The Day After Gettysburg

by Robert Conroy, J.R. Dunn

New Alternate History from a Master of the Robert Conroy was an unalloyed master of alternate history. Now, J.R. Dunn completes one of his final novels. LEE STRIKES BACK! After a terrible setback at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee does not retreat across the Potomac and his ultimate surrender at Appomattox. Instead, he turns the tables on Union General George Meade with a vicious counterattack that sets the Union Army on its heels. While Lee sets across Pennsylvania in a dazzling war of maneuver, a crazed actor closes in on President Abraham Lincoln. Standing in his way is Major Steve Thorne, a thoughtful lawyer-turned-soldier fighting for the Union and his own self-respect, and Cassandra Baird, a young woman whose courage is only surpassed by her determination to teach emancipated slaves to read and write, and so ensure their freedom. Opposing them is Colonel Corey Wade, a brave Confederate officer who is just as determined to fight to the death for his honor and that of his state. And, in the end, the fate of a nation may come down to a freed slave named Hadrian, a man with an iron resolve never to return to bondage. The time has come to strike a blow for liberty—or go down swinging! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About “Conroy captures the intricacies of WWII with an eye for historical nuance, and he crafts a believable alternate ending to the war. . . . [T]he story is buoyed by Conroy’s effective snapshot of the era.”—Publishers Weekly “[A] gripping alternate World War II saga . . .”—Library Journal About Rising “Conroy extrapolates a new and militarily plausible direction for WWII . . . A thrilling adventure.”—Booklist About Himmler’s “[Conroy] adds a personal touch to alternate history by describing events through the eyes of fictional characters serving on the front lines. Historical accuracy in the midst of creative speculation makes this piece of alternate history believable.”—Library Journal Robert Conroy was the author of a run of hugely popular alternate history novels, including Himmler’s War, Rising Sun, 1920: America's Great War, 1784, 1864: Custer in Chains, and Germanica for Baen Books. His 1942, which is set within a Japanese conquest of Hawaii, won the prestigious Sidewise Award for alternate histories. Conroy lived for many years in southeastern Michigan. J.R. Dunn is the author of time travel novels This Side of Judgment, Days of Cain—widely hailed as one of the most powerful time travel novels to deal with the Holocaust—and Full Tide of Night. He was the long-time associate editor ofThe International Military Encyclopedia and is now an editor at The American Thinker. His nonfiction appears regularly on Baen.com

Genres: Alternate History, Military Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Civil War

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

Robert Conroy was a best selling author of alternate history novels. His 1942, which is set within a Japanese conquest of Hawaii, won the prestigious Sidewise Award for alternate histories.

After taking early retirement from automotive management, Conroy decided to combine his loves of history and writing. After discovering that Kaiser Wilhelm had plans to invade the U.S., he wrote his first alternate history, 1901 in which the invasion took place. He found alternate history fascinating and the possibilities never-ending. He also wrote for Military History Magazine.

Conroy had a MBA, was a US Army Veteran and was a retired instructor at Macomb Community College. He had a married daughter and two grandsons. He lived in southeastern Michigan with his wife of forty-plus years. He passed away in December 2014 from Cancer.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've long enjoyed alternate history novels-- ever since reading "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick back in elementary school. The late Robert Conroy has been one of the leading writers in this genre, or sub-genre of science fiction. This is his last book, published posthumously, and I give it ***, so not one of his stronger efforts. The main reason I guess is that he has Lee defeating Meade the day after the Battle of Gettysburg, July 4th, 1863. On that day, Lee's army was exhausted, down to 50,000 men, and beginning their retreat to Virginia. They might have been able to win a defensive battle against Meade's Union Army, but Conroy has them suddenly attacking the Unionists and defeating them. I don't think so. It's called the Battle of Hagerstown, Md, but Lee was nowhere near that city on July 4th! So, rather far-fetched and I prefer alternate history that sticks closer to reality.
That said, it's an interesting situation that Lee faces if he had somehow defeated the Yankees. Rather than retreat back to Virginia, Conroy has Lee move his army into central Pennsylvania to live off the abundant supplies to be gathered there. Of course, any student of the ACW can guess that Lincoln would have Grant take over the Union Army and we can see Grant chasing after Lee in Pennsylvania...
As in other books of his, the story focuses on some of the individuals caught up in the action and sometimes we see the leading figures--Lincoln, Jeff Davis, Lee, and so on-- discuss the situation. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the book. It did keep me engaged but I could not get over the unbelievable beginning of the story. Or am I too demanding?

