"Do not bring on a general engagement," Confederate General Robert E.
Lee warned his commanders. The Army of Northern Virginia, slicing its
way through south-central Pennsylvania, was too spread out, too
vulnerable, for a full-scale engagement with its old nemesis, the Army
of the Potomac. Too much was riding on this latest Confederate invasion
of the North. Too much was at stake.
As Confederate forces groped their way through the mountain passes, a
chance encounter with Federal cavalry on the outskirts of a small
Pennsylvania crossroads town triggered a series of events that quickly
escalated beyond Lee's--or anyone's--control. Waves of soldiers
materialized on both sides in a constantly shifting jigsaw of combat.
"You will have to fight like the devil . . ." one Union cavalryman
predicted.
The costliest battle in the history of the North American continent had
begun.
July 1, 1863 remains the most overlooked phase of the battle of
Gettysburg, yet it set the stage for all the fateful events that
followed.
Bringing decades of familiarity to the discussion, historians Chris
Mackowski, Kristopher D. White, and Daniel T. Davis, in their engaging
style, recount the action of that first day of battle and explore the
profound implications in Fight Like the Devil.
About the Authors: Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White are
cofounders of Emerging Civil War and Daniel T. Davis is chief historian.
Between them, they have authored more than a dozen books and have penned
articles for Civil War Times, America's Civil War, Hallowed Ground, and
Blue & Gray. Chris is a writing professor at St. Bonaventure University
in Allegany, NY, and historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a
historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. Daniel is a graduate
of Longwood University with a B.A. in public history and has worked as a
historian at Appomattox Court House National Historic Site. Kris is a
historian for the Penn-Trafford Recreation Board and a continuing
education instructor for the Community College of Allegheny County near
Pittsburgh; he is also a former Licensed Battlefield Guide. All have
worked as historians at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National
Military Park. Read their blog at www.emergingcivilwar.com.
