The Battle of Gettysburg

Rating:
Summary: A review of the battle from a present Union officer.
Review: A great read of the historical turning point of the U. S. Civil War. Haskell describes the three days of battle and the aftermath. Haskell was subsequently killed in one of the latter battles of the Civil War. Although inaccurate at places, it gives a first hand account of this battle, and the subsequent suffering of the soldiers. This is a good account of the life of a soldier.

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing first person account of the Battle of Gettysburg
Review: Colonel Haskell's perspective on the Battle of Gettysburg provides intriguing detail and insight omitted by secondary sources.

Rating:
Summary: Haskell's "True Grand Epic of Gettysburg"
Review: Frank Haskell (1828-1864) left the practice of law in Wisconsin at the outbreak of the Civil War and became a Lieutenant and an aide to Union General John Gibbon. He was killed at Cold Harbor in 1864.

Haskell is remembered for two related reasons. First, he performed heroically during Pickett's charge on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Almost singlehandledly, he rallied the Union troops after the Confederates had breached the Wall and saw to the movement of supports from one portion of the line to another. Union Generals Hancock and Harrow, as well as Gibbon lavished praise on Haskell, with Gibbon writing that "I have always thought that to him, more than to any one man, are we indebted for the repulse of Lee's assault."

The second reason for remembering Haskell is the book under review. Haskell wrote it in mid-July, 1863 when the Battle of Gettysburg remained vivid in his mind. The book was initially cast as a long letter to Haskell's brother in Wisconsin and did not appear as a published book for a general audience until 1898. Haskell's book is one of the best first-hand sources we possess for the Battle of Gettysburg. It is not, Haskell himself knew, a complete history of the Battle but focuses on what Haskell saw and heard. The story is told with a passion, sweep, and literary skill that is moving. (Some modern readers may find the style overbearing at times.) Those who have studied the Battle of Gettysburg through the many secondary sources that are available, (Coddington, Sears, Trudeau, Pfanz, and others) will learn a great deal about the battle and the troops who fought from the immediacy and force of Haskell's account.

Haskell's book covers all three days of the Battle. It includes little material on the first day since, as part of the Second Corps of the Union Army, Haskell did not witness the events of that day. There is considerable material on the second day of the battle focusing on the efforts of the Union Second and Fifth Corps in repulsing Longstreet's and Hill's assault on the Union left and center. Haskell also describes well General Meade's "Council of War" on the evening of July 2 and the Generals who participated.

The chief subject of the book is the third day of Gettysburg -- commonly known as Pickett's charge. Haskell's writing picks up sweep and describes the events of that day from the opening preparations, to the famous lunch of the Federal generals before the opening of the Battle, through the cannonade, assault, breaching of the Wall and repulse. As stated above, Haskell played a pivotal role in rallying the troops at the wall to repulse the assault. Haskell's book remains an invaluable first-hand source for Pickett's charge, but it transcends them. It is a work of literature and of the history of the Civil War in its own right.

Haskell also describes the aftermath of the battle and the attempts of the Union troops and civilians in the area to care for the wounded and bury the dead. Interestingly, Haskell witnessed and took the trouble to record the visits of tourists and curiosity-seekers to Gettysburg immediately after the Battle. Visits have continued, of course, since that time as Gettysburg became a national shrine.

Haskell realized the difficulty that historians would have in describing the battle and in coming to a full understanding of what took place at Gettysburg. He had the wisdom to recognize that his own account captured his own impressions and experiences only and was not the full story. He wrote that "by-and by, out of the chaos of trash and falsehood that the newspapers hold, out of the disjointed mass of reports, out of the traditions and tales that come down from the field, some eye that never saw the battle will select, and some pen will write, what will be named 'the history'. With that the world will be and, if we are alive, we must be, content."

Haskell knew that a great event in our nation's history took place at Gettysburg. He voiced his hope that the Battle would lead to a stronger united nation devoted to freedom and to the best of its ideals. His book concludes with the observation that "Tradition, story, history -- all will not eface the true, grand epic of Gettysburg".

Rating:
Summary: Haskell's "True Grand Epic of Gettysburg"
Review: Frank Haskell (1828-1864) left the practice of law in Wisconsin at the outbreak of the Civil War and became a Lieutenant and an aide to Union General John Gibbon. He was killed at Cold Harbor in 1864.

Haskell is remembered for two related reasons. First, he performed heroically during Pickett's charge on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Almost singlehandledly, he rallied the Union troops after the Confederates had breached the Wall and saw to the movement of supports from one portion of the line to another. Union Generals Hancock and Harrow, as well as Gibbon lavished praise on Haskell, with Gibbon writing that "I have always thought that to him, more than to any one man, are we indebted for the repulse of Lee's assault."

The second reason for remembering Haskell is the book under review. Haskell wrote it in mid-July, 1863 when the Battle of Gettysburg remained vivid in his mind. The book was initially cast as a long letter to Haskell's brother in Wisconsin and did not appear as a published book for a general audience until 1898. Haskell's book is one of the best first-hand sources we possess for the Battle of Gettysburg. It is not, Haskell himself knew, a complete history of the Battle but focuses on what Haskell saw and heard. The story is told with a passion, sweep, and literary skill that is moving. (Some modern readers may find the style overbearing at times.) Those who have studied the Battle of Gettysburg through the many secondary sources that are available, (Coddington, Sears, Trudeau, Pfanz, and others) will learn a great deal about the battle and the troops who fought from the immediacy and force of Haskell's account.

Haskell's book covers all three days of the Battle. It includes little material on the first day since, as part of the Second Corps of the Union Army, Haskell did not witness the events of that day. There is considerable material on the second day of the battle focusing on the efforts of the Union Second and Fifth Corps in repulsing Longstreet's and Hill's assault on the Union left and center. Haskell also describes well General Meade's "Council of War" on the evening of July 2 and the Generals who participated.

The chief subject of the book is the third day of Gettysburg -- commonly known as Pickett's charge. Haskell's writing picks up sweep and describes the events of that day from the opening preparations, to the famous lunch of the Federal generals before the opening of the Battle, through the cannonade, assault, breaching of the Wall and repulse. As stated above, Haskell played a pivotal role in rallying the troops at the wall to repulse the assault. Haskell's book remains an invaluable first-hand source for Pickett's charge, but it transcends them. It is a work of literature and of the history of the Civil War in its own right.

Haskell also describes the aftermath of the battle and the attempts of the Union troops and civilians in the area to care for the wounded and bury the dead. Interestingly, Haskell witnessed and took the trouble to record the visits of tourists and curiosity-seekers to Gettysburg immediately after the Battle. Visits have continued, of course, since that time as Gettysburg became a national shrine.

Haskell realized the difficulty that historians would have in describing the battle and in coming to a full understanding of what took place at Gettysburg. He had the wisdom to recognize that his own account captured his own impressions and experiences only and was not the full story. He wrote that "by-and by, out of the chaos of trash and falsehood that the newspapers hold, out of the disjointed mass of reports, out of the traditions and tales that come down from the field, some eye that never saw the battle will select, and some pen will write, what will be named 'the history'. With that the world will be and, if we are alive, we must be, content."

Haskell knew that a great event in our nation's history took place at Gettysburg. He voiced his hope that the Battle would lead to a stronger united nation devoted to freedom and to the best of its ideals. His book concludes with the observation that "Tradition, story, history -- all will not eface the true, grand epic of Gettysburg".