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lost art of proofreading...

This was an interesting tale of an alternate ending to the American civil war. It was full of spelling, grammar, and historical errors that should have been caught by a competent proof reader. Without giving away the plot I'd like to mention the Confederate general at Vicksburg was named Pemberton, not Pendleton. Also have to wonder if the author has ever personally examined the Potomac river above the Great Falls?

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better title would have been The War after Gettysburg.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure how I feel about this book. There was an odd (weird) intro to the story discussing the raping of white women during the Civil War, that while it was rare it still happened. Gotta be honest - it really felt like an attempt at justifying what was going to happen in the took no matter how distasteful or "uncomfortable" the description might be. There were a LOT of typos in the book (mostly words missing from sentences, but there were punctuation errors, too). I felt like after the initial Confederate counterattack it really slowed down until the last few chapters where it again picked up at breakneck speed to race to an unsatisfying end. It is funny, too, because I kept hoping it would reach the end sooner rather than later, but then the "end" came so abruptly that I found myself wishing it had been a chapter or three longer. Ah, well. The setting of the last chapter was a bit of a surprise, and I did like how it ended with Lincoln and Lee shaking hands.

I thought it was interesting that John Wilkes Booth leads an attempt to kidnap Lincoln instead of assassinating him this time around. Probably the "best part" of that plot is that it allows President Lincoln to physically (and literally) fight for his life against his kidnappers. It might even be the best part of the book for me, because I usually do not picture Abraham Lincoln as being a "physical person" despite his having lived a physical life before becoming a lawyer and then entering politics. Instead of cowering in fear, he attacks his attackers, surprising them and fights his way to freedom, which was pretty cool.

The book is a lot of exposition and not really a lot of military action. Sure, there are raids that take place between the initial Confederate counterattack and the end of the book, but the majority of the book involves people talking. A Confederate officer (Colonel Corey Wade) talking with his subordinates and clashing with an insubordinate sergeant. A Union officer (Major Steve Thorne) talking with his men and fellow officers, his former commanding officer, and his former commanding officer's daughter (Cassandra Baird). President Lincoln discussing his problems with Union generals who either will not fight or who do fight but continually lose battles. President Lincoln and his Cabinet discussing why they cannot give command of the Army of the Potomac or of all Union forces to General U.S. Grant ad nauseum to the point of me feeling like "stop being stupid, guys! C'mon, give the man a chance!", hahahah. I mean, it was practically a given that Grant was going to be given command sooner or later although the discussion between Grant and Secretary of War Edward Stanton in the middle-ish of the book did throw me for a bit of a loop because of the "demands" that Grant gave Stanton that had to be met before he would consider taking command; at this point I thought the author might actually go in the direction of a different Union general being given command over Grant. Cassandra Baird interacting with a large group of former slaves that she is trying to teach how to read and write in English. Cassandra's former "boyfriend" (not sure what he'd be called) who joins John Wilkes Booth's plans to disrupt life in Boston and Washington, DC before they attempt to kidnap President Lincoln. The insubordinate Confederate sergeant (whose name I do not remember, and I no longer have the book to look up his name) talking to the men under his command or interacting with General Longstreet.

There was one "crazy" moment in the book that easily stands out to me and I felt did change the course of the War for the Confederates on some level. This German immigrant has a modified rifle with an attached scope who goes "hunting" for the Confederates after they invade deeper into Pennsylvania. I forget his motivation for doing so - I don't remember if a friend or loved one was killed by the Confederate forces or if he just wanted to strike personally before joining the Union forces. He is close enough to one of the Confederate camps that he can see a man riding into camp on a horse; this man is dressed in style, has a feather in his hat, and is clearly beloved by the men under his command. The German kills Confederate General J.E.B. "Jeb" Stuart with a long-distance shot and escapes to join the Union Army. I forget which Union general he encounters, but this Union general enlists the German and has him become a member of the officer's security "detail"; however, the German and two other "master woodsmen" (do not remember the term used in the book) selected by the German because of their skills and tradecraft are to patrol a wider perimeter searching for any Confederates seeking to do to the Union Army what the German did to the Confederate Army.

