Gettysburg Daily

Fascinating posts at Gettysburgdaily.com. They are doing an exclusive on Little Round Top and its impact on history. I have read the host's (Gerry Adelman) books and he has an intersting take on the historgraphy of that small, rocky hill in southern PA.

Here are the links to the posts:

Part 1: http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=7132

Part 2: http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=7173

Part 3: http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=7183

Little Round Top

I sat there alone on the storied crest, till the sun went down as it did before the misty hills, and the darkness crept up the slopes, till from all earthly sight I was buried as with those before. But oh, what radiant companionship was election around, what steadfast ranks of power, what bearing of heroic souls. Oh, the glory that beamed through those nights and days. Nobody will ever know it here!- I am sorry most of all for that.” May 1913

Book Review #12 "The Myth of Little Round Top" by Garry E. Adelman

Since my Gettysburg trip is still in the recent past I figured that my next book review should focus on a Gettysburg book. Remember reading your history and learning that if the Confederate army had succeeded in carrying Little Round Top then they would have won the battle? Author Garry E. Adelman states that this version of history is false and he wrote a 100 page book to discuss his views and thesis.

If i revealed Alderman's viewpoints then it would ruin the book for you so instead I will focus on what you get with the book which is modestly prices at $12.95. Adelman incudes three appendix which will be my focal point here. The first appendix is the sterotypical Order of Battle for both sides during the battle. That is usually in every Gettysburg book so I will not speak anymore of it. The second appendix includes the casuality list for those regiments who were engaged at Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. Incuded are the number engaged, killed, wounded, missing, totals, and % Lost.

The third appendix is awesome. Standing alone the third appendix is worth the purchase if you are interested in this part of the battle. In this appendix, Alderman lists the major primary and secondary sources in what he calls a "historiography of Little Round Top". This includes a chart of one hundred or so sources written about the struggle for that rocky hill to show how the views of Little Round Top has changed over the years. The list is chronologically through time, by type of source the manner of importance placed upon Little Round Top by the author. You can see how each source explains the importance of Little Round Top. Its great stuff and should you get the opportunity to purchase this book it is highly recommended.

As a final note, his reasoning for the myth is broken in chapter one with a history of fight for Little Round Top, the second chapter explores the Legend of Little Round Top and how it grew ove the course of the latter part of the 1800's and the early 1900's. The final chapter deals with the military analysis of Little Round Top and what would or could have happened if the Confederates had taken that hill. the answer to that question might surprise you. If you get a chance purchase Garry E. Adelman's "The Myth of Little Round Top".

Little Round Top after 20 years

Its been 20 years since I walked the hill of Little Round Top. I know that historians today have researched the fact that the drama that unfolded on that rocky hill in July of 1863 is overrated and overshadows the situation that occurred further north at the Peach Orchard, The Wheatfield, Devils Den and the lower part of Cemetery Ridge. But as I have written in earlier blogs (Blog 1 & Blog 2) I love Little Round Top. I still believe that it was the most important part of the Gettysburg battlefield regardless of its importance being overrated.

Another cool thing about the trip was that I brought my 11 year old nephew to the battlefield. The first time that I went to Gettysburg was in 1986 and I was only slightly younger than my nephew is and it was exciting to show him to the battlefield. I already want to go back to Gettysburg.

I just learned about a new Gettysburg book

I just learned about a new Gettysburg book that was written by a person from Western New York. As you may know I was born in Niagara Falls, New York and since I am from that area I love finding materials from writers who hail from the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area. The authors name is James A. Hessler and his book is on an amazing topic that historians have debated for decades.

General Dan Sickles is one of the most colorful and controvisial figures in Civil War history and may be one of the most conttrovisial figures in American History. He was a man who murdered his wifes lover in cold blood and got away with it. He disobayed orders at Gettysburg, abondonded Little Round Top and marched his men into areas still remembered for the ferocity of the fighing that happened there; the Wheatfield, Devils Den, The Slaughter Pen, the Peach Orchard, the Valley of Death.

Here is a copied portion from the publishers webpage:

Sickles at Gettysburg: The Controversial Civil War General Who Committed Murder, Abandoned Little Round Top, and Declared Himself the Hero of Gettysburg, by licensed battlefield guide James Hessler, is the most deeply-researched, full-length biography to appear on this remarkable American icon. And it is long overdue.

