In Gettysburg's Fields: The Story of the Most Important Battle of the Civil War

A Licensed Battlefield Guide’s Intimate Account of the Ferocious Three Days in July 1863 When the Civil War TurnedGettysburg is an iconic battle. It continues to fascinate all those who venture into Civil War history, whether visiting the national park, reading about the war, or watching a program. The battle featured dramatic defenses against great odds, self-sacrifice and heroism, massive clashes of armies, artillery, and cavalry, and one of the most famous charges in the history of warfare. The stakes were the the future of the United States of America. In the aftermath of the Union victory, the battlefield served as the inspiration and backdrop to the greatest speech written and delivered by an American president. That is the power of Gettysburg. Like Valley Forge, it embodies the American spirit and despite the differences between the opposing sides, the soldiers all fought valiantly.Having walked across the hills, climbed the rocks, and felt the oppressive heat of July afternoons in Pennsylvania, veteran guide John D. Cox uses his intimate knowledge of the Gettysburg battlefield and command of the vast literature on the event to lead the reader through the three most important consecutive days in Civil War history. With profiles of participants and episodes of human interest surrounding the battle, In Gettysburg‘s The Story of the Most Important Battle of the Civil War takes the reader along with Union and Confederate units, including the “Iron Brigade” of Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan soldiers who incurred massive losses in bravely blunting an attack by North Carolina and Mississippi infantry on the first day, the 124th New York Volunteers who defiantly rode down Houck’s Ridge against the 1st Texas on the second day, and the final and ultimately futile charge of Confederate divisions in the face of crushing Union artillery and rifle fire on the third day. Written to be enjoyed by both the casual reader and the specialist, In Gettysburg’s Fields combines an engrossing narrative with professional interpretation.