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The Summer of ’63 Gettysburg: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War (Emerging Civil War Series) Kindle Edition

by Chris Mackowski (Editor), Dan Welch (Editor), Kristopher D. White (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
“An outstanding read for anyone interested in the Civil War and Gettysburg in particular . . . innovative and thoughtful ideas on seemingly well-covered events.” —The NYMAS Review
 
The largest land battle on the North American continent has maintained an unshakable grip on the American imagination. Building on momentum from a string of victories that stretched back into the summer of 1862, Robert E. Lee launched his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia on an invasion of the North meant to shake Union resolve and fundamentally shift the dynamic of the war. His counterpart with the Federal Army of the Potomac, George Meade, elevated to command just days before the fighting, found himself defending his home state in a high-stakes battle that could have put Confederates at the very gates of the nation’s capital.
 
The public historians writing for the popular Emerging Civil War blog, speaking on its podcast, or delivering talks at the annual Emerging Civil War Symposium at Stevenson Ridge in Virginia always present their work in ways that engage and animate audiences. Their efforts entertain, challenge, and sometimes provoke readers with fresh perspectives and insights born from years of working on battlefields, guiding tours, presenting talks, and writing for the wider Civil War community. The Summer of ’63: Gettysburg is a compilation of some of their favorites, anthologized, revised, and updated, together with several original pieces. Each entry includes original and helpful illustrations. Along with its companion volume The Summer of ’63: Vicksburg and Tullahoma, this important study contextualizes the major 1863 campaigns in what was arguably the Civil War’s turning-point summer.
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  1. Part of series
    Emerging Civil War
  2. Print length
    323 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Savas Beatie
  5. Publication date
    June 30, 2021
  6. File size
    73.3 MB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...ideal for dipping into to read one or more short pieces at a time. It would probably be best appreciated by those interested in the American Civil War who are already familiar with the campaign and battle of Gettysburg."
Miniature Wargames

"The Summer of ’63 is an outstanding read for anyone interested in the Civil War and Gettysburg in particular, offering innovative and thoughtful ideas on seemingly well covered events."
The NYMAS Review

“An excellent way for non-specialist readers as well as for readers with a strong interest in the Civil War to better understand and appreciate the critical events of the summer of 1863.”
Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., is the editor-in-chief of Emerging Civil War. He is a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University and the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. He has authored or co-authored more than two dozen books on the Civil War.

Dan Welch is a Park Ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park. Author of several books on the American Civil War, Dan is also the editor of the long-running Gettysburg Magazine, the Emerging Revolutionary War Series, and co-editor of several volumes in the Emerging Civil War’s 10th Anniversary Series. A historian at Emerging Civil War for over eight years, he has also published numerous essays, articles, and book reviews.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097S3L9LR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Savas Beatie (June 30, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 73.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 323 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

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Dan Welch

Dan Welch

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Dan Welch is currently a primary and secondary educator with a public school district in northeast Ohio. Previously, he was the Education Programs Coordinator for the Gettysburg Foundation, the non-profit partner of Gettysburg National Military Park. Dan continues to serve as a seasonal Park Ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park.

He has received his BA in Instrumental Music Education from Youngstown State University and a MA in Military History with a Civil War Era concentration at American Military University. Dan has been a contributing member at Emerging Civil War for over seven years. He resides with his wife, Sarah, and three Labrador retrievers in Boardman, Ohio.

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Dave
    5.0 out of 5 stars loved it
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Enlightening and informative.The best parts were the 1913 reunion of the 1st Minnesota. The first book l read about the charge of the 1st I have remembered a long time. Is remember being thrilled by their bravery, sorrowful of the cost.
    The other of course was the last chapter about the field trip. Made me think back to my youth, school and those field trips. We took one the Chicago History museum, there we saw a room filled with Civil War battle flags, swords soldiers weapons and a derringer resembling the weapon used to kill President Lincoln. I was maybe 11 or 12.
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  • John B. Sinclair
    4.0 out of 5 stars Should This General Be Considered Overrated?
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2023
    Emerging Civil War “ECW” and publisher Savas, Beatie have been driving forces in the promotion of the study of the Civil War. This collection of essays focuses on the battle of Gettysburg, probably the single most recognizable battle by most Americans. While not meant to serve as an introduction to the battle (other ECW books have accomplished that task admirably), it serves up a nice buffet of articles on various parts of the battle worth further exploration for many. There are good reviews of this book accompanying mine so I do not want to repeat those same compliments.

