Gettysburg-Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill

Gettysburg Trilogy #3

by Harry W. Pfanz

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.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, American History, Military History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

507 pages, Hardcover

First published July 2, 1993

About the author

Harry W. Pfanz graduated from Ohio State University in 1943, followed by service in the U.S. army in World War II. He then became a historian, first for the Department of the Army then for Gettysburg National Military Park for ten years. He received a doctorate in history from Ohio State University in 1958. He has also served as the Chief Historian of the National Park Service from 1974 until his retirement in 1981.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: PROFESSIONAL MILITARY READER, CLOSED COURSE. Unsupervised reading Gettysburg--Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill can and will result in serious injury to desire to learn more about Gettysburg. Don't Try This at Home Without Military History Professional Available for Assistance!

If you are familiar with Gettysburg, you probably know Pickett's Charge well, that march into carnage on the third day. You probably know about Chamberlain and his bayonet charge on Little Round Top. Maybe you are somewhat knowledgeable about the initial meeting of the armies on the first day. But many are not all that aware of the fight on the right of the Union line, the "hook" to the north. Mr Pfanz clears up any confusion or lack of knowledge with incredible detail, almost minute-by-minute and yard-by-yard recounting of the battle. Fantastic book for anyone wanting to do a battlefield tour. Superb reference for the Gettysburg aficionado. Probably bore the casual historical reader to tears. Mr Pfanz tells a good story but not always riveting. If you want to know how close the Confederates came to winning, this book is a must. 4 Stars in recognition of clearly superb scholarship.

[robin friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Defense Of The Union Right At Gettysburg

Harry Pfanz, a former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, has written a three-volume narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg. This volume, "Gettysburg, Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill" (1993) covers the fighting on the Union right -- Confederate left part of the line. This aspect of the Battle has not received the attention that has been accorded to Pickett's charge or to Longstreet's assault on the Union left on July 2. But it is an important and interesting component of the Battle nonetheless. Further, Culp and Cemetery Hills were the only parts of the battlefield that saw sustained action during all three days of the fighting.

Pfanz begins, as the story must, with several chapters on the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863. The first day reached its climax with a Confederate victory north and west of Gettysburg which pushed two Union Corps, the first and the eleventh, through the town and unto Cemetery Hill south of town. Cemetery Hill and the adjacent Culp's Hill were crucial to the defense of the entire Union line on Cemetery Ridge. Pfanz' book discusses at length the Confederate failure to pursue the attack on day 1 and to attempt to take these two hills. Pfanz concludes that the Confederate corps commander, Lietenant General Richard Ewell, was probably not at fault by failing to attack and try to take these hills on July 1. This pivotal moment of the Battle is a subject of endless debate among students of Gettysburg.

Pfanz also describes in detail the fighting for Cemetery and Culp's Hills during the evening of July 2, after the Union had heavily occupied and fortified them. Pfanz also offers a good discussion of skirmishing and of fighting in the town of Gettysburg itself -- again a matter that sometimes receives too little attention in other studies. Pfanz' account of the fighting for the hills focuses on the vagaries of battle and of the tremendous cost in human lives and suffering of the war. He points out that the Union basically committed errors involving both Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill that made the positions highly vulnerable. The Confederates fought valiantly but were unable to capture either hill due to the inherent strength of the defensive positions, lack of coordination, mistakes of their own, and fierce Union defense. The Confederates did capture some fortifications on Culp's hill, but were forced to abandon them on July 3. This leads to the third part of Pfanz' story.

On July 3, General Robert E. Lee wanted to coordinate a resumption of the attack on the Union right with a new attack on the Union center and left -- which ultimately became Pickett's charge. But the fighting on the Union right came and went before the action in the center of the line began. There was fierce fighting on Culp's Hill beginning with a Union artillery bombardment at dawn and continuing until 11:00 that morning. The Confederates attacked the Union defenses repeatedly but were repulsed each time with heavy losses.

Pfanz tells his story well and the book is full of detail about the participants, from the generals to the foot soldiers. His account strives to be full and objective and probably could have used more in the way of commentary and analysis. The book is not suitable for the reader with a casual interest in the Battle of Gettysburg or for someone coming to the Battle for the first time. For such readers, a good general account of the Battle would be more suitable. But for those wanting to study the Battle of Gettysburg in detail, Pfanz' work is essential.

