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The First Day at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863
“The First Day at Gettysburg is an excellent contribution to the overall studies of the battle itself, and Hessler should be commended for delivering a book that is concise enough to not be overwhelming, but detailed enough to provide unique insight and particular accounts of the fighting on the first day. Persons interested in Gettysburg will find much value in the work.” – The NYMAS Review
The summer of 1863 started off disastrously for the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater. In early May, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia defeated and humiliated Major General Joseph Hooker’s army at the Battle of Chancellorsville. While both armies reorganized in the wake of Chancellorsville’s massive losses, Lee then maintained the initiative and launched an invasion of Pennsylvania. Throughout June, Lee’s army advanced deeper into Pennsylvania and Northern efforts to stop his progress were ineffective until Major General George Meade replaced Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac. On July 1, 1863, Meade and Lee’s large armies collided outside of the crossroads town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The stakes were never higher for either army as the newly promoted Meade defended Northern soil, while General Lee risked everything by taking the war into enemy territory.
The first day of the Battle of Gettysburg is often overshadowed by fighting on the following days, but July 1 was one of the bloodiest single engagements of the entire Civil War. Many of the decisions leading to and through Gettysburg’s first day remain steeped in controversy. Did Meade intend to fight on the Pipe Creek line in Maryland until subordinates such as Major General John Reynolds forced the engagement at Gettysburg? Did the absence of J. E. B. Stuart’s cavalry really leave Lee “blind” to his opponent’s movements? Was Lee’s desire to avoid a general engagement ignored by his own officers? With neither commanding general on the battlefield for much of the day, crucial decisions remained in the hands of subordinates such as John Buford, John Reynolds, A. P. Hill, Richard Ewell, and Oliver Howard.
This Casemate Illustrated volume sets the stage for the Civil War’s greatest battle and covers the heroism, decisions, and mistakes made on the first day at Gettysburg.
The summer of 1863 started off disastrously for the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater. In early May, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia defeated and humiliated Major General Joseph Hooker’s army at the Battle of Chancellorsville. While both armies reorganized in the wake of Chancellorsville’s massive losses, Lee then maintained the initiative and launched an invasion of Pennsylvania. Throughout June, Lee’s army advanced deeper into Pennsylvania and Northern efforts to stop his progress were ineffective until Major General George Meade replaced Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac. On July 1, 1863, Meade and Lee’s large armies collided outside of the crossroads town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The stakes were never higher for either army as the newly promoted Meade defended Northern soil, while General Lee risked everything by taking the war into enemy territory.
The first day of the Battle of Gettysburg is often overshadowed by fighting on the following days, but July 1 was one of the bloodiest single engagements of the entire Civil War. Many of the decisions leading to and through Gettysburg’s first day remain steeped in controversy. Did Meade intend to fight on the Pipe Creek line in Maryland until subordinates such as Major General John Reynolds forced the engagement at Gettysburg? Did the absence of J. E. B. Stuart’s cavalry really leave Lee “blind” to his opponent’s movements? Was Lee’s desire to avoid a general engagement ignored by his own officers? With neither commanding general on the battlefield for much of the day, crucial decisions remained in the hands of subordinates such as John Buford, John Reynolds, A. P. Hill, Richard Ewell, and Oliver Howard.
This Casemate Illustrated volume sets the stage for the Civil War’s greatest battle and covers the heroism, decisions, and mistakes made on the first day at Gettysburg.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2025
About the author
James A. Hessler
5 books9 followersJames Hessler is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park. His 2009 book, Sickles at Gettysburg, was awarded the R.E. Lee Civil War Round Table’s Bachelder Coddington Award and the Gettysburg Civil War Round Table's Distinguished Book Award as the most outstanding work on the Gettysburg Campaign. His most recent book, Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, was co-authored with Wayne Motts and released in 2015. Jim has been a guest on NPR, Travel Channel, PCN-TV, Breitbart News, and Civil War Radio. He is a popular author and speaker at civil war round tables who has taught courses for the Gettysburg Foundation and Harrisburg (PA) Area Community College. He lives in Gettysburg with his wife and children. --American Battlefield Trust
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 6, 2025
James A. Hessler's visual guide to the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg provides an excellent overview of the beginning of America's bloodiest battle. The book serves as an ideal tour of the battlefield distilled into an illustrated book. Pictures allow you to see portraits of important commanders as well as historic sites and battlefield sites in Gettysburg and the surrounding areas, helping the reader to place historical events into the context of their locations today. As someone with a limited knowledge of the battle, I had always found the July 1 attacks to be the most confusing. Despite this, Mr. Hessler's writing style and his use of battle maps and orders of battle helped portray complex maneuvers in an understandable yet detailed way. Hessler also impartially points out some of the tactical debates at Gettysburg, introducing the reader to some of the ongoing debates about the battle. The "Further Reading" list at the end also provides a launching-off point to continue reading. I will certainly be keeping my copy on hand to reference in the future. As far as Gettysburg tactics are concerned, I think this is the place to start.
May 19, 2026
Excellent account of the first days battle. Very insightful with loads of interesting sidebars of ancedotal information, a lot of which I personally have never read before.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews