Product Description

The titanic three-day battle of Gettysburg left 50,000 casualties in its wake, a battered Southern army far from its base of supplies, and a rich historiographic legacy. Thousands of books and articles cover nearly every aspect of the battle, but not a single volume focuses on the military aspects of the monumentally important movements of the armies to and across the Potomac River. One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 is the first detailed military history of Lee's retreat and the Union effort to catch and destroy the wounded Army of Northern Virginia. Against steep odds and encumbered with thousands of casualties, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee's post-battle task was to successfully withdraw his army across the Potomac River. Union commander George G. Meade's equally difficult assignment was to intercept the effort and destroy his enemy. The responsibility for defending the exposed Southern columns belonged to cavalry chieftain James Ewell Brown (Jeb) Stuart. If Stuart fumbled his famous ride north to Gettysburg, his generalship during the retreat more than redeemed his flagging reputation. The ten days of retreat triggered nearly two dozen skirmishes and major engagements, including fighting at Granite Hill, Monterey Pass, Hagerstown, Williamsport, Funkstown, Boonsboro, and Falling Waters. President Abraham Lincoln was thankful for the early July battlefield victory, but disappointed that General Meade was unable to surround and crush the Confederates before they found safety on the far side of the Potomac. Exactly what Meade did to try to intercept the fleeing Confederates, and how the Southerners managed to defend their army and ponderous 17-mile long wagon train of wounded until crossing into western Virginia on the early morning of July 14, is the subject of this study One Continuous Fight draws upon a massive array of documents, letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, and published primary and secondary sources. These long-ignored foundational sources allow the authors, each widely known for their expertise in Civil War cavalry operations, to describe carefully each engagement. The result is a rich and comprehensive study loaded with incisive tactical commentary, new perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern and Northern cavalry, and fresh insights on every engagement, large and small, fought during the retreat. The retreat from Gettysburg was so punctuated with fighting that a soldier felt compelled to describe it as "One Continuous Fight." Until now, few students fully realized the accuracy of that description. Complimented with 18 original maps, dozens of photos, and a complete driving tour with GPS coordinates of the entire retreat, One Continuous Fight is an essential book for every student of the American Civil War in general, and for the student of Gettysburg in particular. About the Authors: Eric J. Wittenberg has written widely on Civil War cavalry operations. His books include Glory Enough for All (2002), The Union Cavalry Comes of Age (2003), and The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads and the Civil War's Final Campaign (2005). He lives in Columbus, Ohio. J. David Petruzzi is the author of several magazine articles on Eastern Theater cavalry operations, conducts tours of cavalry sites of the Gettysburg Campaign, and is the author of the popular "Buford's Boys" website at www.bufordsboys.com. Petruzzi lives in Brockway, Pennsylvania. A long time student of the Gettysburg Campaign, Michael Nugent is a retired US Army Armored Cavalry Officer and the descendant of a Civil War Cavalry soldier. He has previously written for several military publications. Nugent lives in Wells, Maine.

REVIEWS

"...Is there anything left unwritten about the Gettysburg Campaign? Absolutely, and this bookis but one example. It is a must have for any student of the Civil War, and especially for a student of the Gettysburg Campaign."Civil War Notebook, 06/2008

"...most likely the definitive book covering the battles and skirmishes with all the major players associated with the time period... One can't help but enjoy the well done narrative with such fine, thorough detail."Reviewer's Bookwatch, 08/2008

"..popular history at its best- simultaneously engaging and educating."The Midwest Book Review 08/2008

"...text and primary sources smoothly fit together unlike some book which are just a collection of primary sources with no real transition language between them... deserves a spot in any Civil War historian's library because of the author's detailed account and analysis of the days following the battle of Gettysburg." Collected Miscellany, 08/2008

"...an excellent military history of the fighting following Gettysburg and the problems in the pursuit." Civil War Courier, 02/2009

"includes many previously unknown or little used sources...... a fresh and detailed retreat account..."America's Civil War, 03/2009

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #145079 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 576 pages

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Customer Reviews

The Fighting Retreat from Gettysburg
For many years, there were few full-length studies of the retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia following its defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1 -- July 3, 1863). But two outstanding books have recently been written to fill this gap. In 2005, Kent Masterson Brown published his "Retreat from Gettyburg." Brown's book focuses on the logistics of the retreat and on how Lee was able to mask his intentions, slowing Meades's pursuit. It also views Lee's goal in the Gettysburg campaign as primarily a raid -- an attempt by the Army of Northern Virginia to secure needed foodstuffs and other goods from Northern soil. With that objective in mind, Brown discusses the retreat after the Battle of Gettysburg, and implicitly the battle itself, in the context of the entire campaign. He finds that the campaign partially met its objectives.

