Don't Give an Inch: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863—From Little Round Top to Cemetery Ridge

Emerging Civil War

by Daniel T. Davis, Chris Mackowski, Kristopher D. White

George Gordon Meade could hardly believe it: only three days earlier, he had been thrust unexpectedly into command of the Army of the Potomac, which was cautiously stalking its long-time foe, the Army of Northern Virginia, as it launched a bold invasion northward. Meade had hardly wrapped his head around the situation before everything exploded.

Outside the small college town of Gettysburg, Confederates had inexplicably turned on the lead elements of Meade’s army and attacked. The first day of battle had ended poorly for Federals, but by nightfall, they had found a lodgment on high ground south of town. There, they fortified—and waited. “Don’t give an inch, boys!” one Federal commander told his men.

The next day, July 2, 1863, would be one of the Civil War’s bloodiest. Confederate commander Robert E. Lee would launch his army at the Federal position in a series of assaults that would test the mettle of men on both sides in a way few had ever before been tested—and the Pennsylvania landscape would run red as a result.

With names that have become legendary—Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, Culp’s Hill—the second day at Gettysburg encompasses some of the best-known engagements of the Civil War. Yet those same stories have also become shrouded in mythology and misunderstanding.

In Don’t Give an Inch: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, Emerging Civil War historians Chris Mackowski and Daniel T. Davis peel back the layers to share both the real and often-overlooked stories of that fateful summer day. In the same engaging style that has invited thousands of readers into the Civil War’s most important stories, Mackowski and Davis share their intimate knowledge of the battlefield they both grew up on.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Civil War, American Civil War

395 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2016

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Little Round Top To Cemetery Ridge

The fighting on July 2, 1863, on the Union left and center includes some of the climactic and most confusing action of the Battle of Gettysburg. In their new book, "Don't Give an Inch: The Second Day at Gettysburg July 2, 1863, From Little Round Top to Cemetery Ridge" authors Chris Mackowski, Kristopher White, and Daniel Davis offer an accessible and riveting introduction to this critical aspect of the battle. The book is part of a series in process which will cover the entire three days of Gettysburg. Additional related books in the "Emerging Civil War Series" of Savas Beatie cover the movements of the armies leading to and from Gettysburg ("The Last Road North" by Orrison and Welch) together with individual actions such as the cavalry battle at Brandy Station ("Out Flew the Sabres" by Wittenberg and Davis).

"Don't Give an Inch" is organized as a driving tour of the battlefield. The book sets the stage by examining the status of the battle after the fighting on July 1 and the decisions the Confederate and Union high commands made in anticipation of the continuing contest. There are ten stops on the tour beginning with the new Seminary Ridge Museum and continuing through Pitizer's Woods, the Mississippi State Memorial and Warfield Ridge, Little Round Top and the 20th Maine position on East Little Round Top, Devil's Den, The Wheatfield, The Peach Orchard, the site of the wounding of Union general Dan Sickles, the 1st Minnesota Monument, and the High Water Mark, which roughly coincides with the High Water Mark of Pickett's Charge of July 3. The organization of the tour in itself gives a good overview of the course of the battle. The tour offers good clear driving and parking directions around the battlefield, including GPS coordinates.

At each stop on the tour, the authors explain briefly the important actions which occurred and place them in the context of the battle. The discussions also help the reader see the difficulties and controversies of the battle, including Sickles' movement of his Third Corps away from the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, and the role played by Joshua Chamberlain in the defense of Little Round Top. The reader will learn about the complexity of the battle, the dangers of drawing too quick conclusions, and about its never-ending fascination.

In addition to the text, the book includes many visual aids in photographs of battlefield sites and participants. The maps of each site and of the second day battlefield as a whole are good and detailed. I found the highlight of the various tour stops was the emphasis on monumentation. The authors spend a great deal of time with the many monuments at Gettysburg posted by the various units of the armies. They use the monuments to lead into the action and to explain why each monument was created, what it shows, and what it commemorates. The monuments of the field are an excellent introduction to the action -- they are still on the ground and visible, are important in themselves, and help the viewer understand what the participants thought important in this battle fought over 150 years ago. The commemorative monuments tend not to get much attention in longer, detailed studies of the battle.

