Meade at Gettysburg
A Study in Command
Kent Masterson Brown Esq.
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Published: 05/2021
Pages: 488
Subject: History, Biography and Autobiography
Print ISBN: 9781469661995
eBook ISBN: 9781469662008
DESCRIPTION
Although he took command of the Army of the Potomac only three days
before the first shots were fired at Gettysburg, Union general
George G. Meade guided his forces to victory in the Civil War's
most pivotal battle. Commentators often dismiss Meade when
discussing the great leaders of the Civil War. But in this
long-anticipated book, Kent Masterson Brown draws on an expansive
archive to reappraise Meade's leadership during the Battle of
Gettysburg. Using Meade's published and unpublished papers
alongside diaries, letters, and memoirs of fellow officers and
enlisted men, Brown highlights how Meade's rapid advance of the
army to Gettysburg on July 1, his tactical control and coordination
of the army in the desperate fighting on July 2, and his
determination to hold his positions on July 3 insured victory.
Brown argues that supply deficiencies, brought about by the army's unexpected need to advance to Gettysburg, were crippling. In spite of that, Meade pursued Lee's retreating army rapidly, and his decision not to blindly attack Lee's formidable defenses near Williamsport on July 13 was entirely correct in spite of subsequent harsh criticism. Combining compelling narrative with incisive analysis, this finely rendered work of military history deepens our understanding of the Army of the Potomac as well as the machinations of the Gettysburg Campaign, restoring Meade to his rightful place in the Gettysburg narrative.
Brown argues that supply deficiencies, brought about by the army's unexpected need to advance to Gettysburg, were crippling. In spite of that, Meade pursued Lee's retreating army rapidly, and his decision not to blindly attack Lee's formidable defenses near Williamsport on July 13 was entirely correct in spite of subsequent harsh criticism. Combining compelling narrative with incisive analysis, this finely rendered work of military history deepens our understanding of the Army of the Potomac as well as the machinations of the Gettysburg Campaign, restoring Meade to his rightful place in the Gettysburg narrative.
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