I was eager to learn more about the retreat after reading Brown. His book has been followed by a new (2008) study of the retreat: "One Continuous Fight" by three noted students of the Civil War: Eric Wittenberg, David Petruzzi, and Michael Nugent. Wittenberg and his coauthors have written extensively on Gettysburg and they have focused on the role of the cavalry. This focus on cavalry operations is critical in understanding the retreat.

Wittenberg and his co-authors give a detailed tactical study of the retreat from both Union and Confederate perspectives. They offer a detailed military discussion of the over 20 engagements that occured between the beginning of Lee's retreat on June 4,1863, and Lee's crossing over into Virginia on June 14. The book includes many stories, quotes and anechdotes from and about participants on both sides of the line. "One Continuous Fight" is an excellent study in its own right of the retreat and a worthy complement to Brown.

Many people think, when they consider the retreat, of Meade's alleged failure to pursue Lee's army. The title of this book "One Continuous Fight" should dispel that misaprehension. Wittenberg shows that there was continuous and severe fighting throughout the retreat. He describes in detail the engagements at Monterey Pass, Hagerstown, Boonsborough, and Funkstown, among other engagements. He also describes the fighting at Williamsport when on July 6, Confederate General Imboden led a heroic defense by his wounded soldiers and teamsters against a Union cavalry attack. The book offers detailed descriptions of the movements of the armies and of the results of little-studied battles.

Wittenburg gives a full picture of the strong defenses Lee constructed at Williamsport in the face of the flooded Potomac River which hindered his crossing. For three days, Meade and the Union Army failed to attack the position. When Meade at length wanted to attack on June 14, Lee's army had slipped away into the night. The hazardous crossings at Williamsport and Falling Waters are described in full detail.

The major issue surrounding the retreat is whether Meade could have done more in stopping Lee, won another victory, and perhaps ended the war. Wittenburg's study shows the complexity of this question, which in fact folds several discrete issues into one. Meade would have taken an enormous risk by attacking the fortified Confederate position at Williamsport with his exhausted and ill-provided army. His decisions to refrain from attack until the Confederate position had been fully reconnoitered was probably sound. But the Union pursuit of Lee, Wittenburg argues, was flawed in several respects. He is somewhat critical of Meade but places most of the responsbility on Meade's cavalry chief, Pleasonton, for dividing his forces and not following the retreating Army in an agressive, coordinated manner. In contrast, the individual cavalry commanders for the Union, especially Buford, get high marks for their efforts during the retreat as do Stuart, Imboden, and, generally, the entire Confederate cavalry. Lee's conduct of the retreat receives high praise.

Unlike Brown's study, Wittenberg's book gives little attention to the goods the Confederates carried back with them to Virginia. In fact, with Wittenberg's emphasis on the privations of the retreat, he doesn't seem to think the goods secured through foraging were a factor. Wittenberg also, in contrast to Brown, sees the Gettysburg campaign as a dismal failure for the Confederacy in terms of loss of life and loss of leadership. Overall, the impression is that Lee was fortunate to get away, and that the supplies of food he may have carried with him were of scant consolation for the large military defeat at Gettysburg.

This book is clearly written with good portrayals of the complex fighting. It offers good maps and includes two lengthy driving tours, one for the route followed by Imboden and his train of Confederate wounded, the other for the route followed by Lee's army. This book will appeal to serious students of the Civil War with a good background knowledge of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg campaign.