The book includes three appendixes which offer a more detailed walking tour of the Wheatfield, an examination of the controversy surrounding Joshua Chamberlain's role at Little Round Top, an discussion of the famous battlefield photograph of the dead Confederate sharpshooter at Devil's Den, and an overview of the controversy between Union commander George Meade and his willful subordinate, Dan Sickles, following the battle.

In a thoughtful Epilogue, the authors offer their insights into why the Union succeeded and the Confederates failed at Gettysburg and in the actions on July 2. The Foreword to the book by Tom Huntington, author of a book about General George Meade, stresses the Union commander's often under-estimated role in the Battle. More importantly, Huntington points out the addictive nature of the study of the battle of Gettysburg. He writes that "the Gettysburg battlefield is populated by phantoms, created at the intersection of history and imagination. Once you fall under their spell, it's hard to tear yourself away. ..... be warned -- it's a gateway drug."

I have read a great deal about Gettysburg and about the portions of the battle discussed in this book. The test of a Gettysburg book for me is whether it rehooks me on the battle and moves me about actions which I have read and thought about several times in the past. This introduction brought home to me again the significance of Gettysburg and my fascination with the battle. Savas Beatie kindly provided me with a review copy.

Robin Friedman

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Give an Inch is about the second day of the most famous battle of the Civil War that covers Longstreet's attack and AP Hill's assault on the Union center. A lot of people don't know about that aspect of the battle since Longstreet's men and Union soldiers that fought at The Peach Orchard, The Wheatfield, Devil's Den, and Little Round Top get all the attention. Day 1 is my personal favorite of the three to learn about, but I have an interest in The Peach Orchard since I had an ancestor in the 114th Pennsylvania at Gettysburg.

This book provides a simple synopsis of what happened. The book begins with most people see Lee as the loser of the battle and George Meade is not the winner. The South lost Gettysburg because of mistakes, not because of the Union officers and troops, although George Pickett would disagree with the former since he stated after being asked why they lost at Gettysburg "I always thought the Yankees had something to do with it." This book presents how everything led up to the second day and Lee's reasoning for attacking and how Meade set up the Union position. Dan Sickles, who was quite the character, and my ancestor and so many others had the misfortune of being in his corps, did one of the biggest moves of the battle that is debated to this day. Ferocious fighting began around four o'clock in the afternoon and it seems the Confederates had a chance of victory, but the Yankees found a way to stand their ground and repel the Confederate assaults. Despite the carnage of the first two days, more was yet to come.

If you are looking for quick and simple reads about the Battle of Gettysburg, I recommend the Emerging Civil War series, but this book only covers a small portion and not all of day 2. I like that modern photos are provided to show what the perspective of a position during the battle looks today. A map is also provided of all stops that they recommend stopping. If you'd like to read something more in-depth, start with Stephen Sears or Noah Trudeau's book. After that, if you are still looking for greater detail, read the microhistories. I am preparing for the licensed battlefield guide exam in December, so please message me if you would like recommendations or if you have anything to share with me, feel free to contact me.