For a book that professes to discuss what would have happened if the South had "struck back" and counterattacked "the day after Gettysburg" (of which the battle took place July 1st - July 3rd), nothing really happens. It turns into a giant stalemate with Lee essentially waiting for the Union to attack him and Meade waiting for the Confederates to attack the Union forces. There is no real movement of forces or anything until the "Great Switch" (my words) occurs and Meade is "replaced" I did not expect him to have a stroke and then fall into a coma; that was unexpected. There are some mild skirmishes that occur and some raids on local farms, but nothing really happens, militarily speaking.

I cannot decide if it is "morbid humor" or "just desserts", but two Confederates get their "well-deserved" comeuppance in the end. The first one is Cassandra's former "boyfriend/fiancé". He is heading south to try and reach Confederate lines; he has no food and is not dressed for cold weather after escaping D.C. after the failed attempt to kidnap President Lincoln (where Secretary of War Edward Stanton is taken instead). While he is crossing a battlefield, he eats food from some kits that he finds and removes clothing from dead Confederate soldiers in order to keep warm. Shortly thereafter, he is accosted by some actual Confederate soldiers who briefly interrogate him before they hang the man because they believe that he was not only "graverobbing" the dead but had taken an officer's jacket from a dying Confederate officer before killing said dying officer.

The insubordinate Confederate sergeant turns outlaw at times during the stalemate, robbing farms of their valuables that can be easily disposed of and killing civilians in the process. One of the last farming communities that he and his band rob fights back a bit harder than other communities; in a rage, he grabs the most attractive looking woman out of the civilians and rapes her, killing her in the process. Afterwards he discovers the "woman" was only fourteen years old. Most of the other men in his "unit" fall out and rape the remaining women in the community. Before the "final battle" at the end of the book, this sergeant discovers that the Union forces have transported gunboats to the Potomac River. Believing that this discovery will spare his life for his misdeeds and again put in him in the "good graces" of both Generals Lee and Longstreet, he heads back towards the Confederate lines. He does not fully realize that the path he is taking takes him past the community where he raped the young girl to death; the men in the community are back and armed; they ambush this rogue Confederate unit and plan to take the men prisoners and turn them over to the Union forces until the men realize who they have captured. The civilian militia immediately execute the other Confederates, but the sergeant is instead "tortured" before being executed. Unlike the moment when the sergeant rapes and kills the girl, the author chooses not to describe what kind of tortures are inflicted upon the Confederate sergeant in retaliation for the violation and death of the teenage girl. So it's "funny-not-funny" how the author has no issues describing a young teenager, a young girl, a child, of being raped and dying from being so violently violated and yet has qualms and "too weak of a stomach" to describe the "indignities" performed upon the thief-rapist-murderer. I realize that providing enough information to let the reader's imagination "fill in the blanks" can be a powerful "tool", but it is still a sad state of affairs that the rape and violation of woman and children can be so easily and readily described (but not necessarily the emotional and mental aftermath for the violated as that never seems to be a concern) but then the author shies away from describing any kind of violent "revenge" that takes place for such violations. Not that I necessarily want to read about such revenge-based violations occurring, but neither do I enjoy reading about violent "crimes" or wicked actions taking place that lead to the subsequent violent retaliatory acts that take place.

There were interesting moments that took place I really never thought about , such as Union attempts to root out any Confederate spies or sympathizers throughout the Union. There was an interesting-but-brief subplot involving a low-level clerk in the U.S. Treasury Department who passes some information along to the Confederate spy network about newly-printed money being transported via train across Pennsylvania to wherever it was going. The Confederates attach the train and abscond with the money; in a follow-up attack, the Union forces lay a trap for the Confederates and it mostly succeeds.

I have never asked "what if Gatling guns were available to the Union forces?" The author does include this question, and it was a crazy moment in the book as a Confederate counterattack during "the 'Final Battle'" is essentially mowed down within seconds of their charging the Union lines. They were used in an earlier battle (to retake Harrisburg, PA, I think), but that moment is somewhat veiled as it takes place "off-page." When they are "openly used," it is pretty clear what is going on, and it is a crazy moment in the book, too.

The Union gunboats and ironclads on the Potomac was kind-of a surprise (well, more the ironclads than the gunboats). Grant is discussing the draft of the gunboats and even the ironclads with Stanton earlier in the book, so it was clear at that point they would factor into the Union victory by the end of the book. It was still a cool moment because of the shock they provided the Confederate forces.

Harrisburg, PA, is pretty much destroyed in battle while it is being retaken by Union forces.

