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Gettysburg, Day Three by Jeffry D. Wert
On July 1 and 2, 1863, armies commanded by George Meade and Robert E. Lee clashed in the hilly farm country surrounding Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Badly bloodied, the outcome of the battle still uncertain, they fought on into a third day, one whose close would decide the Civil War. Jeffry Wert, a Pennsylvania high school teacher and well-published scholar of Civil War history, offers a sweeping account of that third day of battle, one that relies heavily on letters, diaries, and other primary sources. From those combatants, we learn of the "carnival of hell" that was Pickett's Charge, when "the incessant rattle of musketry sounded like the grinding of some huge mill." We read of the heroic Union defense of Culp's Hill against equally heroic Confederate attackers, of a stirring charge of Virginia cavalry that elicited "a murmur of admiration" from opposing Michigan horsemen led by George Armstrong Custer, and of the exhaustion and terror of ordinary soldiers, one of whom mused, "What men are these we slaughter like cattle and still they come at us?"Like the battle itself on that final day at Gettysburg, Wert's narrative unfolds with breakneck speed, and sometimes with so much detail as to yield momentary confusion as it proceeds from one butchery to the next. Still, his account is painstakingly researched and very well written, and it deserves a place on the shelf alongside the work of Bruce Catton, Shelby Foote, and other popular historians of the Civil War. --Gregory McNamee
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First published February 1, 2001
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About the author
Jeffry D. Wert
17 books35 followersAmerican historian and author specializing in the American Civil War. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. from Lock Haven University, and a M.A. from The Pennsylvania State University, both in History. He worked for many years as a history teacher at Penns Valley Area High School in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 8, 2021
Few battles in world history, save perhaps Waterloo, Stalingrad, or the Battle of Britain, are as thoroughly written about as is the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg has been so deeply studied, to an obsessive degree, that there can be thick tomes dedicated to a single event of the great battle, a single day, or even a single unit within the larger whole.
Jeffrey Wert's "Gettysburg: Day Three" is a narrative retelling of the final and conclusive day of the bloody fighting in southern Pennsylvania. As such, as is typical of a work from Wert, the book is itself very well written, and well researched, however, it is very shallow in it's analysis, and his analysis as to why things occurred is often nothing more than a basic rehashing of the standard opinion on the subject.
As far as the narrative of the final day of the battle itself goes, this work is superb. Wert has mined the archives, from both North and South, to produce a very heartfelt soldier's eye view of the great events being described. The drama, the passion, the rage, the terror, the glory, the pain, all of the various aspects of battle itself are incredibly well conveyed to the reader.
It really isn't hyperbole to state that Wert is one of the very best at describing 19th century combat. His retelling of the great artillery duel which precedes Pickett's Charge is one of the most dramatic sections of any military history I have ever read.
Wert, likewise, isn't afraid to visualize the carnage, either.
I think Wert showcases the men themselves describing the horrific, and oft times gruesome, consequences of early industrial era firepower to take some of the glorified gloss off of The War Between the States, which does often become mythologized amongst us Americans to the point where we forget that this was, indeed, a brutally bloody war that resulted in battles that were little better than, mostly, indecisive slaughters (despite what some from West Point, even, will try to claim, the vast majority of Civil War combats were bereft of larger strategic benefit for either side, and typically, even if a side "won" that particular fight, they were so badly beat up in doing so, the Northern side often worse than the Southern, that a decisive pursuit was well nigh impossible).
So, as a fair warning, if reading about artillery shells piercing through both sides of a house, decapitating some poor bastard on the way through, and then exploding amidst a group of other poor cowering troops, and taking them into the afterlife, bothers you, then maybe stay away from this book. Wert makes the combat scenes highly visceral, so fair warning, this might not always be kid friendly military history.
Not to say that he engages in purple prose, I don't believe he does, but he isn't afraid to show war as it really is, either.
Like I said, his narration of what occurs: the beginning of Lee's planning for the third day, the eruption of fighting at dawn around Culp's Hill and the escalation thereof, the finalization of Lee's plans (rather heavily modified thanks to Culp's Hill), the gathering of the Confederate Grand Battery, the truly epic artillery bombardment, Pickett's Charge itself, the cavalry battle behind the main concentration, and the aftermath of the battle are all splendidly well written.
