Shultz, David L./Mingus Sr., Scott L. The Second Day at Gettysburg

The Attack and Defense of Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863

So much has been written about Gettysburg that there is nothing new to report or so the hackneyed cliché goes. Now the book The Second Day at Gettysburg: The Attack and Defense of Cemetery Ridge, July 2, 1863 has been published and impressively proves that there is indeed still much to learn about the largest and bloodiest battle of the war. Due to faulty reconnaissance early in the morning, General Robert E. Lee decided to attack Emmitsburg Road in order to break through the left flank of General George Meade's Potomac Army and defeat it decisively. The attack began when the troops of the I Corps under General James Longstreet crushed General Sickles' Peach Orchard advance and turned north and east to penetrate deep into the Union rear. A third division of Confederates under Richard Anderson, part of A. P. Hill's III Corps, joined the attack, hurling one brigade after another against the overstretched Union line stretching north along Emmitsburg Road. The bloody fighting continued gradually up Cemetery Ridge, tearing a large gap in the centre of the Union line that threatened to split the Union army in two. The fate of the Battle of Gettysburg hung in the balance. Despite the importance of this position, surprisingly few Union troops were available to defend the gaping hole on the ridge. Major General Winfield S. Hancock's II Corps had been reduced to less than a division when its two other divisions were withdrawn south to reinforce the collapsing front of the III Corps. Like Horatio at the bridge, the brave commander assembled a motley crew of infantry and artillery units and threw them into battle, refusing to give up a single square foot of ground. The long and intense fighting included hand-to-hand combat and personal acts of heroism that became legends. Experienced Gettysburg authors Shultz and Mingus combine their expertise and deep understanding of the complex, hilly landscape and physical conditions to produce the most detailed study of this battle ever written. The authors not only show how the fighting on the Union's extreme left flank directly affected the fighting in the centre of General Meade's line, but also explore some of the most overlooked aspects of the battle: What routes did some of the most important units take to reach the front? What could the commanders actually see, and when could they see it? How did fences, roads, farms, trees, ravines, streams, and other obstacles influence tactical decisions and ultimately the course of the battle? Based on extensive research and featuring dozens of photos and detailed original maps, The Second Day at Gettysburg offers a balanced, compelling, and ultimately satisfying account of one of the most overlooked yet important aspects of the decisive battle of the American Civil War.