More than 150 years after the event, the grand attack against the Union
position on Cemetery Ridge still emotionally resonates with Gettysburg
enthusiasts like no other aspect of the battle. On the afternoon of July
3, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered more than 12,000 Southern
infantrymen to undertake what would become the most legendary charge in
American military history. This attack, popularly but inaccurately known
as "Pickett's Charge," is often considered the turning point of the
Civil War's seminal battle of Gettysburg. Although much has been written
about the battle itself and Pickett's Charge in particular, Pickett's
Charge at Gettysburg is the first battlefield guide for this celebrated
assault.
After the war, one staff officer perceptively observed that the charge
"has been more criticized, and is still less understood, than any other
act of the Gettysburg drama." Unfortunately, what was true then remains
true to this day. The authors of this book--two of Gettysburg's elite
Licensed Battlefield Guides--have teamed up with one of the Civil War's
leading cartographers to unravel the mysteries of this attack.
Grounded in the premise that no better resource exists for understanding
this unique event than the battlefield itself, Pickett's Charge at
Gettysburg encourages its readers to explore this storied event from a
wide variety of perspectives. For the first time, readers can march
toward the Copse of Trees with Armistead's Virginians, advance from the
Confederate left with Pettigrew's North Carolinians, or defend the Angle
with Alonzo Cushing's gunners and thousands of Union soldiers. There is
much here to enrich the experience, including dozens of full-color
original maps, scores of battlefield and other historic photographs, a
unique mix of rare human interest stories, discussions of leadership
controversies, a full Order of Battle, and a rare collection of
artifacts directly related to the charge.
Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg is designed for readers to enjoy on or
off the battlefield, and will give Civil War enthusiasts an entirely new
appreciation for, and understanding of, Gettysburg's third day of
battle.