However, Wert falls flat in telling you why these things happened.
Case in point, his analysis of Lee's overall planning and reasoning for the entirety of another day of operations. Wert, as was common following the popularity of the Turner Network's showcasing of their film "Gettysburg" (based off a 1970's novel called "The Killer Angels"), follows the pop culture trend of hyper lionizing General James Longstreet.
The issue with an over reliance upon Longstreet's memoirs, and his own logic and reasoning, is that Longstreet, perhaps more than any of the other Southern commanders, was not afraid to embellish, and massage the truth to make himself look better in the process.
Wert goes along with Longstreet's idea of disengaging in front of the enemy (very hard to do, by the way, especially when you control the exterior lines, and are therefore, overextended in comparison to your foe, and have to disengage from more than one point of egress) never bothering to consider that Federal General George Meade had prepared for exactly such an eventuality with his Pipe Creek circular a day before the battle.
Wert also excuses Longstreet's purposeful dalliance in the face of the ticking clock on day three, and on placing the responsibility for the overall success of Pickett's Charge on the shoulders of an, admittedly a very good, artillery Colonel who was only 27 years old.
And, as is very common amongst American historians of The War Between the States, Wert is utterly bereft of knowledge of the wider Western military tradition and recent experience of the time.
Lee's overall plan for the third day was not, as is often portrayed, a hopeless plan. In fact, it was in large part inspired by recent, European, military history.
In 1859, in northern Italy, at a place called both Magenta and Solferino, a joint Franco-Piedmontese army under Napoleon III (THE Napoleon's nephew, and a man who fell far short of the glory of his uncle) won a decisive victory against a well positioned Austrian Army, ensconced on the high ground, and fighting from a defensive position.
The French routed the Austrians at the close of the bloody day by massing a grand battery of over 100 guns (artillery pieces), blasting the Austrian center, and following it up with a massed infantry charge that smashed the Austrian center and left, winning the day.
Lee's plan, which had, originally, counted on the simultaneous strikes on the Federal right as well as the rear with Stuart's Cavalry Corps, was a very well thought through, and logical plan. (See Noah Trudeau's account of Gettysburg for a proper defense of Lee's plan, as well as Scott Bowden's Last Chance for Victory). Wert, however, simply rehashes the standard dogma, and focuses instead on the what, instead of the how and why.
Despite all of that, though, it's an enjoyable read, though if you're looking for a more analytical work, like I often am, you will be slightly let down.
As a splendid narrative of the final day of the greatest battle in North America, this is an easy recommendation.
Jeffrey Wert's "Gettysburg: Day Three" is a narrative retelling of the final and conclusive day of the bloody fighting in southern Pennsylvania. As such, as is typical of a work from Wert, the book is itself very well written, and well researched, however, it is very shallow in it's analysis, and his analysis as to why things occurred is often nothing more than a basic rehashing of the standard opinion on the subject.
As far as the narrative of the final day of the battle itself goes, this work is superb. Wert has mined the archives, from both North and South, to produce a very heartfelt soldier's eye view of the great events being described. The drama, the passion, the rage, the terror, the glory, the pain, all of the various aspects of battle itself are incredibly well conveyed to the reader.
It really isn't hyperbole to state that Wert is one of the very best at describing 19th century combat. His retelling of the great artillery duel which precedes Pickett's Charge is one of the most dramatic sections of any military history I have ever read.
Wert, likewise, isn't afraid to visualize the carnage, either.
I think Wert showcases the men themselves describing the horrific, and oft times gruesome, consequences of early industrial era firepower to take some of the glorified gloss off of The War Between the States, which does often become mythologized amongst us Americans to the point where we forget that this was, indeed, a brutally bloody war that resulted in battles that were little better than, mostly, indecisive slaughters (despite what some from West Point, even, will try to claim, the vast majority of Civil War combats were bereft of larger strategic benefit for either side, and typically, even if a side "won" that particular fight, they were so badly beat up in doing so, the Northern side often worse than the Southern, that a decisive pursuit was well nigh impossible).
