The Battle Between the Farm Lanes: Hancock Saves the Union Center: Gettysburg July 2, 1863

by David L. Shultz (Collaborator), David Wieck

Gettysburg, late afternoon, Thursday, July 2, 1863.

The Union left wing is a shambles. General Dan Sickles has been carried from the field with a gruesome wound and his Third Corps is in full retreat.

Confederate troops cross the Emmitsburg Road and advance on the center of the Union position. There is no coherent Union line, just two-thirds of an over-extended Second Corps scattered the length of Cemetery Ridge. A desperate Winfield Scott Hancock organizes a defense, placing artillery batteries, hurling regiments forward, trading men for time. It is a masterful performance under extreme conditions.

The Union and Confederate forces collide in Plum Run Ravine. More than at any other point in the three days of fighting, the issue hangs in the balance. This great battle is reduced to less than an acre of ground.

This book pays close attention to the terrain, how it shaped the battle, how it dictated the movement of troops and how it guided Hancock's decisions. The thrilling narrative and the detailed driving and walking tour make it a must for both casual and serious students of the battle.

Genres: Civil War

300 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2006

Reviews

[Zack · Rating 2 out of 5]

David Schultz and David Wieck present a commendable study of the struggle for the Federal left center at Gettysburg on the evening of July 2. The reader can tell from Battle Between the Farm Lanes that Schultz and Wieck are well-informed masters of this particular action, but this work nonetheless suffers from a few distractions. Offering great tactical detail (which this book does) comes with the great responsibility of making such detail readily understood. At times, this book seems as chaotic as the event itself, particularly when the 1st MN and 111th NY are pushing back Wilcox's Alabamians. In addition to fine-tuning the tactical sections, this volume could certainly have used a dozen additional maps. The maps provided are far too few and difficult to decipher. Despite these flaws, the immense volume of information that these two masterful researchers have managed to compile into a compelling story is impressive. Particularly engaging (and certainly convincing) is the effort to raise the stature and importance of the 111th NY in the action.

[Ed P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb book in that this is one of the more puzzling parts of the second day's action at Gettysburg. This gives a real sense of how the artillery played such an underestimated role in the Army of the Potomac's success in repelling Lee's infantry assaults at Gettysburg.