Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield

Rating:
Summary: The Whirlpool of Gettysburg
Review: Every year from July 1 -- July 3, the National Park Service sponsors a series of anniversary battle walks at Gettysburg offering the opportunity to explore various aspects of the battle in depth and to tramp through the fields in which it was fought. This year, I had the good fortune to attend the 141st anniversary battle walks. On the hot, humid morning of July 2, 2004, together with my companion and about 200 other people fascinated by the Battle of Gettysburg, I walked through the tall grass of the 20 acre Wheatfield, stood in line formation on the ridge cutting through the middle of the Wheatfield, climbed up and down Stony Hill, and stood at the stone walls separating the east and southeast portions of the Wheatfield from Rose's woods. Throuhgout the walk, I had the benefit of an enthusiastic and informed presentation by Gettysburg Park Ranger Eric Campbell and the opportunity for fellowship and reflection. The battle walk gave me the opportunity to know the Wheatfield first-hand.

The battle walk also inspired me to read Jay Joregenson's recent book "Gettysburg's Bloody Wheatfield" which is devoted solely to an examination of events in this portion of the Battle of Gettysburg. As are many who write about the Civil War, Jorgenson is an amateur historian. His professional training and real-life job is as an attorney. The book gets off to a bit of a slow start. But after Jorgenson sets the stage, discusses the key actors, and explains how the troops found themselves fighting over the Wheatfield in the first place, the book picks up in power. In succinct, spare and clear prose, Joregenson describes in detail the events of this confusing and almost rudderless fighting. His account helped me reinforce and understand what I had seen for myself in the Wheatfield earlier in the year. It is a worthy telling of the story.

By way of brief summary, the action at the Wheatfield occured during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg on the Union left -- Confederate right. It was part of Confederate General Longstreet's furious attack on the Union position which commenced, after delay, at about 4:00 p.m. Just before the assault, Union Third Corps General Dan Sickles had ignored orders from the Union Commander, George Meade, and moved his troops forward about 3/4 of a mile to occupy a position which included, loosely held, the Wheatfield.

Longstreet's troops assaulted the position from three sides. Sickle's soldiers were reinforced by troops from the Union Fifth and Second Corps. Due to the improvisatory, unplanned nature of the fighting and the several different units involved there was little clear leadership of the fighting forces for either the Union or the Confederate troops. The battle seesawed back and forth for hours with great loss over the open plain of the Wheatfield and on the adjacent Stony Hill. Finally, the Confederates were able to surround the position on three sides and force the Union troops back to the area of Little Round Top. But this famous hill had been secured for the Union and the Confederates could make no futher headway.

The fight for the Wheatfield was highly confusing and the casualties and carnage were appalling. The Wheatfield was called "the Whirlpool" by the troops who fought over it. Put another way, there were many other wheatfields which saw sustained combat, even at Gettysburg, and certainly throughout the Civil War. But there is only one Wheatfield, and it was fought over desperately on the afternoon of July 2, 1863.

The best way to understand the action at the Wheatfield is to visit the site. For those that have done so, and for those that lack this opportunity, Jorgenson admirably tells its story and the story of the brave soldiers who fought there.

Rating:
Summary: Great coverage and insight!
Review: I have to admit being a bit skeptical of this book at first. I wasn't sure just how much of the Wheatfield battle could be covered in great detail being that the book is under 135 pages of material while the rest is for statistics, reference,etc.. I enjoyed the fact that in this book Jay Jorgensen skipped the usual pre-battle and political nonsense that seem to litter modern day books on Civil War subjects. Jorgensen quite quickly focused on the key players soon to be involved. He covered McClaw's division from their early marches until they prepared for battle on the second day awaiting to boldly set upon battle history.

Jorgensen was very clear on positioning and skipped the popular controvercy of the 2nd Day battle which may make some of the more educated Gettysburg Battle students happy to know. Jorgensen briefly mentions Lee's decisions, Sickle's movement or Longstreet's countermarch which I found refreshing. Instead, Jorgensen places you the reader alongside Anderson, Barksdale, Kershaw and others as they press forward into action in the late afternoon of the 2nd. As always I ask for maps and this book had plenty that I could use during the reading to understand the terrain and unit positions during the battle. It was great to look at the maps and see how they progressed as the action unfolded throughout the book and units either advanced or retreated.