Robin Friedman

[Michael C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0

[Heinz Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, tactical study of the oft ignored northern sector of the Gettysburg battle.
Pfanz details Ewell's decision not to seize the heights of Cemetery and Culp's Hill on July 1, as well as providing an exhaustively detailed account of both the Confederate dusk assaults on July 2, and the fruitless hammering at Culp's Hill on July 3.
Definitely a good book for Gettysburg specialists, recommended.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book primarily covers events on July 2, 1863 on or near Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill in Gettysburg. There is a lead-up to the events on July 1 when the Confederates stopped short of assaulting Cemetery Hill. The final assaults on Culp’s Hill on July 3 are also given some coverage. But, the main events in and around these hills took place on July 2. This is primarily a soldier’s story. Grand strategies and tactics at the Battle of Gettysburg are only briefly covered. What the soldiers of both armies experienced during these battles is told in great detail which provides a very good insight into the plight of front-line Civil War soldiers. It is not a pretty sight. They experienced hardships of course with death and destruction all around them, but they also experienced logistical hardships with food, water and too often incompetent leadership. You’ll often see lives throw away for no good reason because leadership failed the front-line soldiers. These experiences were detailed by the soldiers themselves in diaries and letters they wrote at the time. This clearly was an extensively and well researched book that is very helpful to people who are looking for insight into the granular lives of Civil War soldiers as well as a description of how the combat played out in and around these to critical hills.

[Jack Mcpody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly Pfanz’s research is comprehensive and well researched. My qualm with this book is the excessive level of detail offered to the reader at the brigade level and below. This might best serve students at a war college. On top of this detail, Pfanz offers a biographical profile of commanders great and small. This tends to disrupt the flow of events to the point where the reader is side-tracked, trying to follow the brigade bullets. All this keeping score impedes the grasp of strategy, execution and outcomes. As a reference book, Pfanz’s work excels. It falls far short in depicting the flow of the battle in real time. It may take longer to sift through the detail of the battle for Culp’s Hill then it took the combatants to fight it! To draw an analogy, imagine playing a card game where every card played requires a half hour explanation before another card is played. The dynamics of the game is reduced to a crawl, and the outcome becomes subservient to the game play.
My opinion is that Pfanz could benefit the buff by cutting back on words to describe brigade positions and movements in favor of adding maps. That would make this a more comprehensible read and add some needed strategic slam to the events of July 1-3.

[P.K. Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

PFanz's history of the battles of Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill are so detailed as to be the "go-to" source for anyone seeking the position of a Gettysburg Battlefield tour guide. For others, the specifics will be overwhelming. I read the first several chapters with great interest as these set the stage with more broadly outlined commentary. However, I had to scan subsequent chapters as I could not orient myself to tactical positions. For instance, one would need be an engineer to visualize or retain troop movements and positions. The Epilogue, with its broader sweep, again engaged me.

That said, I expect to use this as a resource for deeper inquiry when needed in my general studies of the subject.

[William Guerrant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 3-day Battle of Gettysburg can be thought of as a series of battles that while connected are also distinct, which is one of the reasons studies like this one are valuable. The author separates for careful consideration the engagements on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill, producing over 500 pages rich in tactical details and relying heavily on primary sources and eyewitness accounts. Well written and with good maps. Where there are gaps in the historical record that cause parts of the story to be told incompletely, the author explains why that is the case.

Of course this is not intended to be an introduction to the history of the battle, but rather for those who are reader to drill deeper.

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not a quick read, but it is an excellent treatment of a portion of the Gettysburg battle that's always given short-shift.

I particularly appreciated Pjanz's coverage of skirmishing and building-to-building fighting - both of which presaged more modern battlefields.

The maps are very good as well, but with so much going on and so many units mentioned, they're overwhelmed. Still, short of producing an Atlas, I'm not sure how any maps could keep up with Pfanz' prose.

I have his other books and expect to read them ... but over many, many weeks.

[Bob Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book for the casual reader. You need a base of understanding of Civil War army structure. A grasp of the ground would also be a significant aid—excellent, tactical study of the oft-ignored northern sector of the Gettysburg battle. Pfanz details Ewell's decision not to seize the heights of Cemetery and Culp's Hill on July 1, as well as providing an exhaustively detailed account of both the Confederate dusk assaults on July 2 and the fruitless hammering at Culp's Hill on July 3—a good book for Gettysburg specialists, recommended.

[Pete Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a deep-dive into the less talked about battles around the "hook" and this book 100% delivers. Just an incredibly thorough study on the formations, commanders, and key decisions that guided the action and results on this front.