No individual who fought at Gettysburg was more controversial, both personally and professionally, than Major General Daniel E. Sickles. By 1863, Sickles was notorious as a disgraced former Congressman who murdered his wife's lover on the streets of Washington and used America's first temporary insanity defense to escape justice. With his political career in ruins, Sickles used his connections with President Lincoln to obtain a prominent command in the Army of the Potomac's Third Corps-despite having no military experience. At Gettysburg, he openly disobeyed orders in one of the most controversial decisions in military history.

Most likely I will wait for this book to enter the market as a paperback because I am not an avid fan of hardcover books. However, I think this one is a keeper and a welcomed addition to my Civil War library. The book comes out on June 29 so check it out on Amazon and order a copy! This one is going to be a great read!

http://www.savasbeatie.com/books/SICKLES_book.htm

Error in Ken Burns: The Civil War

I found an error in one of the first hand accounts contained in Ken Burns: The Civil War. The issue concerns Confederate Colonel William C. Oates comments regarding the Round Tops. The series introduces Oates as the commander of the 15th Alabama which is not a lie but when he refers to "Within half an hour I could convert" the big hill into a Gibraltar." In his account after the battle, Oates was referring to the first hill that his regiment climbed and that was what later became Big Round Top not Little Round Top. However, in Burns' series, the words "Within half an hour I could convert 'Little Round Top' into a Gibraltar. Another incorrect statement by Ken Burns The Civil War was that Lee wanted the Round Tops taken. There is no evidence that Lee ever made that statement or wanted them unless you refer to his statements in the days, months and years following Gettysburg.

Sources:

Lafantasie, Glenn W. Twilight at Little Round Top July 2, 1863--The Tide Turns at Gettysburg (Vintage Civil War Library). New York: Vintage, 2007.

Burns, Ken. The Civil War.

Little Round Top

Little Round Top
Originally uploaded by RunnerJenny

What a great pic of Little Round Top!

Can I make it back?

It has been 20 years since I toured the Gettysburg battlefield and for years I have been itching to return to the site. It has been a long journey but if everything works out I will return to Gettysburg this summer to tour the fields that I have seen twice in my life. I think about the battle a lot and I truly hope to walk it again. One of the places I want to visit the most is Little Round Top. I once wrote a blog about my feelings towards that rocky hill in southern Pennsylvania.

I have always felt that Little Round Top was the key to the battle at Gettysburg. Many historians feel the same way and some do not but you cannot deny the drama that surrounds the defense of that hill. Although some of that drama has been enhanced by the postwar writings of the men who fought there or books like The Killer Angels or movies like Gettysburg those twilight moments on Little Round Top were vital to the success that the Union enjoyed at Gettysburg. I will write more later but the more I think about going back the more I hav eto remember that anything can happen in life and we are all just a heartbeat away from being unemployed. This economy is awful!

Civil War Medal of Honor Winners on Film Part 2

The other Medal of Honor soldier from the Civil War who has been depicted on film is Colonel Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine. Actor Jeff Daniels played Chamberlain twice in the movies Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. Joshua L. Chamberlain is perhaps most widely known for his role in holding the Federal position on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. However, he had a marvelous career as an army officer.

Chamberlain was wounded six times during the war and his 1864 wound was the most severe. He would suffer from the wound for the rest of his life but General Grant promoted him to Brigadier General. Moreover, Chamberlain oversaw the final Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House in April 1865.

In both films, Jeff Daniels does a great job portraying Chamberlain. He is passionate, courageous and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. After the war Chamberlain made himself into a national hero and won the Medal of Honor in the 1880's for his performance at Little Round Top. These scenes do not appear in the films but one can imagine Jeff Daniels accepting these honors as a much older man. Many people consider Chamberlain a hero and his career as a historical figure was resurrected the 1990 film The Civil War by Ken Burns. Today, I am not going to debate Chamberlains importance in history other than to say that I think its overrated. I'll leave that for a future blog.

A last letter home

Letters home from soldiers can explain a lot of the ups and downs that soldiers face. Sometimes letters can bare bad news and bring pain to the family members that read them. Obviously, these letters are ones that bare the news that the a particular soldier is not coming home. Many times these letters are written by an officer and rarely come from the death bed of a soldier. However, during the Civil War there were moments when soldiers were able to write out or dictate a few lines to someone present. Many times these were never reported but the ones that were offer us a glimpse into the family life of the 1860's and the love that a son had for the family involved.

Sergeant John Moseley, 4th Alabama Infantry was one of the few soldiers who managed to communicate to his loved ones as he lay on his death bed. Here is Moseley's letter, note how he says goodbye to his loved ones who are miles away from the small hamlet of Gettysburg. Moseley was wounded during the Confederate attack on Little Round Top on July 2, 1863. Imagine if you received the letter below stained with your loved ones blood as Moseley's letter was on that July day.

