Same. Been there many times and every time I look across that field from Seminary Ridge to Cemetery Hill I say to myself..."What the hell was he thinking?!?!"
Ned, Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield by Jay Jorgensen. As the title implies, deals entirely with the Wheatfield area/aspect of the battle. Good read, but one of those highly "technical" books in that its not telling a story, its detailing a battle with unit designations etc. Lots of pictures and maps though so easy to understand and follow. Only about 140 pages with appendices......
And on this date in 1963, I played Taps at the Gettysburg Cemetery Centennial celebration - 1963 was a good year to be a citizen in and around the town of Gettysburg.....Pickett's charge. The South never fully recovered, although the war would drag on for nearly 2 more years.
Just finished "This Hallowed Ground" which covers the war from start to finish and Custer's name appears nowhere in that book. It really surprised me as I've read books on Custer and I knew he had a role at Gettysburg.
From wiki
General Custer was rash and impetuous (as was seen 13 years later). But he had courage and aggressiveness oozing out of his pores, which is a damn fine thing to have in battle.
So glad you mentioned Vicksburg. Exceptionally important battle which led to finally kicking the Confederates out of Tennessee, the capture of Atlanta, the March to the Sea, Savannah, and curtains for the Rebels.Followed shortly by the Confederate surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, a very happy Independence Day for President Lincoln and the Union.
Ewell, replacing Jackson, was very slow on Day 1. Would it have made a difference? Yes. Enough to change the results? I doubt it.
The guy who absolutely made the difference on Day 2 was Joshua Chamberlain on the Little Round Top. The fightingest college professor who ever drew a breath.
he also didn't have his calvary who inexplicably disappeared before and during the first part of the battle.
JEB Stewart was fooling around on a wild goose chase in Carlisle. Attacked the town on the evening of July 1, but it's a hard ride back down to Gettysburg.
Probably so, but I read an interesting take on that recently....
true dat, but compare that 60,000 in Vietnam to a total of 600,000+ dead in the US Civil War (often see the figure 620,000 and some recent estimates exceed 700,000). In round numbers, 2% of the US population (estimated at 31 Million) died as a result of the Civil War, and tragically many of them due to disease and wounds that worsened.
That's no kidding there. Combat medicine in those times was just brutal.
Excellent! Goes directly to the reading list along with Dreamland by Sam Quinones. @demlionVery interesting read on Garfield. His medical treatment was disgraceful.
I think General Warren made the difference on Day 2. He recognized Sickles major error and the entire flank was exposed. If Longstreet let Hood swing around the right, they would have taken Little Roundtop before Chamberlain even got there.
I am heartened to learn so many here have an interest in, and knowledge about, the Civil War and specifically Gettysburg.
See I like to think I have a good idea of the strategies and tactics at Gettysburg, but obviously I still have a lot of details to learn, so I looked it up. Warren absolutely recognized the Federals were in an extreme vulnerable position. Strong Vincent moved his troops into position without waiting around for orders from General Barnes.
Exactly right. I've read a lot books about WWII and you see it happen again and again.