Robin Friedman

The Campaign that ruined General Meade
The Battle of Gettysburg is the battle of the American Civil War. Its' importance can be disputed but the place it occupies in our history cannot. The retreat and pursuit of Lee's army often receives scant coverage in Gettysburg histories. Most often, this coverage is Lincoln's disappointment over the escape of the Army of Northern Virginia and General Meade's problems because of this. Very few books have attempted an in-depth look at the military campaign that July. The campaign did not end with Pickett's Charge. It ended about 10 days later with the AoNV safe in Virginia. This book covers, in detail, those days as a military campaign. It is the often-overlooked history of a series of movements, engagements and battles occurring as the armies struggle south. There are nearly two dozen separate distinct engagements, many mapped at about one mile to the inch. An updated campaign level map always seemed to be there just as I needed it. The Area of Operations map inside the front cover is for quick reference and reorientation. These maps make it all but impossible to get lost and are worth the effort put into them.
This book concentrates on the army not on Imboden's retreat with the supply train and wounded. While covered in one chapter, it is not slighted. For instance, there are three pages on the civilian attacks on the train in Greencastle. About 300 pages cover July 4 to 14 as the armies struggle south, clash, rebound and repeat. The authors allow the participants to contribute their stories, keeping this from being a dry history. Those who have read Wittenberg and/or Petruzzi know how well they do this. If you have not read them this is an excellent introduction. Eric Wittenberg posses and in-depth understanding of Cavalry operations, the strengths and weakness of that arm. J. David Petruzzi understanding of Gettysburg complements this. Both men are the author of several books on Civil War Cavalry and/or Gettysburg. They co-authored "PLENTY OF BLAME TO GO AROUND" in 2006. Michael Nugent is the new member of this team. He is a speaker on the Civil War circuit and an expert on the Gettysburg Campaign.
I sometimes skip the Preface. Do not skip this one! Noah Andre Trudeau has written a thought provoking essay on Meade vs. Lee that needs to be read. It made me hope for a follow up history that would cover from August 1863 to Grant's arrival in the East.
Did I mention the Driving Tours? After you read a good history, do you want to see the land and stand in those spots? This book has detailed driving tour of the Wagon Train of the Wounded and the military operations. It is an extra that more histories need to consider including.
Was Meade derelict? Did Meade, working under impossible conditions, conduct as good a pursuit as possible? Did Meade move to slowly, star struck by Lee and feeling lucky to have won a battle? Did Meade make a reasonable decision in not attacking Lee's entrenchments? Was Meade the victim of politics and robbed of what he earned? Did Meade lack a killer instinct? The chapter "Conclusions" provides a balanced look at these questions and gives real answers.
This is a "must have book" for a Gettysburg library. It is an intelligent, readable, enjoyable history. I don't think we can ask more of a book.

Important Study on the Retreat Challenges Long Held Assumptions
Who knows anything about Lee's retreat from Gettysburg? Despite copious amounts of literature dedicated to the opening portions of the campaign and the battle itself, very little has been written (and hence read) about Lee's difficult withdrawal across the South Mountain range to Williamsport and Falling Waters, and the eventual retreat across the flooded Potomac River, all while actively facing the pursuing Army of the Potomac. After the fact, many in the North, including President Lincoln, were deeply critical of George Meade for "allowing" Lee's army to escape to fight another day. In One Continuous Fight, authors Eric Wittenberg, J.D. Petruzzi, and Michael Nugent set out to reassess the performance of many generals during this little-studied section of the campaign, document the numerous small battles which flared during the retreat, and generally challenge many commonly held assumptions.

The Gettysburg Campaign was not even close to being over as the two tired and battered Eastern armies licked their wounds and glared at each other across the battlefield on July 4, 1863. Instead, a long and tense retreat to the Potomac River lay ahead for Lee's wounded but still dangerous Army of Northern Virginia. The Army of the Potomac, nearly as wounded but expecting reinforcements, would follow and make that retreat as difficult as possible. Over the next ten days, Lee's army used several routes to retreat to Williamsport, Maryland, forming a defense line there before finally crossing the Potomac River and escaping into Virginia to fight another day.

Much has already been said about One Continuous Fight, almost all of it overwhelmingly positive. If you are looking for that trend to be broken here, you will be disappointed.

Among the misconceptions which sprang up around these ten days is the belief that there was very little fighting done. The authors ably counteract that belief by penning a detailed tactical narrative which completely lays this fallacy to rest.

The description of the retreat, from John Imboden's handling of the Confederate "Wagon Train of Wounded" to the numerous skirmishes and battles are well written, informative, and entertaining. The book reads like a novel in some places, as there was drama aplenty packed into these eleven days.

Wittenberg, Petruzzi, and Nugent obviously spent a lot of time researching this one. The prodigious number of primary sources was especially impressive, and it shows throughout the book. Men who were there are often allowed to offer their own insight into what had happened. This proved especially useful while discussing the job Meade did in pursuing Lee to the Potomac.

The authors cover the various camps of thought on that topic thoroughly in the conclusion. Some of their findings definitely go against the commonly held thought that Meade was too passive in trying to cut off Lee. In the end, they believe Meade probably did as much as could be expected with a tired army reinforced by only very green units.