Battlefield Gettysburg, July 4,1863

Dear Mother:

I am here a prisoner of war, and mortally wounded. I can live but a few hours, at farthest. I was shot fifty yards from the enemy's line. They have been exceedingly kind to me. I have no doubt as to the final result of this battle, and I hope I may live long enough to hear the shouts of victory before I die. I am very week. Do not mourn my loss. I had hoped to have been spared; but a righteous God has ordered it otherwise, and I feel prepared to trust my ease in his hands. Farewell to you all! Pray that God receive my soul.

Your unfortunate son John

as quoted from the book "Wasted Valor" by Greg Coco

Why won't the voices stop!

I know that the the name of this blog might scare a few people. Believe me it relates to the story that I am about to unfold. I don't know why a small hill in Pennsylvania holds such a magicial hold on me. Those who have read my blogs from the beginning know this. If you've just stumbled upon it or have just arrived please to a blogger search and you'll find it referenced in most of my blogs.

Little Round Top was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left flank on July 2, 1863, the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Considered by many historians to be the key point in the Union Army's defensive line that day, Little Round Top was defended successfully by the 20th Maine, 16th Michigan, 44th New York, 83rd Pennsylvania and later the 140th New York. The Confederate attack consisted of regiments from both Evander Law's and Jerome Robertson's brigades. These regiments are the 4th Alabama, 15th Alabama, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, 47th Alabama and later the 48th Alabama.

The study of the fight on Little Round Top has occurred since I was eight years old. All the time I want to find out more and I am always looking for the next book or article on the subject. That part of the battle is unique because it involves both sides overcoming the heat, the exhaustion of that day. The lost of John Oates who was the brother of the 15th Alabama's colonel William Oates. The pain that Will must have felt and the way he had to carry that with him for the rest of his life. The courage of the 20th Maine and the 140th NY as they held key parts of the Union line on Little Round Top. It just all seem to come together in a brilliant package that makes history so interesting to me.

The story of Little Round Top is overshadowed by the films and documentaries that have made it larger than life. I am happy to say that before the film Gettysburg (1993) Ken Burns The Civil War (1990) came out I was already a Little Round Top fan. I personally believe that the Union was saved on that small hill and I'll never doubt that....ever! It still amazes me that some historians dispute the importance of the struggle for Little Round Top. They say that had Lee's men secured the hill that it couldn't have been used for artillery. I find it interesting that Little Round Top never seemed to be an objective for the Confederates. Robert E. Lee even states this in his official battle report on the battle. "General Longstreet was delayed by a force occupying the high, rocky hills on the enemy's extreme left." This statement backs up the premise that Lee's true objective was to turn the Federal flank and not occupy Little Round Top. Still the possession of the hill would have put Lee in a position to reevaluate his decision made to keep the town of Gettysburg within his armies possession. Lee would not have used the word "delayed" if the true assault objective was Little Round Top.

If Little Round Top was an objective for the Confederates or not. Whether or not Little Round Top was the key to the battle is pointless. I highly doubt that my interest in the struggle for Little Round Top will ever leave me. I visited that rocky hill twice in my lifetime in 1986 and again in 1989. I cannot wait to visit it again and so my fiancee Megan how much the battle has become a part of me. If you haven't visited Gettysburg yet, if you haven't been on Little Round Top than plan a trip as soon as possible.

Book Review #2 Gettysburg Requiem: The Life and Lost Causes of Confederate Colonel William C. Oates

Gettysburg Requiem: The Life and Lost Causes of Confederate Colonel William C. Oates (Hardcover) by Glenn W. LaFantasie.

Lee, Grant, Longstreet, Sherman, Custer and other Civil War generals have many biographies for readers to enjoy. But it is rare for a biography of a colonel or in this case a lieutenant colonel to appear in the national Civil War library. Subjects such as these are too infrequent because of the lack of source depth and the amount of time it takes to put one together. Robert E. Lee or Grant have papers/letters in libraries and have and enormous biographical library behind them. So it is easier to write a biography of Grant but tackling the lesser known officers is a vein that historians need to hit more.