Jay Jorgensen has put together a fine book on this seldom written about subject of the Wheatfield that I feel was very important to the outcome at Gettysburg. Though catastrophic to both sides, carrying this section of land was vital to Union success in regards to building a foundation for day 3. Jorgensens complete work was very exciting to read as he captures a lot of the action in regards to soldier personal accounts being added, descriptive fighting and bloodshed. This book is very thorough and covers the entire timeline of the Wheatfield battle. I highly recommend this book! 5 STARS!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Great coverage and insight!
Review: I have to admit being a bit skeptical of this book at first. I wasn't sure just how much of the Wheatfield battle could be covered in great detail being that the book is under 135 pages of material while the rest is for statistics, reference,etc.. I enjoyed the fact that in this book Jay Jorgensen skipped the usual pre-battle and political nonsense that seem to litter modern day books on Civil War subjects. Jorgensen quite quickly focused on the key players soon to be involved. He covered McClaw's division from their early marches until they prepared for battle on the second day awaiting to boldly set upon battle history.

Jorgensen was very clear on positioning and skipped the popular controvercy of the 2nd Day battle which may make some of the more educated Gettysburg Battle students happy to know. Jorgensen briefly mentions Lee's decisions, Sickle's movement or Longstreet's countermarch which I found refreshing. Instead, Jorgensen places you the reader alongside Anderson, Barksdale, Kershaw and others as they press forward into action in the late afternoon of the 2nd. As always I ask for maps and this book had plenty that I could use during the reading to understand the terrain and unit positions during the battle. It was great to look at the maps and see how they progressed as the action unfolded throughout the book and units either advanced or retreated.

Jay Jorgensen has put together a fine book on this seldom written about subject of the Wheatfield that I feel was very important to the outcome at Gettysburg. Though catastrophic to both sides, carrying this section of land was vital to Union success in regards to building a foundation for day 3. Jorgensens complete work was very exciting to read as he captures a lot of the action in regards to soldier personal accounts being added, descriptive fighting and bloodshed. This book is very thorough and covers the entire timeline of the Wheatfield battle. I highly recommend this book! 5 STARS!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent topic about a bloody phase of the battle
Review: Jay Jorgenson has done an outstanding job describing the bloody events of the Wheatfield during the Battle of Gettysburg. He describes in overview the events leading up to not only the Wheatfield struggle but also the battle itself.

In the Wheatfield many brigades from the Confederate and Union Armies were thrust against each other at very close range and thus tragic and bloody events followed. The Confederate Brigades(mainly the Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas Brigades) fought at close quarter against the Union Brigades (mainly Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York). In three long hours Jorgenson describes how lines of companies on both sides were simply decimated by intense firing of rifles, artillery, and hand-to-hand combat.

Jorgenson has made this intense phase of the Battle easy to understand and his maps and visual aids tremendously helps readers gain an understanding of how this struggle for the Wheatfield and beyond developed.

Both sides lost a tremendous amount of men, Jorgenson describes how not only dead soldiers filled the wheatfield but also hats, rifles, bayonets, personal items, and gruesomely, body parts of arms, legs, heads, and entrails littered the ground. This was a very climatic and bloody struggle. Both sides had tragic loss of men and material. Yet, the battle waged on all around them.

The Battle of Gettysburg was eventually a Union victory, however, the Wheatfield was not a clear victory for either side. Jorgenson acurately summarizes that the Confederate soldiers who fought and died became a commodity the Confederacy and the Army of Northern Virginia could hardly afford to replace.

I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War Historians and enthusiasts, and those who enjoy a very well written book.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent topic about a bloody phase of the battle
Review: Jay Jorgenson has done an outstanding job describing the bloody events of the Wheatfield during the Battle of Gettysburg. He describes in overview the events leading up to not only the Wheatfield struggle but also the battle itself.

In the Wheatfield many brigades from the Confederate and Union Armies were thrust against each other at very close range and thus tragic and bloody events followed. The Confederate Brigades(mainly the Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas Brigades) fought at close quarter against the Union Brigades (mainly Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York). In three long hours Jorgenson describes how lines of companies on both sides were simply decimated by intense firing of rifles, artillery, and hand-to-hand combat.

Jorgenson has made this intense phase of the Battle easy to understand and his maps and visual aids tremendously helps readers gain an understanding of how this struggle for the Wheatfield and beyond developed.

Both sides lost a tremendous amount of men, Jorgenson describes how not only dead soldiers filled the wheatfield but also hats, rifles, bayonets, personal items, and gruesomely, body parts of arms, legs, heads, and entrails littered the ground. This was a very climatic and bloody struggle. Both sides had tragic loss of men and material. Yet, the battle waged on all around them.

The Battle of Gettysburg was eventually a Union victory, however, the Wheatfield was not a clear victory for either side. Jorgenson acurately summarizes that the Confederate soldiers who fought and died became a commodity the Confederacy and the Army of Northern Virginia could hardly afford to replace.

I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War Historians and enthusiasts, and those who enjoy a very well written book.