For good reason, the second and third days of the Battle of Gettysburg
have received the lion's share of attention from historians. With this
book, however, the critical first day's fighting finally receives its
due. After sketching the background of the Gettysburg campaign and
recounting the events immediately preceding the battle, Harry Pfanz
offers a detailed tactical description of events of the first day. He
describes the engagements in McPherson Woods, at the Railroad Cuts, on
Oak Ridge, on Seminary Ridge, and at Blocher's Knoll, as well as the
retreat of Union forces through Gettysburg and the Federal rally on
Cemetery Hill. Throughout, he draws on deep research in published and
archival sources to challenge many long-held assumptions about the
battle.