Author Glenn LaFantasie tackled an extremely difficult topic in his biography of William C. Oates (1833 -- 1910). LaFantasie's subject was a true man of his time and Oates should have had the nickname "Contradiction" for his attitudes and lifestyle. For example, he had a black lover (who mothered one of his three sons) but was a racist. Oates was a respected citizen, attorney, politician but murdered a man and beat up another on the steps of the Alabama legislature. He was wounded six times in battle but rose no higher in rank than lieutenant colonel of the 15th Alabama regiment. He felt that Lincoln could have made reconstruction easier but saw Lincolns presidency as a threat to the southern way of life.

LaFantasie's research is solid, straight-forward and is very detailed. He went through archives in several states, explored newspapers, magazine articles, periodicals and most of his citations are from primary sources. When I buy a Civil War book I really look at the sources that the author used because it is so vital to use primary sources. Too often you find books that use secondary sources and the only primary things that you see are the official war records. Today, the Internet makes things so much easier that authors can find things a lot easier than they did in 1901.

The research in this book reveals a man who struggled but was able to succeed during a difficult time in American history. Oates was a Confederate hero who dealt with the loss of his arm, struggled with his feelings of manhood and his regret at the loss of his brother John on Little Round Top. Throughout his life, Oates resisted everything but temptation which is characterized in his relationship with women. After losing his arm in 1864 Oates is nursed to health but a local family that in Alabama. The family gives Oates a black servant to help him to recover and he ends up having a sexual relationship with her that lasts a few years. This relationship ends up with Oates having a child. Later on he has a relationship with a 14 year old girl that produces another child. When he finally marries at the age of forty-eight it is to a 19 year old woman. So Oates was a man who had a lot of inner-conflicts that he took out on other people including the women in his life.

Glenn LaFantasie provides his readers with a full picture of Oates life. Besides the things that I previously mentioned he goes into detail (but not boring detail) about Oates career as a lawyer before and after the war. His experiences as a representative in the United States Congress is explored but since Oates spent 14 years in Washington D.C. one wishes that LaFantasie would have explored it more. His war years are explored in detail but LaFantasie doesn't overwhelm his readers with useless facts but does a good job by avoiding a pitfall that a lot of Civil War biographies fall into. The 15th Alabama's struggle for Little Round Top versus the 20th Maine could have taken up hundreds of pages. Glenn doesn't spend the entire book focusing on it and that is a good thing. He gives us what we need to know and maintains that focus for the entire book.

Although, the author spends some time criticizing the sexist and racist attitudes of the south he does provide an excellent picture of his subject. The best part of the book is Oates and his battle for a monument for his brother John and his 15th Alabama regiment on Little Round Top. I've always called this the 2nd struggle for Little Round Top because the United States government resisted any push for Confederate monuments at Gettysburg. Check out this book from your library or purchase a copy, it is well worth it and it is a great read.

Respect my brother!

The leader of the 15th Alabama, Col. William C. Oates had a brother named John who was killed during the assualt on Little Round Top. After the war, William Oates had trouble seperating himself from the loss of his loved one and he couldn't get over the Confederate loss at Gettysburg. In his 1902 memoirs Oates would write "Lieutenant John A. Oates, my dear brother, succeeded to the command of the company, but was pierced through by a number of bullets, and fell mortally wounded." In fact John was wounded by six bullets and would die soon afterwards. After the war, Oates tried in vain to get the Parks Commission and the Federal government to errect a momument to the gallentry of the 15th Alabama. At the time, the Confederates had no momuments to their efforts at Gettysburg. Oates failed in his many attempts to honor the 15th Alabama and he died in 1910. No Confederate momument honoring any Confederate unit until the Virginia momument was errected in 1917. Today, there is still no momument honoring the 15th Alabama at Gettysburg just Little Round Top that stands as a natural reminder to the loss of Lt. John Oates and many of the men of the 15th Alabama.

Oates even offered to pay for the momument in full but was refused. He did write out words to be placed on the momument. Here are the words that William C. Oates felt would best honor his comrades

To the memory of Lt. John A. Oates
and his gallant comrades
who fell here July 2nd, 1863.
The 15th Ala. Regt., over 400 strong,
reached this spot, but for
lack of support had to retreat.
Lt. Col. Feagin lost a leg
Capts. Brainard and Ellison
Lts. Oates and Cody and
33 men were killed, 76 wounded
and 84 captured
by
Ge. Wm. C. Oates who was Colonel of the Regiment

Sources:

The photo is William C. Oates in 1864

LaFantasie, Glenn W., Gettysburg Requiem: The Life of William C. Oates, Oxford University Press, 2005.

Oates, William C., The War Between the Union and the Confederacy (New York and Washington, D.C.: The Neale Publishing Company, 1905).