So, as a fair warning, if reading about artillery shells piercing through both sides of a house, decapitating some poor bastard on the way through, and then exploding amidst a group of other poor cowering troops, and taking them into the afterlife, bothers you, then maybe stay away from this book. Wert makes the combat scenes highly visceral, so fair warning, this might not always be kid friendly military history.
Not to say that he engages in purple prose, I don't believe he does, but he isn't afraid to show war as it really is, either.
Like I said, his narration of what occurs: the beginning of Lee's planning for the third day, the eruption of fighting at dawn around Culp's Hill and the escalation thereof, the finalization of Lee's plans (rather heavily modified thanks to Culp's Hill), the gathering of the Confederate Grand Battery, the truly epic artillery bombardment, Pickett's Charge itself, the cavalry battle behind the main concentration, and the aftermath of the battle are all splendidly well written.
However, Wert falls flat in telling you why these things happened.
Case in point, his analysis of Lee's overall planning and reasoning for the entirety of another day of operations. Wert, as was common following the popularity of the Turner Network's showcasing of their film "Gettysburg" (based off a 1970's novel called "The Killer Angels"), follows the pop culture trend of hyper lionizing General James Longstreet.
The issue with an over reliance upon Longstreet's memoirs, and his own logic and reasoning, is that Longstreet, perhaps more than any of the other Southern commanders, was not afraid to embellish, and massage the truth to make himself look better in the process.
Wert goes along with Longstreet's idea of disengaging in front of the enemy (very hard to do, by the way, especially when you control the exterior lines, and are therefore, overextended in comparison to your foe, and have to disengage from more than one point of egress) never bothering to consider that Federal General George Meade had prepared for exactly such an eventuality with his Pipe Creek circular a day before the battle.
Wert also excuses Longstreet's purposeful dalliance in the face of the ticking clock on day three, and on placing the responsibility for the overall success of Pickett's Charge on the shoulders of an, admittedly a very good, artillery Colonel who was only 27 years old.
And, as is very common amongst American historians of The War Between the States, Wert is utterly bereft of knowledge of the wider Western military tradition and recent experience of the time.
Lee's overall plan for the third day was not, as is often portrayed, a hopeless plan. In fact, it was in large part inspired by recent, European, military history.
In 1859, in northern Italy, at a place called both Magenta and Solferino, a joint Franco-Piedmontese army under Napoleon III (THE Napoleon's nephew, and a man who fell far short of the glory of his uncle) won a decisive victory against a well positioned Austrian Army, ensconced on the high ground, and fighting from a defensive position.
The French routed the Austrians at the close of the bloody day by massing a grand battery of over 100 guns (artillery pieces), blasting the Austrian center, and following it up with a massed infantry charge that smashed the Austrian center and left, winning the day.
Lee's plan, which had, originally, counted on the simultaneous strikes on the Federal right as well as the rear with Stuart's Cavalry Corps, was a very well thought through, and logical plan. (See Noah Trudeau's account of Gettysburg for a proper defense of Lee's plan, as well as Scott Bowden's Last Chance for Victory). Wert, however, simply rehashes the standard dogma, and focuses instead on the what, instead of the how and why.
Despite all of that, though, it's an enjoyable read, though if you're looking for a more analytical work, like I often am, you will be slightly let down.
As a splendid narrative of the final day of the greatest battle in North America, this is an easy recommendation.
September 27, 2018
Very good book on the last day at Gettysburg, covering not only the main infantry actions at Culp's Hill and Pickett's Charge but also the cavalry engagements east and south of Gettysburg and at Fairfield. The author provides a great analysis of the tactics and strategy used by both armies and of the decisions made by the generals.
March 13, 2022
After 30 years of reading books about the Civil War and about Gettysburg in particular, I recently have found very little to keep my interest. It was almost as if I had "read it all". I picked up Jeffert Wert's book "Gettysburg :Day Three" primarily because of his past books. I had read one on Longstreet and one on Custer. In the past I have found Wert to be highly readable yet consistly knowledgable on his chosen subject. I was not disappointed. Suddenly I was on the battlefield I had visited over 25 year ago. Seeing Culp's Hill,Spangler's Spring and the surrounding woods.I was reminded of standing at Hay's position at the stone wall and viewing Seminary Ridge and the Blue Ridge Mountain range behind it.When you read the section on the cannonade against the oncoming Confederates the distance takes on a completely new meaning.( If you've ever visited Gettysburg on a hot July day you have a greater appreciation of how suffocating it must have felt.)