    I do want to focus my attention on the essay written by Kristopher White on John Reynolds. White is the co-founder of ECW and author or co-author of five articles in this work. He has written quite extensively; my favorite is his book on the portion of the battle of Chancellorsville fought near Salem’s Church. White approaches the question of John Reynold’s argued “greatness” as a general mostly in a dispassionate, professional, and measured way. Yet, with his extended criticism of Reynolds, White seems to come down on the side of those who feel Reynolds is overrated.

    White brings up an episode after the battle of Gaines’ Mill during which Reynolds and his aide became separated from his command at night. With Reynolds not having not slept for two days, they sought shelter and fell asleep before capture the next morning. By bringing up this incident, White indicates such an incident does not indicate greatness, stating, “I often wonder how a general officer gets misplaced in the action and gets left behind on the field, asleep.” Ironically, almost the very same thing happened a few days later to General Baldy Smith and his staff after the battle of Glendale; they were just lucky not to get captured. Union Army Commander James B. McPherson lost his life when getting “misplaced,” something that surely happened to others in the chaos of battle. And Stonewall Jackson was certainly known to fall asleep at inopportune times.

    White describes Reynolds’ work at the horrific battle of Gaines’ Mill as “acting as an aide or battery commander”, citing one example where he briefly positioned a battery, but White seems to blow it out of proportion. If Reynolds' work at this major battle was so inconsequential as claimed by White, why did Major General John Pope give the following praise to Reynolds for his actions in this battle: “Previous to the arrival of Slocum, Reynolds, having repulsed the enemy on his front, and hearing the tremendous contest on his left, had, acting under a true maxim and with the generous spirit of the soldier, moved to the sound of the canon, and led his men, regiment after regiment, where our hard-pressed forces most required assistance.” Hardly sounds like the work of an aide or battery commander?

    White does acknowledge that Reynolds “commanded his division with skill” at Second Manassas. Yet, he feels it important to silo one part of the battle where Reynolds took a flag and led a brigade into a flank attack against Georgians. White scolds him for doing so. How many senior leaders during the Civil War did something similar? In his masterpiece book on the battle, author John Hennessy first named John Reynolds as one of the few Federals who did well at this fight. Perhaps this is what should be remembered.

    Much has been made by White and others that Reynolds could not be found during the battlefield of Fredericksburg because he was directing Union artillery on the left side. I have never found any specifics of the attempts to locate Reynolds. Seems to me that if he was directing artillery, Reynolds was in a rather open and prominent location to be found by any competent staff officer or messenger. And are there no other examples of senior Union or Confederate generals (especially those with artillery experience such as Reynolds) who directed artillery fire during the Civil War?

    White provides an account of Hooker’s Chancellorsville council of war on May 4, 1863 starting at midnight. Hooker called his corps commanders to discuss whether to attack the next day or retreat. White does note that Reynolds clearly voted in favor of staying and attacking. He then appointed another attendee as his proxy for other votes and then went to sleep in the gathering place. White criticizes and even taunts (“Where was the leadership of this rock star?”) Reynolds for appointing a proxy “who represented the fifth-ranking general officer in the army in the army.” White does not name the proxy. It was Major General George Meade, who went on to become the commander of the Army of the Potomac hardly two months later. Sounds like a pretty solid choice for a proxy to me.

    White criticizes Reynolds for being on the front line and directing his lead division including the Iron Brigade into place at Herbst Woods at Gettysburg. He feels Reynolds was acting as a brigade or regimental commander. White overlooks the exigency of the circumstances with the 1st Corps representing the vanguard of the Union Army rushing to meet the oncoming ANV. General Wadsworth, leading the first division, did not have a military background and had limited combat experience. It is easy to understand why Reynolds may have felt the need to intervene, even if it was not “his job.” At Gaines’ Mill, Stonewell Jackson charged into a group of 15 – 20 Federal pickets and demanded their surrender. Was that his job?

    White’s contention that “Reynolds did not choose the ground to fight on at Gettysburg, John Buford did” suggests he fails to understand the contribution Reynolds made as a wing commander at Gettysburg. Yes, Buford chose the ground for his two cavalry brigades to confront the Confederates and deserves much praise for his fierce hours-long stand before Reynolds arrived. But it was Reynolds who upon his arrival made the critical decision to choose the ground for the entire Union Army to fight the ultimate battle.

    Scott Hartwig, the historian for Gettysburg National Military Park for twenty years, pointed this out several years ago in his “At Great Risk” article on Reynolds. He stated:

    As a general, Reynolds’ biggest test came on July 1 at
    Gettysburg. He was on the ground only briefly before he
    was killed, yet his actions that morning profoundly shaped
    the battle that followed. The question is whether he rose to
    the occasion or instead demonstrated that he was overrated
    and behaved recklessly in placing the army at risk.

