We Fought at Gettysburg: Firsthand Accounts by the Survivors of the 17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry

by Carolyn Ivanoff

We Fought At Gettysburg follows the 17th Connecticut Regiment through the Gettysburg Campaign and beyond in June and July of 1863. William H. Warren dedicated his life to compiling the accounts of his comrades in the 17th Connecticut. Many are published here for the first time. These are the words of those who lived through the trauma of combat and survived to write about it. Many of these men were wounded, taken prisoner, lost friends, and suffered themselves on this great battlefield of the war. These men tell what they experienced at Gettysburg in their own words. They describe what they saw, thought, and felt on the battlefield. Their story is told here through fascinating firsthand accounts, numerous photographs, including a photographic index of the regiment, and maps by Phil Laino.

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: The Fairfield County Regiment
Chapter 2: Disaster at Chancellorsville
Chapter 3: The Hard Road to Gettysburg
Chapter 4: July 1—Rendezvous with Destiny
Chapter 5: Voices from the First Day of Battle
Chapter 6: Those Who Carried the Colors on the First Day
Chapter 7: July 2—Holding the Line
Chapter 8: Voices From the Second Day of Battle
Chapter 9: July 3—The Final Struggle
Chapter 10: The Glorious Fourth
Chapter 11: Broken Bodies and Wounded Men
Chapter 12: Aftermath—The Survivors and the Honored Dead
Monuments and Memory

Acknowledgments
Appendix Colonel Noble’s History of the 17th Connecticut Regiment
Appendix Regimental Roster
Appendix Major Brady’s Official Report on the Battle of Gettysburg, July 4, 1863
Appendix Alternate Maps for the Brickyard Lane Deployment
Appendix Who Was William Warren?
Appendix William Warren’s Photographic Index of the Regiment

Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

Genres: Civil War

448 pages, Hardcover

Published March 27, 2023

About the author

Carolyn Ivanoff is a retired high school administrator, author, and independent historian. She writes and speaks frequently on American history in a variety of formats and venues. As an author, researcher, and presenter much of her work focuses on 19th century America including social, medical, and material culture, the American Civil War, and Connecticut. At the heart of her research and published works are firsthand, primary source accounts of the people of the Civil War generation. Carolyn Ivanoff is the author of two books, We Fought at Gettysburg-Firsthand Accounts by the Survivors of the 17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry and Cornelia Hancock’s Civil War-A Heart Touched by Fire from Gettysburg to the Grand Review. As a presenter her programs include educational and historical presentations for museums, libraries, schools, community organizations, Civil War round tables, and living history venues.

Reviews

[Chris McCarthy]

The reason I read this book is because my great great great grandfather served in the 17th Connecticut. Isaac Mead, Sgt; Company I. Alas, he is not in the book, but the book is a mostly first person account of their time at Gettysburg. They were in the thick of things the first 2 days and got a a bit of respite on the 3rd. It was actually members of the 17th that first confirmed on the 4th that the Confederates were retreating. The eyewitness accounts are brutally detailed; if you have any notions of the Civil War as being somehow clean and chivalrous, these accounts will disabuse you of them. The level of violence and gore that these men witnessed is truly horrific. And they were a small portion of 2 huge armies at this battle. There are accounts of battle, of injury, of being a prisoner; the author also delves into some of the aftermath of battle. The area around Gettysburg was an unimaginable nightmare for weeks, full of field hospitals and shallow graves. There are stories of relatives coming to Gettysburg to bring home the remains of their loved ones. The book is full of very personal accounts of a huge historical event. the only real complaint is that a lot of anecdotes are used in more than one spot in the book, verbatim, which can be annoying. Otherwise, this was a good read, very interesting, and quite poignant.

[Valerie]

Loved all of the first hand accounts.

[Genevieve]

We Fought at Gettysburg is a powerful and engaging read that brings the Battle of Gettysburg to life through vivid first-hand accounts and well-researched narratives. What truly sets this book apart is its close focus on the soldiers of the 17th Connecticut Infantry. The author does an excellent job tracing their personal journeys—not only during the battle itself, but also in the lead-up to and aftermath of this pivotal moment in American history.

As a Connecticut resident, I found it especially meaningful to learn about what individuals from my own state endured. Their stories add a deeply personal layer to a battle often told in broad strokes, and it makes their sacrifices feel all the more real.

[John]

This account is the most complete history of a regiment who served at Gettysburg I have ever read. The amount of detail is incredible. The reader gets to know the men involved and what happened to them in the battle. The first person accounts are compelling. The author has invested the time to bring the 17th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry alive. The level of detail is enhanced by a comprehensive appendix and over 200 photos. Carolyn Ivanoff has completed a wonderful account to preserve their memory and enrich ours.

[Greyson Beardsley]

graphic accounts of the fighting at gettysburg from barlows knoll to cemetery and culps hill