Wert transports the reader to the field of battle. To read this book makes the reader feel the temor of the earth during the cannonade prior to the Confederate charge. You also sense the desperation in the fighting on both sides. The reader comes to, somewhat, understand the hesitation yet the fortitude of the men in gray as they rose to march against the postion so prominent and so formidable yet so far away. I found the book even handed and fair to both sides of the battle. I agree with the previous writer that more maps would have been better but I always complain about a lack of maps.
I highly recommend to those that have become jaded,as I had, to pick this book up and once again experince this battle in the only way left to us. You won't be disappointed.
Wert transports the reader to the field of battle. To read this book makes the reader feel the temor of the earth during the cannonade prior to the Confederate charge. You also sense the desperation in the fighting on both sides. The reader comes to, somewhat, understand the hesitation yet the fortitude of the men in gray as they rose to march against the postion so prominent and so formidable yet so far away. I found the book even handed and fair to both sides of the battle. I agree with the previous writer that more maps would have been better but I always complain about a lack of maps.
I highly recommend to those that have become jaded,as I had, to pick this book up and once again experince this battle in the only way left to us. You won't be disappointed.
April 28, 2020
This is an excellent book that describes the combat that took place on the third and final day of the battle of Gettysburg. The book uses many first hand accounts from the soldiers who participated in the battle by using entries from their letters, diaries, articles and memoirs. It also provides excellent perspective and insight into the tactical decisions made that fateful day. The author does not rely on twenty-twenty hindsight to formulate his analysis of those decisions. He tries and succeeds in using the generally accepted military procedures at the time of the Civil War to evaluate those decisions. The book is a well-researched account of battle on July 3, 1863. And, unfortunately for us, when there is no documentation available, the author admits some things will never be known about the reason for decisions made on that pivotable day in American history. These unknows include what General Lee said to Calvary General Jeb Stuart once Jeb arrived belatedly to the battlefield on July 2. This book would make an excellent addition to the library of any Civil War enthusiast as well as be an interesting read for people with a passing interest in the Civil War.
December 29, 2022
Excellent summary with very detailed descriptions of the action beginning at Culp's Hill, then describing Pickett's Charge and the afternoon calvary actions. The soldiers of both sides come alive from many letters and diaries used to provide the detail from the front lines. A battle to change the course of history deserves this level of detail.
November 28, 2018
Good account of the fighting at Gettysburg on Day 3 of the battle. It covers the savage fighting on the Union right flank at Culp’s Hill in the morning, as well as the lesser-known cavalry battles waged during the day. The book spends four chapters on the climactic Pickett’s Charge.
July 8, 2017
Best of the three books. Had a couple chapters of intro, then right into the battle. A very good description of the Culps Hill part of the battle, which I hadn't ever read about before.
December 4, 2025
Wert has crafted an excellent summary study of the Third Day at Gettysburg, using a heavy dose of primary source material to frame the narrative. From early in the morning of July 3rd through the conclusion of the fighting the early evening, the soldier’s voice dominates this account of one of the bloodiest days of the war.
While I believe a more accurate rating would be 4.5 stars, I’m rounding up here as Wert’a style is easy to read without being simple. That abundant use of soldier accounts provides a clear and vivid picture of the fighting. In doing so, Wert humanizes the day’s conflict in an important and memorable way.
The historian Harry Pfanz wrote volumes dedicated to Days 1 and 2 but passed before writing a Day 3 work. Wert’s effort stands as an effective companion and conclusion.
While I believe a more accurate rating would be 4.5 stars, I’m rounding up here as Wert’a style is easy to read without being simple. That abundant use of soldier accounts provides a clear and vivid picture of the fighting. In doing so, Wert humanizes the day’s conflict in an important and memorable way.
The historian Harry Pfanz wrote volumes dedicated to Days 1 and 2 but passed before writing a Day 3 work. Wert’s effort stands as an effective companion and conclusion.