Like many books of this nature it can get lost in the minutiae at times. Occasionally I would have to stop, scan back to a map and re-orientate myself as to where the action was, or how a specific unit ended up in a certain situation.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly dry. Had some interesting parts. I liked the small bios that the author included for the major players, I think it provided some interesting context to how each person got to where they were at the Battle of Gettysburg. However, I just think it was likely too into the weeds for me to enjoy more. Wasn't bad, but wasn't very engaging for me either.

[Amy Merkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't WAIT to read his book on day 2!

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the definitive book on the fighting in this part of Gettysburg.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine detailed battle analysis. Highly recommended!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry Pfanz was once the chief historian at Gettysburg National Military Park. He wrote three volumes on the most famous battle of the Civil War. The Second Day was his first book followed by Culp's Hill and then The First Day. A lot of people enjoy Pfanz's book on Longstreet's and Anderson's attacks on July 2nd, 1863, but I found this book to be Pfanz's best book. I really appreciate the sacrifice and hardship of the Union soldiers who defended Culp's Hill, which is called the Forgotten Flank, because of Harry Pfanz.

Little Round Top gets a lot of attention due to The Killer Angels and, of course, the 1993 movie Gettysburg. Joshua Chamberlain and his men did their part and contributed, but the men on Culp's Hill fought against Confederate forces much longer than Chamberlain did. George Sears Greene and his men fought on Culp's Hill for ten hours on two days whereas Chamberlain fought for an hour. The Confederate attack on Culp's Hill also had a larger attack advantage. Also, Culp's Hill was near the Army of Potomac's supply line (Baltimore Pike) and a back entry to the Union line. Culp's Hill falling would have been more consequential.

I found Pfanz's writing to be engaging in this book. He excels at setting up the battle and explaining what happened on the evening of July 2nd and the morning of July 3rd. The fighting on East Cemetery Hill is also covered. Two parts of the battle that were important, but there are people who think Little Round Top was the most important part of the battle and/or Pickett's Charge. Amazing what a movie can do to people's perceptions. As I stated before, Pfanz does an excellent job why the fighting on this part of the battlefield was important, and the Union men in 12th Corps and from some of the other Union Corps played a huge role in winning the battle. Easily one of my favorite books of all time, and I do not mean just Gettysburg and Civil War books.

[Ted Haussman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This so-called "monograph" focuses on the battle within the greater battle of Gettysburg. In terms of research, data and facts, this book is very very good. My overall rating stems from what I viewed as I viewed as deficiencies in writing style and description, namely:

-- it's dry; almost clinical (sterile?). There were some nice quotes and anecdotes but did not bring the battle "alive" as I've found with other history writers.
-- the constant references to this regiment's right and left spun the head. It was hard to follow at ties and while I suppose it's somewhat unavoidable to make such references when that was the order of the day, I found it to be a constant stumbling block.
--maps: while each chapter had one, the book would have benefited from more showing troop movements. At times, the author wrote about regimental movements and the regiments were not even on the map for that chapter.

These quibbles aside, I liked it but can't say I loved it.

[Shelly♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by Harry Pfanz that pieces together the fight on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. Because there were many varied actions on the three days of the Battle, Culp's Hill doesn't fit neatly into the scheme of things, and has somehow been minimalized in the scope of the battle vs. fights like Pettigrew/Pickett's charge and the struggle for Little Round Top. But this book puts it in very clear perspective.

Recommend for all CW students and lovers of the Battle of Gettysburg.

[Joe Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of the bloody 3rd day of
Battle before Pickett's charge. On Culp's Hill the 1st Maryland Infantry USA battled the 1st Maryland CSA, with ferocity. The Union regiment prevailed and drove off the Confederate Infantry. Pfanz's book and the two other books about the battle are a must have for anyone into the Battle of Gettysburg.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little hard to read at times but a good book on a little know part of the battle. My great grandfather was there and that is why I read this book. Sometimes it was hard to follow what was happening but then battle was a hard fought battle that no one seemed to have a clear view of.

[Joseph Hofmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome study on the Union right and Confederate left.

[Straw · Rating 3 out of 5]

more of the same...maps, details, stories

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good account of the 2nd and 3rd days of the battle at Gettysburg. I did learn more about the lesser known battles of Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. This book was a bit dry for my taste.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

verry good

[William P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Civil War buff must have all four of his books. If you read all four books you could stop reading about the battle.
All four books are outstanding!