    Hartwig pointed out that consistent with Reynolds’ orders from George Meade, the safest option was to withdraw Union forces to Emmitsburg. The second option was to position the 1st and 11th Corps on Cemetery Hill, though this option risked the Federals being overwhelmed by a superior force. The third option, according to Hartwig, was as follows:

    Third, he could engage the Rebels beyond Gettysburg, trading
    men for time. This was his riskiest option but it kept up a screen
    of the terrain south of town as well as the road network that would
    bring the rest of the army to the field. Reynolds chose this riskiest
    option.

    According to Hartwig, “subsequent events proved the wisdom of his audacity.” Furthermore, according to Hartwig, Reynolds “resoundingly answered the question of whether he deserved the confidence” that Lincoln, Meade and so many placed in him. Quite a number of men deserve credit for the Union victory at Gettysburg. John Reynolds was surely one of them. Other historians have espoused similar views.

    White is completely silent on John Reynolds’s decision to hold the ground west of Gettysburg - Reynolds’ most significant and consequential decision as a commander during his entire life. And perhaps even one of the most important battlefield decisions by a field commander in the entire war.

    John Reynolds is overrated? Hardly.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Bookman Henry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Perspectives
    Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Wasn’t sure if I wanted to purchase yet another Gettysburg book as my current collection is extensive but am glad that I did. The authors blogs and conversational styles are a bit different to me as a reader but provide a scope of perspectives that are interesting and easily understood. A special shoutout for the nice maps and photographs. Definitely recommended.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Grumpy 63
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good read.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Great book that's easy to read and understand. A wide range of interesting topics that keep your attention. Recommended for all.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • robin friedman
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Summer Of 1863 At Gettysburg
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2021
    This new book, "The Summer of '63 Gettysburg: Favorite Stories and Fresh Perspectives from the Historians at Emerging Civil War", consists of a series of essays designed for a broad audience of non-specialist readers on the Battle of Gettysburg. The Emerging Civil War is a non-profit public history platform which, among other things, maintains a Civil War blog. Many of the essays in the book are revised, expanded versions of works originally posted as blogs while others are new. The volume also includes eight maps of the battlefield together with many images.

    The essays take a broad, diverse approach. Some offer relatively detailed looks at various aspects of the battle while others offer more personal responses to the battle together with human interest stories of the participants. Caroline Davis' short essay, "A Poet's Perspective: Melville on Pickett's Charge" combines battle history with literature. She explores Pickett's Charge through its treatment in Herman Melville's poem, "Gettysburg: The Check" from his collection of Civil War poetry, "Battle Pieces and Aspects of the War". Melville's poetry is rarely discussed in books focusing on Civil War history. It was a creative touch in this book to present Pickett's Charge through Melville's reflections.

    The essays in the volume begin with background to the battle in Eric Wittenberg's essay "Nobody can Truly Understand the Battle of Gettysburg without a Solid Understanding of the Battle of Chancellorsville" followed by Kristopher White's essay discussing the change in command in the Army of the Potomac from Joseph Hooker to George Meade only three days before the battle. The book includes several essays on the sometimes underestimated first day of the battle, including one of several contributions by Kristopher White, "The Curmudgeon, the Eccentric and the Norse God" which explores the failure of the Confederate Army to attempt the capture of Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill at the conclusion of the first day battle.

    The essays on the second day have lttle to say about Joshua Chamberlain and his role in the defense of the far Union left at Little Round Top, but they cover much else of this remarkable day of war. The jointly-written essay "Gettysburg: Day Two" offers an excellent overview while Dan Welch's contribution, "Where all so well did their Duty" offers a clearly written and well detailed overview of the often overlooked heroics on the far right of the Union line in the defense of Culp's Hill.

    Caroline Davis' discussion of Melville is the main essay focusing on the third day of the battle. An excellent essay by Eric Wittenberg explores the retreat from Gettysburg and largely vindicates the pursuit offered by Meade in the face of strong criticism from his day to the present. Cecily Nelson Zander's essay "Unintentional Reconciliation" is a historiographical study of how Gettysburg and the Civil War were perceived in the War's aftermath. She raises questions about the reconciliationist view between North and South that is one of the major ways of thinking about the post-War period. The final essay I want to mention is Dan Welch's "Traveling to Gettysburg: Chester S. Durfee and the 1913 Reunion" which offers a rare glimpse of a survior of the First Minnesota on his train journey to Gettysburg for the 50th anniversary of the Battle.

    "The Summer of '63" helped me understand my continued fascination with Gettysburg, a fascination which has helped me better understand our country. The publisher, Savas Beatie, kindly sent me a review copy.

    Robin Friedman
    7 people found this helpful
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