Wittenberg, Petruzzi, and Nugent instead find others more culpable for the escape of Lee's army, especially Union cavalry chief Alfred Pleasonton. The leader of the Army of the Potomac's Cavalry Corps receives major blame for not massing his three divisions and interfering with Lee's retreat in a more meaningful way. Especially egregious, according to the authors, was his failure to even involve Gregg's Division in the pursuit. This third of the Union cavalry never even fought in any of the engagements along the retreat route.

Sometimes you have to look at the opponent's conduct as well, and One Continuous Fight commends the handling of the retreat by Robert E. Lee, John D. Imboden, and J.E.B. Stuart. The authors believe Stuart's performance made up in large measure for some of his failings prior to the battle of Gettysburg.

The book could have easily ended as most campaign studies do, with an epilogue and maybe an appendix containing an order of battle. The order of battle is here all right, just as you would expect in a Savas Beatie volume. But the two appendices which really add quite a bit of extra usefulness are the tour guides following the Gettysburg Retreat (Appendix A) and the Confederate Wagon Train of the Wounded (Appendix B). The tours include detailed directions including GPS waypoints at every stop, descriptions of the importance of those stops, and numerous black and white photos of the sights to be seen along the way. An overview map of each drive is included with each tour. Craig Swain of To the Sound of the Guns recently used One Continuous Fight to take the Gettysburg Retreat tour. In any case, you simply do not see tour guides of this length in a typical campaign study. As Craig pointed out, many publishers would have chosen to print the tour guide portion in its own book simply to make more money. I applaud Savas Beatie's decision to include the tours within this book instead.

If you have read any book by Eric Wittenberg, you know the man does his research. One Continuous Fight does not disappoint in this regard. The book, containing nearly four hundred pages of text, is solidly backed by fifty-four pages of notes and nearly forty pages of sources! The numerous manuscript sources are located all over the United States, and the sheer number of primary sources used tells the reader that the authors are not content to simply rehash old findings. They prefer, as it ever should be, to find out the answers to their questions by looking back to the original information. The index is serviceable and works well. Eric once remarked he hates doing the indexing on his books, so I always laugh when it comes time to take a look at the index of a Wittenberg-penned tome, wondering if he slaved away at it on his own or simply paid the publisher to take care of the distasteful task for him!

As is almost always the case with books published by Ted Savas, the maps in One Continuous Fight are numerous and helpful. Sixteen maps in all cover the area in which the retreat occurred, the various skirmishes and engagements fought during the retreat, and tour maps of the area.

I am sure some of the more well-read Civil War bookworms out there are wondering how this book compares to Retreat from Gettysburg: Lee, Logistics, and the Pennsylvania Campaign. Interestingly, the authors touch on this in the Introduction to the book. I've taken the liberty of excerpting the relevant passage here as it gives readers an answer far better than this reviewer could:

"So how does the book you hold in your hands differ from Kent Masterson Brown's? Whereas Brown's book masterfully details and highlights the complex logistical aspects of the Retreat, the main subject of this book concerns the fights and skirmishes, both large and small, that erupted as predator chased still-dangerous prey back to and across the Potomac River. With a combined forty-plus years of studying those ten days following the Gettysburg carnage, we had uncovered scores of "new" untapped resources that much more fully told the stories of the men whose fighting was not nearly finished. It is our humble belief that the combination of these two books gives the reader the full story of the Retreat, with each providing its own specialty of purpose."

One Continuous Fight sets out to correct some long held notions about Meade's performance in the Army of the Potomac's pursuit of Lee after the Battle of Gettysburg. Authors Wittenberg, Petruzzi, and Nugent succeed marvelously in this endeavor. In the process, they also managed to shed some very detailed light on a much-neglected series of little-known battles for the first time. Researched in great detail, well-written, and entertaining, One Continuous Fight is a book all Civil War readers will want to have in their collections. This is the type of book you get when you mix dedicated, knowledgeable authors with a dedicated, intelligent publisher. At $34.95, the book is competitively priced as well. Buy early and buy often from these authors, and make sure you take a look at the many other Savas Beatie offerings available.

Addendum: Eric Wittenberg recently blogged about a third book in the authors' Gettysburg "trilogy", which will focus on the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac from July 15 to August 1, 1863. I will be looking forward to this little-studied period, one which this reviewer admittedly knows little detail about.