In this companion to his celebrated earlier book; Gettysburg--The Second Day; Harry Pfanz provides the first definitive account of the fighting between the Army of the Potomac and Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill--two of the most critical engagements fought at Gettysburg on 2 and 3 July 1863. Pfanz provides detailed tactical accounts of each stage of the contest and explores the interactions between--and decisions made by--generals on both sides. In particular; he illuminates Confederate lieutenant general Richard S. Ewell's controversial decision not to attack Cemetery Hill after the initial southern victory on 1 July. Pfanz also explores other salient features of the fighting; including the Confederate occupation of the town of Gettysburg; the skirmishing in the south end of town and in front of the hills; the use of breastworks on Culp's Hill; and the small but decisive fight between Union cavalry and the Stonewall Brigade.
#399237 in Books 1997-09-01 1997-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.18 x 1.08 x 6.10l; 1.44 #File Name: 0807846694432 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Front and center with the bestBy Mr. JoeIn June of 2006; I reviewed Champion Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg; which I stated was "unequivocally; the best non-fiction narrative of a Civil War engagement that I've ever read." PEA RIDGE steps forward front and center to join that most excellent volume at the head of the rest.The Battle of Pea Ridge; fought on March 7-8; 1862 in the northwest corner of Arkansas; was the decisive Union victory in the Trans-Mississippi theater of operations. It assured Federal control of Missouri and; for all practical purposes; eliminated the Trans-Mississippi as a significant factor in Confederate war strategy.The confrontation between the Union army; commanded by Brig. Gen. Samuel Curtis; and the rebel force; commanded by Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn; is lucidly described by authors William Shea and Earl Hess. Most importantly; in my opinion; the narrative is supported by a series of superlative battlefield maps that remain completely congruent with the text throughout. At no point should the reader become confused or otherwise lack a clear understanding of the maneuvers on the field by the units involved; generally defined down to regimental level.PEA RIDGE is further elevated by the personality portraits drawn of the principal commanders; chiefly Curtis; Van Dorn; and the erratic U.S. Brig. Gen. Franz Sigel. It's the effort the authors take in this regard that transforms the book from a dry read to one that's to be savored.The volume is liberally sprinkled with black and white photographs of the various unit commanders and views of the present-day terrain as can be seen by visitors to the Pea Ridge National Military Park. An Appendix also incorporates a complete Order of Battle that includes known losses; i.e. killed; wounded; and missing.Sherman's March to the Sea is famously notable for the fact that he severed his army group from its supply base as it cut a swathe through Georgia to the Atlantic. What PEA RIDGE emphasizes; and which I didn't know and popular Civil War history has pretty much ignored; is the fact that Curtis successfully took that same daring risk with his Army of the Southwest - the first Federal army to do so - in the summer of 1862 on a march of several hundred miles from Batesville; AK to the Mississippi River.PEA RIDGE is a book eminently worth the attention of any serious or casual student of the War Between the States.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding campaign history of Pea RidgeBy Brian HalmaOne of the best campaign histories I've read. Shea does a nice job of presenting the strategic background; introducing key leaders; providing a clear narrative of the battle; and explaining the battle's impact. Shea has a nice clean; writing style - a joy to read and very well researched. There is also a nice mix of first hand experiences to give a sense of the battle.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Good Campaign StudayBy Aaron ShipmanI bought this book to read on my Kindle. I had little knowledge of the battle before reading this book. I knew that the Confederates lost; but outside of that there was nothing else. I enjoyed reading about the different strategies that motivated the Union and Confederate commanders. I did not realize how important Missouri was in the strategic scheme of the war. If Van Dorn could have made significant inroads into the state; Vicksburg would have been delayed and Grant could have possibly been dispatched to that theater; my own personal observation.The book as a whole a valuable resource to someone wanting an in depth look at the campaign. The authors take the reader step by step from when Van Dorn takes command to the end of the enterprise. I enjoyed learning how Curtis wanted to make a quick winter attack to throw the Confederates off guard; but then began to over reach his supply lines and had to stop. Then reading about how Van Dorn drove his army mercilessly to get around the Curtis and try and cut his supply. The battle is well covered in this book. The authors follow each side of the conflict chronologically; which I found a little irritating but understand their reasoning. So the reader learns all about what happened at Leetown from beginning to end; before the fighting at Elk Horn Tavern begins. I also like how the authors followed the commanders through the end of the campaign instead of ending the book with Van Dorn's retreat. I also believe that the authors give a fair review of all the commanders of both sides and that this is an unbiased book. I would recommend this book to someone interested in the battle.Kindle Review: For the most part; this book was easily read on the Kindle. There are few instances of the wrong letter(s) being inserted. The most troublesome example of this for me was Rufus demon's farm; which was supposed to be Rufus Clemon's Farm. Also the work is riddled with missing punctuation. There are several instances of missing periods and commas. Nothing major; but for the cost of the work I find this discouraging. I just wanted to inform other people about these errors before they made their purchase.
