What They Did There: Profiles from the Battle of Gettysburg

by Steve Hedgpeth, John D. Wedo

"What They Did There: Profiles From the Battle of Gettysburg" offers a unique view of its subject, telling the story of the battle not through conventional narrative but via some 134 mini-bios of not only combatants blue and gray, but of civilians, doctors, nurses, artists, photographers, Samaritans; saints, sinners and the moral terrain in-between.

Genres: Civil War, History, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction

365 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book is written in vignettes. I wasn't sure if I would like this approach but I did. Some stories are about the more known people who were at Gettysburg. Some of the unknown soldier except for those who knew him. The author finds something unique about them and relays it an interesting way. This is a book you can read in quick snatches since it's in vignette form. Vignettes also allow the author to make each story unique.

Every person in this book was part of the Gettysburg's events during the battle. Some lived in homes that were located on the field.

I labeled shelved as genealogy. My thoughts were if you are studying your family history and have an ancestor who fought at Gettysburg, this is a must-read. The book also will give you as a researcher into the Civil War what it was like for all of those fighting or close to a battle whether it be at Gettysburg or elsewhere.

This book is available to read for free via Amazon Prime reading.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of individual accounts of the battle and its aftermath by soldiers, civilians and others affected. Bite sized entries, you can just read a few whenever you have a spare minute. Often tongue in cheek, you meet the famous and obscure participants. Here’s one example:

At 6-10 and a half feet tall and nearly 400 pounds, van Buskirk is credited as being the largest man to serve in the Union army. It’s said that he wore out five mounts on the march to Gettysburg. In 1862, Big Dave, as he was known, was captured, not in the wild, as one might suspect, but at Winchester, Va. He was sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, where Confederate President Jefferson Davis, hearing of the captive giant, came to see for himself. Davis wanted to know if the lieutenant had any brothers as big as he was,” writes Mike Wright in “What They Didn’t Teach You About the Civil War.” “' One, sir, but we ain’t so big compared to our sisters,’ van Buskirk said, grinning. ‘Back home in Indiana, I have six sisters, and when they told me goodbye, as I was standing with my company, they all walked up, leaned down, and kissed me on the top of the head.’”

After van Buskirk returned to his unit from Libby after a prisoner exchange, he was made captain in time for Gettysburg, where the 27th, as part of the XII Corps, fought on and near Culp’s Hill on the right of the Union line and suffered 110 casualties out of 339 men. Van Buskirk, who led a company in a charge across a marshy field, emerged from the battle unscathed.

In fact, this broad side of a barn with feet, the largest target on any battlefield, was never wounded during the war.

4 Stars

[Laurence E Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

This book is a very good,interesting,and a easy read. If interested in the battle of Gettysburg get this book for some interesting side stories.

[Gretchen Frye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting for Civil War and Gettysburg buffs, and really quite an interesting format. These are short profiles of people involved in the battle: soldiers (Blue and Grey), residents, nurses and volunteers, even the man tasked to create the National Cemetery and see the fallen interred with the honor due them. Most of the profiles are of people you've never heard of, and their stories making up only a few threads of the narrative of the battle and aftermath, but that makes it all the more interesting. The format, of several page profiles, was, I believe, due to the original distribution in the form of a blog of 150 profiles leading up to the sesquicentennial, but I thought it was a fitting way to tell the stories of the not-so-famous who make up a real telling of history.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way this book is written! Each day of the battle is in its own chapter. Then the author does little snippets of different people: union, confederate soldiers and officers, nurses, local Gettysburg residents... In writing the story of Gettysburg in this manner, you feel as if you know these people. They aren’t just facts and figures. I lost so many members of my family there, while others were either wounded or taken prisoner. As I read through these individuals tales, it made me feel closer to those brave men, women, and children. If you love the Civil War history, this is a must read.

[Richard Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating Vignettes

I am a Civil War buff, so if the reader of this review is not you may want to deduct a star. Nevertheless, I think all will enjoy reading these very interesting 3-4 page series of stories about the soldiers and civilians present during and after the Battle of Gettysburg.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This consists of short entries on what happen to a variety of different people during the Battle of Gettysburg along with what happened to them in later life. There's soldiers, spies, stories of men and stories of women and even details of the actual battle.

It's an unusual book but an interesting one.

[Straw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes interesting, mostly it was pretty dumb.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history, but too choppy for me to get involved

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book on Gettysburg from both the military (both sides) and civilian point of view.

[MJ Cahill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

[Pat Coady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply loved this book. I learned so many unique things about heroes from the battle. The author humanized each profile making you feel as though you knew these people.

[Terena · Rating 3 out of 5]

What They Did There: Profiles from the Battle of Gettysburg

Steve Hedgpeth wanted to instill some lighter moments, as per the introduction. What results is a good blend between the serious battle and a trace of lightness. Keeping count of who's who is a bit tiresome because he will mention others he has researched that also figure in the scene. All in all it's a good book.

[Pete Goodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is both informative and entertaining. I thought I knew the Battle of Gettysburg but this book has information I would never have known. It is so well written with references to pop culture and trivia taking a somber subject and making it interesting.
Well worth reading!!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compilation of personal histories of many major, minor and behind the scenes participants of the Battle of Gettysburg. This book is packed with history and a large list of personall diaries and memoirs for any history buff.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Quick Summary

A good read of who's who in the Civil War. A nice synopsis of the key players and bystanders. A nice fast paced, easy read.

[Dana Dembrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

In conversational prose, hundreds of short biographies depict some of the more unusual characters connected with the battle of Gettysburg.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good thumbnail of more than 100 participants in the Battle of Gettysburg. The bibliography is worth checking for Civil War buffs.

[Charla Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good easy read.

I enjoyed the short narratives of each person highlighted by the author. WAs interesting, light and informative, just what was intended.