The first infantry actions of the Gettysburg Campaign involved Georgia troops. Brigadier General John B. Gordon’s brigade crossed the Potomac River on June 22, 1863, and was the first Confederate infantry to march into the town of Gettysburg on June 26. They also flew their flag over a one-time seat of the Continental Congress in York, Pennsylvania and engaged in early action during an attempt to capture the bridge over the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.
Most discussion about Gettysburg focuses on the third day, obscuring the first two days in which Robert E. Lee’ s troops were far more successful, in fact on the first day, they dominated. Thirteen thousand Georgia troops played a significant role in the three-day battle.
Along with a comprehensive battle history of the Georgia troops at Gettysburg, this book contains a large collection of the personal recollections of the Georgia soldiers who fought at Gettysburg. This gives a peek into the experience from the perspective of the soldiers in all branches and all ranks. Newspaper articles, letters, and photographs allow the reader to relive history through the eyes of those who lived it.
Praise for Echoes From Gettysburg: Georgia’s Memories and Images
Georgians were in the thick of the three-day Gettysburg battle especially during the first and second days and during the retreat back to Virginia where certain regiments performed as rear guards. There are many Georgia descendants today who will be proud of the light shined on their ancestors who gallantly fought and sacrificed for their state on the Hollowed Grounds of the most famous and well documented battlefield of the entire war.
Vince Dooley
Co-author of The Legion’s Fighting Bulldog
And Legendary Football Coach, University of Georgia
This book is a first-rate study of the Georgia men who actually fought and bled at Gettysburg, offering an up-close and personal insight into why they fought and how they saw the fight around them. The accounts of their personal bravery and sacrifice are fascinating and inspiring. This excellent book is highly recommended to readers interested in the Army of Northern Virginia’s Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg, and particularly to the brave Georgians who fought and died there.
Joe Owen, author of Lone Star Valor: Texans of the Blue and Gray at Gettysburg, co-author of Texans at Gettysburg: Blood and Glory With Hood’s Texas Brigade.
The ‘Empire State of the South’ raised 66 regular infantry regiments for Confederate service; 39 of these units served with the Army of Northern Virginia, and 33 fought near the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The author updates his earlier work with the inclusion of images, detailed maps, and additional accounts. In mining period letters, newspapers, and other sources, Jones enables the reader to retrace the Georgians’ efforts during those fateful first three days of July 1863. All with interest in the American Civil War will value this new edition.
Michael K. Shaffer
Civil War historian, author, and instructor at Kennesaw State and Emory Universities.