Union army a victory that turned back the boldest and perhaps greatest chance for a Southern nation.
Now acclaimed historian Noah Andre Trudeau brings the most up-to-date research available to a brilliant, sweeping, and comprehensive history of the battle of Gettysburg that sheds fresh light on virtually every aspect of it. Deftly balancing his own narrative style with revealing firsthand accounts, Trudeau brings this engrossing human tale to life as never before.
Sad day, Harry Pfanz died:http://www.washingtonpost.com/nationa...
More:
all by Harry W. Pfanz (no photo)
The History Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Three Roads to Gettysburg: Meade, Lee, Lincoln, and the Battle That Changed the War, the Speech That Changed the Nation (other topics)Surgeons of Gettysburg: The Fight to Save the Wounded at the Civil War's Greatest Battle (other topics)
Leader of the Charge: A Biography of General George E. Pickett, C.S.A (other topics)
Horse Soldiers at Gettysburg: The Cavalryman's View of the Civil War's Pivotal Campaign (other topics)
Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Tim McGrath (other topics)Barbara Franco (other topics)
Edward G. Longacre (other topics)
Daniel Murphy (other topics)
Kent Masterson Brown (other topics)
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The 9th Pennsylvania Reserves stand near the Pennsylvania Memorial in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Diane Stoneback/Allentown Morning Call/MCT)
If you have a chance to visit Gettysburg, it is very worthwhile.
This year is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg: This is what the Gettysburg 150 site has to say about this event:
Source: http://www.gettysburgcivilwar150.com/...
"The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the American Civil War. Many historians agree that it was on these hallowed grounds that our nation was saved.
The Battle of Gettysburg changed the direction of the war and the morale of the nation. After a long string of victories by the Confederacy, the war moved north as troops sought supplies and looked to secure key victories with Southern occupation in Union territory.
For three hot days in July 1863, this small Pennsylvania town was the scene of hard-fought battles, esteemed bravery and the bloodshed of 51,000 men. When the fighting ended, Gettysburg was crippled by the devastation and the thousands of wounded soldiers left behind. The 2,400 residents of Gettysburg were left with 22,000 dead and wounded soldiers, 5,000 dead horses and a town ravaged by war.
The American Civil War raged on for nearly two more years, but the Confederacy never recovered from the loss at Gettysburg.
Five months later, President Abraham Lincoln was invited to say “a few appropriate remarks” at the dedication of the cemetery created to bury Union dead. The monumental speech of a mere 272 words presented a chance for hope and healing.
After nearly 150 years, what happened in Gettysburg is not forgotten. Under any other circumstance, this would be a different country today had it not been for the heroic efforts on this land.
We invite you to walk in the footsteps of history. Whether you stand on Little Round Top and reflect on the sacrifices made in the valley below or walk among the unmarked gravesites in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Gettysburg is a place that brings history alive."