I did like the "final interaction" between Thorne and Wade at the end of the final battle. It was both touching and bittersweet; I found myself hoping Wade survived.

Probably the second biggest "downside" for me was that once Grant was put into command, it really "felt like" his campaign in Virginia to defeat the South was merely transposed upon Pennsylvania. The first "downside" was that it felt like Lee made a "huge mistake" by moving further into Pennsylvania because once he gets into the middle of the state, he just stops. His army just sits there. There is no movement. There is no traction. His actions do not create or cause any kind of repercussions in the other 'theaters of war' across the nation. His moving deeper into Pennsylvania does not cause the Union to really react in any way; there is no discussion of Union forces being shifted around to try and counter this "new and immediate threat" sitting in the midst of this (relatively) important state. His army is reinforced, but one would think that his army sitting in the state like it was would also provide more "springing off points" for the Confederacy as a whole to do more damage to the Union infrastructure and war effort. Nothing of the sort happens. Railways are left alone. Towns and villages are left untouched. Sure, farms are robbed of all of their livestock and produce, but nothing truly "destructive" is done to the Union's infrastructure or ability to wage war. Why not send Stuart on a raiding mission across Pennsylvania into other states to cause even more disruptions? To throw the Union command off even further? To force the Union to spend more time on defense and somewhat weakening its ability to wage war even further? I felt like Lee being however deep into Pennsylvania that he was turned out to be a non-issue and really did nothing for the Confederacy or its cause, nor did it seem to do anything to improve the overall war effort of the Confederacy because it really had no "long-term consequences" due to the lack of further activity on his part despite his being there.

I realize Grant did not have Gatling guns in his possession during his final campaign that won the War, but it still felt like the end of the book was merely an abridged version of his campaign against the South once he was moved back east to take over as the "supreme commander" of the Union forces. Regardless of his "winning or losing a battle," he continued moving southwards and forcing Lee to react to him until Lee reached the point where he could go no further and had to concede victory to Grant. Despite the creativity of using the Gatling guns and gunboats/ironclads, I felt the last few chapters of the book were really not that creative or original. But that is just me.

One other thing I "liked" (thought was amusing") was how the Southern generals all dismissed U.S. Grant. Well, I think one of them expressed concerns over the man and his fighting skills, but the general attitude towards the Union general was disrespectful and they felt they could easily best him in battle. I think that goes to show they did not truly understand the man how how he waged war, what he felt were important in terms of objectives and goals. He was waging a new kind of war, and it was one that they did not understand (which the Union generals did not understand, either, as evidenced how Grant continued pressing towards his goal(s) regardless if the current battle had been 'won or lost'; he continued to force the Confederates to react to him and the movement of his troops).

Overall, it was okay, I guess. There were some exciting moments in the book, that is for sure. And I think the author also did a nice job of showing how frustrating counterespionage can be (especially considering the lack of technology available back then that we consider so important today). The pace did pick up towards the end of the book, but it felt like it was more of a discussion about prevailing attitudes in the North than it was speculative fiction about "what if Lee had done this versus that?" I might have rated it three stars but for the numerous errors in the book that took away from reading it and the unnecessary rapes that occur in the book that really were not necessary for the story being told. I doubt if I will ever read it again, but at least I read it this one time.

[MAB LongBeach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Robert Conroy was known for his alternate history military fiction. This is his final novel, completed after his death by J. R. Dunn. Unfortunately, it is not up to his usual standards. Conroy's characterizations are always fairly sketchy, but usually the plotting and action makes up for it. Not so here.

In our reality, after Gettysburg, Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was pushed back across the Potomac in defeat. The Day After Gettysburg posits that he successfully counterattacked instead, remaining in Pennsylvania. The war then became a stalemate for some months, marked by guerrilla raids and minor clashes, until Grant was persuaded to take command of Union forces in the East. This does not make for a very exciting story. At least it avoids Confederate apologia and white-washing.

If GoodReads supported half-stars, I would give this 1.5 stars. The writing is competent. Fans of the Civil War and of military what-ifs may find it somewhat interesting. But overall I cannot recommend this.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent alternate history in which Lee turned on Meade and attacked after Gettysburg rather than crossing the Potomac. A number of editing errors marred the book, Edwin Stanton becoming Edward and the 3rd Arkansas becoming the 3rd Alabama for a paragraph before changing back, to name just two. There was a scene in which Confederate troops staged a bloody frontal assault during which two Union officers had a discussion about how Union generals would never throw troops away in such a useless manner. Perhaps the characters had simply forgotten about Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg. I could have done without the looting, pillaging, raping Confederates that bore little resemblance to actual Civil War era soldiers. These and other similar issues took away from what would have otherwise been a good book. As it is, I would give it 2.5 stars.

