“Strong Men of the Regiment Sobbed Like Children”: John Reynolds’ I Corps at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863

by John Michael Priest

The fighting on the first day at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, was unexpected, heavy, confusing, and in many ways, decisive. Much of it consisted of short and often separate simultaneous engagements or “firefights,” a term soldiers often use to describe close, vicious, and bloody combat. Several books have studied this important inaugural day of Gettysburg, but none have done so from the perspective of the rank and file of both armies. John Michael Priest’s “Strong Men of the Regiment Sobbed Like Children”: John Reynolds’ I Corps at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863 rectifies this oversight in splendid style.When dawn broke on July 1, no one on either side could have conceived what was about to take place. Anticipating a fight and with a keen appreciation for terrain, Brig. Gen. John Buford deployed his Union cavalry in a giant arc north and west of Gettysburg to slow down any Confederate advance until Maj. Gen. John Reynolds could bring up his infantry. By the time the foot soldiers of the I Corps arrived, A. P. Hill’s heavy Confederate formations had pushed back the troopers from the west. Richard Ewell’s troops would soon arrive from the north, threatening the town and its key road network. Reynolds, who would die early in the fighting, poured his troops in as they arrived. The road system and undulating ground broke up command control, and the various ridges, tall ground cover, and powder smoke made target recognition difficult. Brigades and regiments often engaged on their own initiatives without the direction of a division or corps commander. The men of both armies fought with determination born of desperation, valor, and fear. By the time the fighting ended, the I Corps was in shambles and in pell-mell retreat for Cemetery Hill. Its bold stand, together with the XI Corps north of town, bought precious hours for the rest of the Army of the Potomac to arrive and occupy good defensive ground.Priest, who Edwin Bearss hailed as “the Ernie Pyle of the Civil War,” spent a decade researching this study and walking the ground to immerse readers into the uncertain world of the rank-and-file experience. He consulted more than 300 primary sources, including letters, diaries, memoirs, newspaper accounts, recollections, casualty lists, and drill manuals to present the battle from the ground up. Nineteen detailed regimental-level maps illustrate the ebb and flow of the battle. The result is a fast-paced narrative sure to please the most demanding students of the Civil War. The footnotes alone are worth the price of admission.Readers will close the book with a full understanding of why a veteran New Yorker spoke for the survivors of both armies when he wrote, “Strong men of the regiment sobbed like children.”

Genres: Civil War

448 pages, Hardcover

Published June 30, 2024

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been better. It contained so many typos as to make the text almost indecipherable. I expect better from an elite publishing firm like Savas Beatie. The narrative itself was good, if you can make your way through the typos. I mean, did anyone even proofread the manuscript before it was published?? Overall, an interesting book as far as subject matter goes; but even good narrative can't cancel out that many printing errors.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard Ken Burns once say that Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine won the Battle of Gettysburg and won the war for the Union. I have heard other people make the same comments because they saw the movie Gettysburg and/or read Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels.

As I learn more about Gettysburg Civil War, it was an entire Union effort. Even though the Confederacy technically won the first day, an argument could be made that the North won strategically since they fell back to a stronger position and fortified it. The efforts of the First Corps on July 1st, 1863, made this possible for most of the Army of the Potomac to come up late afternoon and in the evening to build a strong position on Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. First Corps was decimated, but the Iron Brigade, Stone's Bucktails, Baxter and Paul's brigades and others performed valiantly by holding off the Confederates for hours.

John Michael Priest's book provides anecdotes from the men who fought in the First Corps. if you read his Antietam book and his book about the southern portion of fighting on the second day at Gettysburg, you are used to this style. I like that Michael Priest tells the story of the common soldier and he allows the soldiers to tell the narrative. The maps in the book are also top quality. There are statistics provided at the end of the book that are eye opening.

Another reason I liked this book is the first day gets the recognition it deserves. People generally see the second and third days as the most important days, but those would not have happened if the first day had not happened.

An excellent and readable book that is perfect for people that like history.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Strong Men of the Regiment Sobbed Like Children": John Reynolds' I Corps at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863 by John Michael Priest is a detailed, soldier-level account of the Union Army’s I Corps during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War.

The book covers the early skirmishes, the death of Major General John Reynolds, the intense and bloody fighting that followed, and the I Corps’ eventual retreat and determined defense on Seminary Ridge. Priest’s extensive use of eyewitness accounts, diary entries, and personal recollections brings the battle vividly to life, offering a powerful, ground-level, and first person perspective of the soldiers’ experience.

This thoroughly researched work provides a deep tactical analysis of the I Corps’ movements and actions on July 1, 1863. The I Corps played a critical role that day, standing firm against overwhelming Confederate pressure. Even after the loss of General Reynolds and a full day of brutal combat, they held the line long enough to delay the Confederate advance and give General George Meade the time needed to organize a strong Union defensive position south of town—anchored on Cemetery Hill and extending to the Round Tops.

Despite being badly outnumbered and eventually forced to retreat, the I Corps’ stiff resistance bought vital time for the Union Army to establish its defensive line on Cemetery Hill, Culp’s Hill, and Cemetery Ridge—positions that would prove decisive over the following two days of battle.

Reynolds’ death was a severe blow to Union leadership. Widely respected and considered one of the finest field commanders in the army, his leadership on July 1 is still remembered as a moment of remarkable bravery and decisiveness.

The cost was staggering. The I Corps suffered a devastating casualty rate of over 50%, with more than 6,000 of the 10,000 men engaged killed, wounded, or captured. The famed Iron Brigade lost nearly two-thirds of its strength. Several brigade commanders were wounded or killed, further adding to the heavy toll.

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for Gettysburg Geeks

This an almost minute-by-minute account of the first day of combat at the battle of Gettysburg. This astounding narrative follows every unit, and at times it seems every union soldier’s location and movement, minute-by-minute with hundreds of details taken from participants’ accounts. I was amazed to learn of the tremendous number of dead and wounded, with some casualties resulting in a units virtual annihilation. A detailed map of the battleground west of Gettysburg is a great help in following the narrative. Truly a classic among the hundreds of books about the battle of Gettysburg.

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Priest's book is a detailed account of the actions taken by Reynold's I Corps on July 1, 1863 at Gettysburg. He begins in Chapter 1 with "First Contact: June 29 to 30, 1863", then proceeds to Chapter 2 describing the action from Dawn to 8:30 a.m. From there, Priest walks the reader through a chronological record of the fighting including the personal accounts of soldiers wounded and killed on both sides of the fighting. The Postscript covers the time period from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Priest covers approximately twelve hours of fighting in the book. This is a book for the serious student of the Gettysburg Campaign.

[Ken Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed account of the I Corp on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. It may be overwhelming for the casual reader but is a treasure chest for a serious student of the battle. Well researched and footnoted. The author shares the reasoning behind any statement that deviates from the traditional renditions of the progress of the action.