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.No single action dictated the battlefield strategies of George Meade and Robert E. Lee more than Sickles’ unauthorized advance to the Peach Orchard; and the mythic defense of Little Round Top might have occurred quite differently were it not for General Sickles. Fighting heroically; Sickles lost his leg on the field and thereafter worked to remove General Meade from command of the army. Sickles spent the remainder of his checkered life declaring himself the true hero of Gettysburg.Although he nearly lost the battle; Sickles was one of the earliest guardians of the battlefield when he returned to Congress; created Gettysburg National Military Park; and helped preserve the field for future generations. But Dan Sickles was never far from scandal. He was eventually removed from the New York Monument Commission and nearly went to jail for misappropriation of funds.Hessler’s book is a balanced and entertaining account of Sickles’ colorful life. Civil War enthusiasts who want to understand General Sickles’ scandalous life; Gettysburg’s battlefield strategies; the in-fighting within the Army of the Potomac; and the development of today’s National Park will find Sickles at Gettysburg a must-read.About the Author: James A. Hessler works in the financial services industry and is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. He has taught Sickles and Gettysburg-related courses for Harrisburg Area Community College and the Gettysburg Foundation. In addition to writing articles for publication; Hessler speaks regularly at Civil War Round Tables. A native of Buffalo; NY; he resides in Gettysburg with his wife and children.FINALIST; 2009; ARMY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARDWINNER; 2009; THE BACHELDER-CODDINGTON LITERARY AWARD; GIVEN BY THE ROBERT E. LEE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE OF CENTRAL NEW JERSEYWINNER; 2009; GETTYSBURG ROUND TABLE’S DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARD
#2463739 in Books Purple Mountain Pr Ltd 2000-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 6.25 x .25l; #File Name: 1930098073104 pages
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Maybe not for everyone; but he's my direct ancestor!By ZoeI'm working on my genealogy; so when I learned about this book I was anxious to get it; and was not disappointed. Col. Marinus fought in the Revolutionary War and knew everybody important (I think); he was buddies with George Washington and Aaron Burr.9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Unsung Hero of the American RevolutionBy Anthony P. KossaMarinus Willett never attained more than the rank of lieutenant colonel during the Revolutionary War; although many (myself included) would argue that he accomplished far more with far less than any of his contemporaries on the American side. For that he deserved the honor of rank commensurate with his abilities and accomplishments. But Willett was not a complainer; he was the quintessential doer. He was the model citizen-soldier. It was the supreme compliment to him to be referred to as "the Devil" to the British and their Iriquois allies; not because of any atrocities attributed to him but because of his bravery; tenacity; resourcefulness; and tactical skill. The drubbings he was able to inflict on them gave him somewhat of a supernatural aura in the eyes of his enemies. Contrasting the British/Indian opinion of him; the largely German Americans who inhabited the Mohawk Valley referred to him as the "Saviour of the Mohawk Valley" for his accomplishments on behalf of the American side there. Willett was a master of small unit tactics; able to rapidly assemble; deploy; and engage his tiny forces against numerically superior forces...and soundly thrash them! His ability to convert from a defensive stance to a stubbornly aggressive offense was a key element to his success in keeping his enemies off balance and systematically defeat them. Without him; the American presence on the New York frontier would have surely collapsed; opening the way for the British to take Albany and Massachusetts; thus perhaps altering the course of the war. Mr. Lowenthal's engaging book brings to life one of the most unrecogized heroes of America's most important (but also most unrecognized) military conflicts.
