Gettysburg Rebels: Five Native Sons Who Came Home to Fight as Confederate Soldiers

by Tom McMillan

Gettysburg Rebels is the gripping true story of five young men who grew up in Gettysburg, moved south to Virginia in the 1850s, joined the Confederate army - and returned "home" as foreign invaders for the great battle in July 1863. Drawing on rarely-seen documents and family histories, as well as military service records and contemporary accounts, Tom McMillan delves into the backgrounds of Wesley Culp, Henry Wentz and the three Hoffman brothers in a riveting tale of Civil War drama and intrigue.

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

352 pages, Hardcover

Published June 12, 2017

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem. It is the product of incredibly detailed research, finding new history among the well-traveled Gettysburg terrain. Tom McMillan supports his theories, corrects misunderstandings, and fleshes out the lives of five Gettysburg natives who travelled south to Virginia in the 1850s for work and who ended up fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. While the maps could have been improved, their weaknesses do not detract from the wealth of detail. This book reminded me that well-covered subjects can still provide interesting and novel history when they are examined from a new perspective and supported with detailed research. I greatly enjoyed this read.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting topic that is a slog to get through at times. Tom McMillan tells the story of five native sons of Gettysburg that would ultimately fight for the Confederacy. It is an interesting story and definitely worth telling. However, McMillan's book is slow at parts. I think he was trying to make this into a book and just added material to fulfill that requirement. This should have been an article.

However, this book is not bad. It has captivating moments that a tell an interesting human story of the most famous battle of the Civil War. Henry Wentz firing artillery at his family's home during the battle symbolizes the tragedy of that war. There is great material in this book, but some parts are just a chore to get through.

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched book and riveting. McMillan had provided great detail on five men from Gettysburg who moved south and later returned as Confederate soldiers. I've visited the battlefield numerous times and my next visit will take on a decidedly different look because of what I learned reading this book. Not only historical, but great human interest story as well.

[B.L. Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a historian, I know that there were certainly a number of people from the north who sided with the Confederacy against a man who they viewed as a tyrannical dictator. One of my favorites is "William Clark Quantrill" who was born in "Dover, Ohio". He was a brave man & a tough guy (i.e. a real-life Josey Wales). My favorite villainous person who joined the CSA was "Champ Fergusson". He exacted revenge on personal enemies, crossing between TN & KY to do it. It's always interesting reading/hearing about the many interesting individuals as people. This is a fantastic book!

When people think of the American Civil War they tend to think of the graphic nature of The Battle of Gettysburg. This was a very detailed & insightful telling of several men from there who fought for the CSA. I enjoyed it deeply as well as hearing about insights about the battle specifically, that most writers seem to dodge.

[Luke Mohamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read, humanizing and bringing to life the stories of five young Gettysburg rebels. I appreciated McMillan's approach to an uncovered area of a well-covered topic. Many parts of the story required a series of piecing together information and at times, making reasonable assumptions. He neither excessively labored on an unknown, nor did did he present unclear circumstances as irrefutable fact. Instead, McMillan used an approach of reason that I think readers will find relatable and endearing.

[Craig Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amazing Book

Not only is the main subject of this book a remarkable story, with the author very deftly and persuasively presenting the known and highly probable facts he has worked hard to glean from the records, but he lays out very clearly how these young men fit into a larger sense of community and the subsequent devastation of their youth by the maelstrom of the civil war that enveloped them. This is an excellent book and I am so happy Mr. McMillan discovered, and then decided to research and tell this amazing story. Very highly recommended!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congratulations to Tom McMillan for this wonderful volume focusing on the lives of five young men and their families, caught up in the tenor of the times leading to their participation, for one, his death, in the American civil war. Fast-paced, yet detailed and well-researched, this book is a labor of love for the author, and we readers all benefit from his prodigious passion and effort.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, true Civil War story of 5 young men from Gettysburg that joined the Confederate army. They returned to Gettysburg to fight in that 1863 battle. A little wordy at times, but a good read if interested in Gettysburg, the Civil War, or personalities.

[R.W. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what compelled me to read this other than the fact that I can rarely ever visit the civil war, and even less so, the Confederates. This was an interesting book, and worth your time... If you're into that sort of thing.

[Melissa Salsgiver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a civil war buff. that said, I have visited Gettysburg several times and could mentally travel to the locations described by Mr. McMillan. Aspects of the book inspired me to think more about Jenny Wade and also the role of musicians during that conflict. Easy read and worth the time.

[Amanda Mateer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a lot of moving parts and I was really bored in the middle. I thought it was an awesome concept with a lot of cool random civil war history. I'm not sure if the author lost me or the narrator.

[Phillip Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting account of 5 native sons and the information they knew about their hometown that could've turned the tide of the Civil War.

[Stephen Tubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst not historically important - more of a footnote in the Civil War - the tale is interesting and is told within the larger picture.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

very, very good