The three-day Battle of Gettysburg left 50,000 casualties in its wake, a
battered Southern army far from its base of supplies, and a rich
historiographic legacy. Thousands of books and articles cover nearly
every aspect of the battle, but not a single volume focuses on the
military aspects of the important movements of the armies to and across
the Potomac River. Now in paperback, One Continuous Fight: The Retreat
from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July
4-14, 1863 is the first detailed military history of Lee's retreat and
the Union effort to destroy the wounded Army of Northern Virginia.
Against steep odds and encumbered with thousands of casualties,
Confederate commander Robert E. Lee's post-battle task was to
successfully withdraw his army across the Potomac River. Union commander
George G. Meade's equally difficult assignment was to intercept the
effort and destroy his enemy. The responsibility for defending the
exposed Southern columns belonged to cavalry chieftain James Ewell Brown
(Jeb) Stuart. If Stuart fumbled his famous ride north to Gettysburg, his
generalship during the retreat more than redeemed his flagging
reputation.
The long retreat triggered nearly two dozen skirmishes and major
engagements, including fighting at Granite Hill, Monterey Pass,
Hagerstown, Williamsport, Funkstown, Boonsboro, and Falling Waters.
President Abraham Lincoln was thankful for the early July battlefield
victory, but disappointed that General Meade was unable to surround and
crush the Confederates before they found safety on the far side of the
Potomac. Exactly what Meade did to try to intercept the fleeing
Confederates, and how the Southerners managed to defend their army and
ponderous 17-mile long wagon train of wounded until crossing into
western Virginia on the early morning of July 14, is the subject of this
study.
One Continuous Fight draws upon a massive array of documents, letters,
diaries, newspaper accounts, and published primary and secondary
sources. These long ignored foundational sources allow the authors, each
widely known for their expertise in Civil War cavalry operations, to
carefully describe each engagement. The result is a rich and
comprehensive study loaded with incisive tactical commentary, new
perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern and Northern cavalry,
and fresh insights on every engagement, large and small, fought during
the retreat.
The retreat from Gettysburg was so punctuated with fighting that a
soldier felt compelled to describe it as "One Continuous Fight." Until
now, few students fully realized the accuracy of that description.
Complete with 18 original maps, dozens of photos, and a complete driving
tour with GPS coordinates of the army's retreat and the route of the
wagon train of wounded, One Continuous Fight is an essential book for
every student of the American Civil War in general, and for the student
of Gettysburg in particular.
About the Authors: Eric J. Wittenberg, an Ohio attorney, is an
accomplished Civil War cavalry historian and the author of dozens of
articles and numerous books on Civil War cavalry subjects, including
(with J. D. Petruzzi) Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's
Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (Savas Beatie, 2006) and The Battle of
Monroe's Crossroads and the Civil War's Final Campaign (Savas Beatie,
2006).
J. David Petruzzi is a noted Civil War cavalry historian and the author
of many articles for a wide variety of historical publications,
including Gettysburg Magazine and Civil War Times, Illustrated. An
insurance broker in Pennsylvania, he co-wrote (with Eric Wittenberg)
Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to
Gettysburg (Savas Beatie, 2006) and (with Steven Stanley) The Complete
Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town,
Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical
Interest (Savas Beatie, 2009) and The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Audio
Driving and Walking Tour, Volume One: The Battlefield (Savas Beatie,
2010).
Michael F. Nugent is a long-time student of the Gettysburg Campaign. A
retired U.S. Army Armored Cavalry Officer and the descendant of a Civil
War Cavalry soldier, Nugent has written for several military
publications. He lives in Wells, Maine.
