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. This book is the first detailed military history of Lees 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. Lees post-battle task was to successfully withdraw his army across the Potomac River. Union commander George G. Meades equally difficult assignment was to intercept the effort and destroy his enemy. 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. 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.
| Foreword |
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viii | |
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| Preface |
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xii | |
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| Introduction and Acknowledgments |
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xv | |
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1 A Vast Sea of Misery: The Wagon Train of the Wounded |
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1 | (26) |
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2 The Retreat of the Main Confederate Army Begins |
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27 | (22) |
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3 July 4: The Midnight Fight in the Monterey Pass |
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49 | (26) |
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75 | (16) |
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5 The Confederates Garrison Williamsport |
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91 | (16) |
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6 July 6: The Battle of Hagerstown |
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107 | (16) |
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7 July 6: The Battle for Williamsport |
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123 | (20) |
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8 July 7: In Full Pursuit |
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143 | (20) |
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9 July 7: Skirmish at the College of St. James and the First Battle of Funkstown |
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163 | (10) |
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10 July 8: Heavy Fighting at Beaver Creek Bridge and Boonsboro |
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173 | (26) |
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11 July 9: Sniping Along the Lines |
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199 | (8) |
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12 July 10: The Second Battle of Funkstown |
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207 | (28) |
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13 July 11: The Armies Jockey for Position |
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235 | (14) |
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14 July 12: The Second Battle of Hagerstown |
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249 | (14) |
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15 July 13: A Frustrating Day Spent Waiting |
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263 | (12) |
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16 July 14: The Crossings at Williamsport and Falling Waters |
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275 | (24) |
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17 The Federal Advance and Aftermath |
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299 | (16) |
| Conclusion |
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315 | (30) |
| Epilogue |
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345 | (4) |
| Appendix A Driving Tour: The Retreat from Gettysburg |
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349 | (28) |
| Appendix B Driving Tour: The Wagon Train of the Wounded |
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377 | (14) |
| Appendix C Order of Battle |
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391 | (18) |
| Notes |
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409 | (55) |
| Bibliography |
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464 | (40) |
| Index |
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504 | |
Eric J. Wittenberg is an accomplished American Civil War cavalry historian and author. An attorney in Ohio, Wittenberg has authored more than two dozen articles in popular magazines and a dozen books, including (with co-authors J. David Petruzzi and Michael F. Nugent) One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lees Army of Northern Virginia, July 4 - 14, 1863; The Battle of Brandy Station; and (with J. David Petruzzi) Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuarts Controversial Ride to Gettysburg. Erics first book, Gettysburgs Forgotten Cavalry Actions, won the prestigious 1998 Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award. 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, Americas Civil War, Blue & Gray, and Civil War Times Illustrated. An insurance broker in Pennsylvania, he co-wrote (with Eric Wittenberg) Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuarts Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (Savas Beatie, 2006); (with Wittenberg and Michael F. Nugent) One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lees Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 (Savas Beatie, 2008); 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), which won the U.S. Army Historical Foundations 2009 Distinguished Writing Award, Reference Category. With Stanley, he also produced 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.
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