[Rob Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Robert Conroy's last book. It was outlined when he died, and another author completed it. One thing this book displays is the brilliance of Grant, a side of him that has faded over the years. The basis for this book is that when Lee retreated south after Gettysburg, Lincoln ordered Mead to persue, and being trapped against the Patomac, Lee turned around and attacked successfully undoing Gettysburg. The Army of Northern Virginia remains in Pennsylvania. I will allow the next reader to discover the action the follows.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Robert Conroy's last novel, finished by J. R. Dunn. The two managed to make an interesting ACW alternate history tale based on Meade getting defeated by Lee when he attempted to follow Lincoln's orders to destroy the Army of Northern Virginia after Gettysburg. Plenty of fighting, decent character development, and a plausible end to the tale. In all a nice one volume AH tale that stands up well against the Newt Gingrich Gettysburg series.

[Kenneth Flusche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get's a 4 for readability and fictional characters. a 2 for alternate history not plausible / conspirasy theory. Turtledove the master says change one thing and go from there. Conroy changed 2 … A battle on the banks of the Potomac which resulted in Lee Staying in PA and. John Wilkes Booth failing to kill Lincoln. Still a good read.

[Harry L Skinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great alternate history

The author wrote a great tribute to Robert Convoy. This tale was as good as any I have read from the other great alternate history authors. Thanks for a great book.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unbelievably boring civil war alt-history. Basically a minor change which leads to other minor changes and an in significantly different outcome, with relatively uninteresting characters and plot detail along the way.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The South Still Doesn't Win

A different twist on the Civil War, the Army of Northern Virginia hangs out in PA after Gettysburg and causes havoc. Grant again saves the Union. South cannot match Northern manpower and resources...bottom line.

[Steve Leitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful analysis of an alternate aftermath to the battle of Gettysburg. J. R. Dunn has done a masterful job of completing Robert Conroy's last work.

[Stephen Boiko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Robert Conroy's books. RIP Sir!

[Jim Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best Alternate History by Robert Conroy, but as always, the "what ifs" are intriguing.

[Mike Emett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many issues with this work that started well. From there it went places, hard to follow at times, vague. No real action of which some of it did not correspond with the provided map. I do not want to dive into the other issues within... it will take too long. But I will say this emphatically: IN SERIOUS NEED OF AN EDITOR! Or at least a more competent one.

[Brian Hand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine book from Robert Conroy

Have always enjoyed reading history books and then I discovered alt history and the what ifs I will miss the pleasure of finding another new Conroy book at the book store

[Allen McDonnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Blending

Robert Conroy died before finishing this book and J.R. Dunn has done a credible job of finishing it. As a fan of Conroy I appreciate getting to read his last novel even though he could not finish it himself.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, its only flaw being that Mr. Conroy passed before its completion. As such you can see points where a section was not fully fleshed out, but as I say a good read, regardless.

[Robert Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Riveting story. I felt like I was reliving history. Grant never received the credit he deserve while Lee was treated as a demigod.

[Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mr. Conroy's storylines have gone from interesting premises to "WTF is this author on?"

[Ernie Schreiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining what if novel.

Being a student of history I found novels by Conroy entertaining. A little over the top, but it allows me to read and relax

[Adam Klein · Rating 3 out of 5]

We need to be clear in that this book is not completely by Robert Conroy, and it is a fact that definitely shows. I am not sure how much of it was completed by J.R. Dunn, but much of the book reads like someone attempting to write in the style of Robert Conroy and struggling to do so. A lot of the aspects of a typical robert conroy book are not there and a good deal of it almost seems forced.

Also, there is this weird addendum at the start of the book talking about sexual assault and how they "did occur" to white women. It may be a case of the reader not reading the words as the author intended, but it does hit the ear and conscious a bit wrong.

Overall it is still a decent alternate history book, with an interesting perspective of how the war might have been fought had the Army of Northern Virginia turned and fought at one point in the retreat. It's not a terrible read, it's just not a Robert Conroy book.