Gettsyburg July 1

• Author: Major Jerrett W. Dunlap, Jr.
• Pages: 08

2006] BOOK REVIEWS 195

GETTYSBURG JULY 11

REVIEWED BY MAJOR JERRETT W. DUNLAP, JR. 2

Hundreds of the Confederates fell at the first volley, plainly marking their line with a ghastly row of dead and wounded men, whose blood trailed the course of their line with a crimson stain clearly discernable for several days after the battle, until the rain washed the gory record away.3

Dr. David G. Martin's epic account of the first day of the Civil War's most decisive battle4 ensures that neither rain nor time itself will wash away the heroic acts of 1 July 1863. Dr. Martin undertakes to write "the most detailed account of the first day's battle yet written."5 He also attempts to investigate the numerous controversies surrounding day one of the battle.6 Dr. Martin proposes that "the decisive battle between Lee and Meade could have occurred anywhere between York, [Pennsylvania], and Frederick, [Maryland]."7 He concludes that the battle occurred at Gettysburg on 1 July 1863 due to "specific decisions" of the commanding generals in the days immediately prior to, as well as the morning of, the battle.8 Dr. Martin's narrative is an exhaustive work that marches through each aspect of the battle with painstaking detail. The result is a resource that belongs in all devoted Civil War students' reference collection. Gettysburg July 1 also serves as a useful text for a judge advocate officer leadership development program (LDP), because of its descriptions of the leadership styles, examples, and decisions of the battle's prominent leaders. Ultimately, a thorough reading of Gettysburg July 1 leaves the reader with an intimate familiarity of day one of the battle, its leaders, and the heroic struggle of the tens of thousands of brave American Soldiers who fought that day, which time cannot wash away.

Foundations

Dr. Martin dedicated Gettysburg July 1 to his mother and father, "who fostered and nourished [his] passion for history from the beginning."9 It is clear that passion forms the foundation of such a well-researched and thorough narrative. Dr. Martin states that he has been "longing" to write this book since adulthood.10 This work is not his first foray into historical authorship, however. He received a Ph.D. from Princeton University and has authored over twenty books on the Civil War and the Revolutionary War.11 His stellar credentials and detailed research and analysis, combined with a passion for history, all result in a professional reference book about the first day of battle at Gettysburg that a student of the Civil War can turn to again and again.

Gettysburg July 1 is not for the uninitiated Civil War historian or those lacking an understanding of the battle. It contains 736 pages, 2,652 endnotes, and an eighteen-page bibliography detailing the hundreds of sources relied upon. 12 Dr. Martin puts the battle at Gettysburg under the microscope again and again. He describes all aspects of the battle, to include an analysis of the terrain, the number and disposition of troops, orders and guidance from leaders, quotations and personal accounts of the battle, and causalities.13 Although this level of detail may not be appropriate for readers desiring an overview of the battle, 14 it is fitting for more serious students of the battle. He also analyzes numerous major and minor controversies throughout the book,15 many of them well

known to students of the battle. He first describes the nature of each controversy, then examines multiple accounts describing the facts surrounding the controversy, and finally compares and discusses which version is most reliable.16 Dr. Martin's analysis is always well documented, balanced, and reaches a logical result. Given his impeccable qualifications and research, it is certainly difficult to argue with his conclusions, which always appear to be reasonable. The examination of these controversies, when combined with the detailed treatment of the battle, provides interesting information that should appeal to serious students of the battle. Nevertheless, this may prove to be more than a Gettysburg neophyte bargained for.

Dr. Martin lays the foundation for the battle by providing specific information regarding to the location and movement of GEN Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia beginning on 26 June 1863.17 He then discusses in detail GEN Lee's strategic objective, namely to locate and defeat the Army of the Potomac.18 The discussion includes numerous sources to establish GEN Lee's intent, which was to concentrate the bulk of his forces against portions of Major General (MG) George G. Meade's forces,19 while avoiding a "pitched battle as the aggressor."20 Dr. Martin also provides a similar description of the location and movements of MG Meade's Army of the Potomac and his objectives.21 Major General

Meade...