November 23, 2021
A single-volume narrative account of the third day at Gettysburg.
In all honesty, as uncharitable as this sounds, I'm not sure another study of the third day at Gettysburg was needed. Pfanz' magisterial volumes have already covered much of this material in more detail and equal narrative interest. The cavalry battles, which are Wert's addition to his narrative of the third day, are covered here in adequate detail with rather little discussion of their contribution to the battle overall. (I'd recommend Longacre's work for more detail on the cavalry.)
Wert does do an excellent job of integrating primary sources throughout his text, bringing his narrative alive. He pays more attention to Pickett(et al.)'s Charge than other events, including the assaults on Culp's Hill, and his account saves its most descriptive language for that event, sometimes slipping over the line into melodrama. His analysis of why the battle turned out as it did seems solid but not revolutionary, with some interesting comments about the limitations of Confederate artillery.
I think this would be a useful, engaging read for a person wanting a single-volume account of the Civil War's most famous battlefield moment. For more advanced researchers, I don't think that it replaces preexisting resources.
In all honesty, as uncharitable as this sounds, I'm not sure another study of the third day at Gettysburg was needed. Pfanz' magisterial volumes have already covered much of this material in more detail and equal narrative interest. The cavalry battles, which are Wert's addition to his narrative of the third day, are covered here in adequate detail with rather little discussion of their contribution to the battle overall. (I'd recommend Longacre's work for more detail on the cavalry.)
Wert does do an excellent job of integrating primary sources throughout his text, bringing his narrative alive. He pays more attention to Pickett(et al.)'s Charge than other events, including the assaults on Culp's Hill, and his account saves its most descriptive language for that event, sometimes slipping over the line into melodrama. His analysis of why the battle turned out as it did seems solid but not revolutionary, with some interesting comments about the limitations of Confederate artillery.
I think this would be a useful, engaging read for a person wanting a single-volume account of the Civil War's most famous battlefield moment. For more advanced researchers, I don't think that it replaces preexisting resources.
July 28, 2010
Excellent! A fine and well balanced study of the third day at Gettysburg. Wert covers all of the action including Culp's Hill and the cavalry action both east and south of the battlefield. Obviously the Picket/Pettigrew Charge looms large in the story and takes up a considerable amount of space.
Since most people aren't interested in the many controversies of Gettysburg, Did Lee issue orders for the 3rd? Why didn't Longstreet call up Pickett until the morning of the 3rd? What were Lee's original plans if he had any? What role did Alexander's artillery play in the failure of Pickett's Charge? Did Lee fail at Gettysburg? Did Longstreet drop the ball? The questions of Gettysburg are endless and unless someone finds some long lost stash of papers unanswerable. They are remarkably fun to work over in your mind however.
In the end if you want to know more about Gettysburg this is a great book to spend some time with! Balanced, well reasoned and well written.
Since most people aren't interested in the many controversies of Gettysburg, Did Lee issue orders for the 3rd? Why didn't Longstreet call up Pickett until the morning of the 3rd? What were Lee's original plans if he had any? What role did Alexander's artillery play in the failure of Pickett's Charge? Did Lee fail at Gettysburg? Did Longstreet drop the ball? The questions of Gettysburg are endless and unless someone finds some long lost stash of papers unanswerable. They are remarkably fun to work over in your mind however.
In the end if you want to know more about Gettysburg this is a great book to spend some time with! Balanced, well reasoned and well written.
July 13, 2013
Maybe the definitive story of this part of the battle. I think you leave this book with an appreciation of the stoic heroism on both sides, the horror of civil war battles, and a profound melancholy for the almost unheard of losses on both sides.
January 30, 2010
As a history buff, I really enjoyed reading about the third day of this famous battle.
July 30, 2011
Very detailed account of military strategy.
March 11, 2021
Good, detailed account of the last part of this great battle, which included Pickett's charge. This was the downward turning point for the Confederacy.
June 2, 2013
Not a terribly smooth read, but chock full of riveting firsthand accounts. Worth the read, but not difficult to put down.
Read
June 6, 2015Good book. Comprehensive in the scope of all activity on Day 3. Most similar books only focus on Pickett's charge and Culp's Hill.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews