Gettysburg by Frank A. Haskell

Gettysburg Reviews

• 
  Tania

  Gettysburg: Two Eyewitness Accounts holds an important place in documenting the Civil War. This book combines the stories of a key participant on each side: Col. William C. Oates of the Confederate Army and Lt. Frank A. Haskell of the Union Army - into one volume. Each man shares his retrospective of the Battle of Gettysburg, leading us through a detailed account of those days in July during which both armies suffered incredible losses and fought valiantly. They describe their men and the conditions under which they survived, and died, in battle, their fellow officers, and the beliefs they fought to protect. They analyze their strategies and dissect their outcomes for the good and bad. Each man stays true to his cause, and through their conviction we get a feel for what this major battle felt like and why it was fought. Their accounts are peppered with maps and pictures relevant to their stories.
  
  In addition to the personal accounts of these men, the editor gives us an introduction by Glenn La Fantasie that introduces the reader to these men, lays out a timeline for their lives and for the war, and puts their accounts into context which only time can provide. Their accounts are compared to others from the same time, and inconsistencies are pointed out. This is a nice way to give the reader a frame of reference. The editor also writes an afterword that summarizes the Civil War and touches on the books and movies that have sought to capture the details and horrors of it.
  
  Two other interesting features are included in this book that should not be overlooked - (1) Order of the Battle Armies, which outlines the armed forces and officers present during the battle, and (2) Civil War Chronology, which gives the reader a timeline of the entire war.
  
  There is a lot to read here - both officers shared quite a bit of detail and took great pains to record their memories of the battle and their reasons for fighting. At times they praise their fellow officers, and at times they censure them. The introduction does a nice job of analyzing why this is so and whether the author believes it is warranted in each case. It provides an in-depth perspective of both sides of this terrible war in general and this epic battle specifically, and readers can get a sense of what was at stake and what kinds of sacrifices were made by men fighting for a cause. Reading this volume will at the very least shed some light on the true character of these two men and the horrific Battle of Gettysburg.
• 
  Fergie

  Like Mary Chestnut's first hand account of the American Civil War, this book offers a glimpse of what the war was like from a soldier's perspective. More specifically, the book accounts for the experiences of one Union and one Confederate officer as they led their men into the battle of Gettysburg. I read this book years ago but can recall the depth and meaning in both men's words and its impact on me, the modern reader. While Lt. Haskell's account (Northern) was written with a keener sense of language -- often verging on poetic, Lt. Oates (Southern) was not lacking in its attention to detail or passionate regard for his side's cause. A worthy read for any fan of history.
• 
  Tom Darrow

  Classic memoir from both sides of the war. The appendices at the end contain the command structure of both armies, down to regimental commanders. Very valuable.