When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg: The Tragic Aftermath of the Bloodiest Battle of the Civil War

Rating:
Summary: Like being there yourself
Review: Anyone who wants to know how people ACTUALLY REACTED in a time of horrible stress and its tragic aftermath owes it to themselves to read "When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg." The author did an amazing job of putting together this fascinating historical treatise using material from diverse sources including newspapers, photographs, diaries, firsthand accounts, personal memoirs, letters and more. An enormous undertaking, Sheldon coordinated his research into a coherent whole that clearly shows the importance of Gettysburg to the Civil War and the lives it directly impacted. Which was all of us, of course.

But the greatest thing about this book is that you don't need to be a Civil War scholar to appreciate it. Just a human being.

Rating:
Summary: Like being there yourself
Review: Anyone who wants to know how people ACTUALLY REACTED in a time of horrible stress and its tragic aftermath owes it to themselves to read "When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg." The author did an amazing job of putting together this fascinating historical treatise using material from diverse sources including newspapers, photographs, diaries, firsthand accounts, personal memoirs, letters and more. An enormous undertaking, Sheldon coordinated his research into a coherent whole that clearly shows the importance of Gettysburg to the Civil War and the lives it directly impacted. Which was all of us, of course.

But the greatest thing about this book is that you don't need to be a Civil War scholar to appreciate it. Just a human being.

Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking information about Gettysburg aftermath
Review: Often times we read books about the battles, the strategies, the armies of the Civil War, but never have I read a book like this one about the experiences of the people of Gettysburg dealing with the aftermath of the Battle.

Since reading this book I have a deeper respect for the common citizen of Gettysburg during that famous battle. Little did they know how this would change them.
George Sheldon has done a fabulous job in researching and writing this informative book. I am enriched to have been able to read and undestand more about life during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Rating:
Summary: The Aftermath of Gettysburg
Review: The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1--3, 1863) was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, resulting in over 51, 000 casualties. The Battle itself was only the climax of Robert E. Lee's Pennsylvania campaign which also included a raid on Gettysburg by Confederate General Jubal Early on June 26, and a long difficult retreat back to Virginia by Lee's defeated army following the battle.

The story of this great battle has been told many times. Although there are also good accounts of the aftermath of the battle and of the effects of the battle on the town, they are not as numerous as the books devoted to the combat and, frequently, tend to be devoted to specific issues (such as the care of the wounded following the battle.)

I found George Sheldon's book "When the Smoke Cleared at Gettysburg" (2003) performed a real service. It presents a good overview of the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg in a simple clear way. The book is intended for nonspecialists with an interest in the battle and in the Civil War. On the whole, it is ably written and well researched. I learned a great deal from it.

The book begins with a good and appropriate overview of the history of the town of Gettysburg before the Civil War, including its demographics (about eight percent of the residents of Gettysburg were African American) and politics. There is a discussion of the effect on the town of the pending Confederate invasion during June, 1863 and of the effect of Early's raid late in June. This is followed by a brief treatment of the Battle itself. There is an excellent picture of the Confederate Army's retreat through the mud and the rain beginning on July 4 and of the hardships the retreat imposed on many wounded soldiers.

The book describes very well the carnage of the Battle and of the strain that burying the dead and caring for the wounded put upon a small Pennsylvania town of 2400 people. The horrors and unsanitary conditions of the field hospitals are well described. I also found this book give a good basic treatment of the assistance provided by the United States Sanitary Commission and the United States Christian Commission in caring for the wounded at Gettysburg. The book also discusses the history of Camp Letterman, the hospital facility that the military established east of Gettysburg two weeks after the battle to care for the wounded. The information is given in sufficient detail to be useful but it does not purport to be a full history of the subject.

The book discusses the effect of Gettysburg on the civilian population with good, clear, and specific references to some of the townspeople who wrote memoirs of their experiences. Again the coverage was sufficient to be informative without making a pretense of being exhaustive. The book also pays attention to African Americans in Gettysburg and the effect of the Battle and of Lee's invasion upon them. This is an area that has not been fully studied, and Mr. Sheldon's book helps fill a real gap.

The book discusses the burial of the dead of Gettysburg and the exhumation and reburial of many of them in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. There is a short treatment of the dedication of the Cemetery and of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The book then concludes with a short history of the creation and administration of the Gettysburg Military Park, currently administered by the National Park Service, and of the reunions of veterans at Gettysburg in 1913 and 1938. The book bears eloquent, if brief, testimony to the importance Gettysburg has assumed to many Americans over the years.

This book is written in a popular, journalistic way but it should not be underestimated. Mr. Sheldon has done his research and has succinctly told the basics of an important story in a single book. The reader wanting to learn about the aftermath of Gettysburg will not be disappointed. This is a good book for the student of the Battle of Gettysburg and of the American Civil War.

Rating:
Summary: An intersting history about the battle...
Review: This book tells parts of the story of the Battle of Gettysburg that are not generally known. The author details the early history of Gettysburg before the battle, as well as giving information about what the citizens did during the battle. Most of the book is concerned with the aftermath of the battle, as it concerns the soldiers, citizens and the town itself. Primarily, the book is a history of the town of Gettysburg and its citizens, as told by diaries handed down by the citizens of the town. Surprisingly, this story has been little told, and even though I have read much about the Civil War, I found much new, insightful information in this book. If you are looking for a Civil War book which offers a different perspective on an often-told story, this book is for you. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: The challenge is enduring this book....
Review: Travel back into the past and become a member of a community that found themselves in the right place at the wrong time. Feel the fears they felt as they found themselves at the center of the most decisive battle of the Civil War. Hear the horrifying sounds of carnage and death surrounding you. See the smoke clear and view the devastation that remains in your once peaceful and serene hamlet nestled in the rolling hills of south central Pennsylvania. Smell the stench that only the brutality of war can leave behind.
Join George Sheldon as he masterfully takes you on a journey of memories. A journey that will give you more than a taste of what it was like to be in the right place at the wrong time. Are you up for the challenge?

Rating:
Summary: A poignant and profoundly vivid narrative
Review: When The Smoke Cleared At Gettysburg: The Tragic Aftermath Of The Bloodiest Battle Of The Civil War by newspaper correspondent and author George Sheldon, presents objective overview of the aftermath of one of the American Civil War's most important battles, including firsthand, personal accounts of the Gettysburg townspeople, as well as the soldiers, reporters, doctors and others who had to deal with burying the dead, tending the wounded, and rebuilding a place shattered by war. A poignant and profoundly vivid narrative, When The Smoke Cleared At Gettysburg: The Tragic Aftermath Of The Bloodiest Battle Of The Civil War is an original, "reader friendly", and very highly recommended addition to the growing library of Civil War Studies.