[Matthew Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Emerging Civil War Series has been a collection of excellent books introducing campaigns and battles which are less travelled than some of the major Civil War sites. But recently, the series is tackling the most travelled of all sites: Gettysburg. However, they are going about this in a completely different way than some of the other works in the series. Instead of devoting one book to the Battle of Gettysburg, the authors are splitting up the work into three volumes on the battle and one guide to the campaign as a whole. This treatment from the series not only gives the Emerging Civil War a chance to tackle this popular subject, but also offers some much needed information for those just getting into the realm of Civil War studies.
Chris Mackowski is the editor-in-chief of Emerging Civil War and splits his time between teaching writing at Saint Bonaventura University and Fredericksburg, Virginia where he is the historian in residence. He has worked previously at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Kristopher D. White is the chief historian for the Emerging Civil War and is also a historian for the Penn-Trafford Recreation Board. He is a graduate of Norwich University with a Masters in Military History. Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White are co-founders of Emerging Civil War. Daniel Davis is the managing editor of Emerging Civil War and is a graduate of Longwood University with a Bachelors in Public History. He is the co-author of Bloody Autumn: The Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, Hurricane from the Heavens: The Battle of Cold Harbor, May 26-June 5, 1864 and Calamity in Carolina: The Battles of Averasboro and Bentonville.
As it has been with many of the other Emerging Civil War books, this work is well organized to aid the reader in understanding where they are on the field. The chapters are split into the areas of the battle along with pictures of the people who participated and the field itself. One thing which stood out to me in this work was the narrative. After reading many Civil War books, especially books on Gettysburg, there were some parts in the narrative which seemed fresh to me. Through their writing style, the authors were able to make me feel like I was visiting this material for the first time. With the touring directions in the book, this work can very easily be one of the most enjoyable guides on the second day of combat I have read in some time. On top of the fantastic narrative, the book is expanded upon with the excellent appendices. The four appendices each cover a fascinating subject concerning the second day at Gettysburg ranging from the Hero of Little Round Top to the Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter. Readers should note that this book only covers the combat from Little Round Top to Cemetery Ridge. I have no doubt in my mind that these authors will bring us a work concerning the rest of the field including Culp’s Hill. Nevertheless, this is an excellent work and is a great partner to the previous volume on day one of Gettysburg.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg, especially those who are new to the study. This is a great work to take along with you on the battlefield in order to gain the full experience of the campaign. The Emerging Civil War Series has released yet another good book and I anticipate the book on the third day.

Matthew Bartlett

[Straw · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person accounts of the second day. What isn't there to love?

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a part of a series by Savas Beatie, a series on Civil War battles and campaigns with a twist. Along with relatively brief discussions of the subject at hand goes a "tour guide," where readers are told where to go on the battlefield site to see key points. In that respect, this is a nice series. If you want a lot of detail on battles, this is not a series for you. But if you are interested in the battle and how one might see key aspects of the scene, then this is a valuable little volume.

Here, the subject is the second day of Gettysburg, with some emphasis on the III Corps struggle and the fight at Devil's Den and Little Round Top. One gets a sense of the ebb and flow of the fight--and a near thing it was at some times.

One frustration: At one point, the book seems to suggest that Joshua Chamberlain may have overstated his role (this is not the only book that mentioned that)--but there was really no follow up. My curiosity had been picqued.

But, overall, a nice addition to the series.

[W Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful overview of the attack by Longstreet on the southern end of the Gettysburg battlefield on July 2nd. Includes a driving tour of the action and a walking tour of the Wheatfield.

[George Kasnic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series of books. They seem to accent the union participants in these battles. As someone who read this history as a teenager, except for Bruce Catton, who grew up hearing the stories of GAR vets, the 70’s were rife with Lost Cause nonsense and facile history. I did not realize until I was in uniform myself that the Army of the Potomac was truly the most heroic formation in American history, and its soldiers and officers a national treasure. It’s easy to suit up and be motivated when you are winning, the mythos of the ANG. But the AoP answered every call, outlasting and outfighting their opponents and saving the republic. They are America’s military legacy.

These books are quick hitters, using the geography of the battlefield to tell the chronological story. More than a battlefield tour guide, although the deliberately are such, they personalize the battle offering its end and flow. Rife with maps lavishly complemented by both historic and modern photographs, you will find yourself taken to the field. Working my way through the series.

[Mark Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A summary/overview of the fighting on the southern end of the Gettysburg battlefield on July 2, the second day of fighting. This includes fighting on Little Round Top, Devils Den, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, and Cemetery Ridge. The boom is framed as a tour with 10 stops. There is enough information to provide understanding about what happened (and why). There are plenty of pictures and anecdotes to add color to the narrative (though several of the pictures are too small or dark to be useful).

The ten stops represent the big events on the battlefield, introducing nothing particularly new or rarely visited (like the stop on Coster Ave in the day 1 book). But the summary of the Wheatfield is one of the better ones I’ve read.

Like the Day 1 Gettysburg book in this series, the essays at the end included as appendices are interesting and helpful. Especially noteworthy is the walking tour of the Wheatfield and the accounts of Chamberlain v Spears and Sickles v Meade.

The books in the Emerging Civil War series are not meant to be exhaustive but rather provide excellent launching points for general understanding and/or further study. Again, mission accomplished.