Morning at Willoughby Run: The Opening Battle at Gettysburg July 1, 1863

by Richard S. Shue

In his film The Civil War, Ken Burns called it "a minor skirmish". Yet the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg was, by itself, one of the bloodiest days in American history. More Americans died on the field that day than on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. Nearly whole regiments for both sides were destroyed or captured. General John Reynolds, one of the highest ranking Union officers killed during the war, fell among the troops he commanded.

A captivating narrative that covers the first appearance of both armies in Pennsylvania up to the arrival of the 11th Corps around noon on the morning of July 1, 1863.

Genres: Civil War, American Civil War, Civil War Eastern Theater

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully detailed rendering of the first day at Gettysburg--July 1, 1863. But the book doesn't start on the morning of July 1st. There is nice context of events leading to the battle, including John Reynolds turning down command of the Army of the Potomac, Lee's division of his forces into three corps after Stonewall Jackson's death, running skirmished taking place in late June (e.g., Confederates against poorly trained Union militia), and so on. The materials provide good context for the actual fighting on July 1st.

The tale of John Buford's cavalry arriving on the last day of June, their stare down with Pettigrew's brigade (which withdrew before any conflict ensued), setting up their positions for the next morning, when everyone knew that Confederate forces would be coming down "that road" (the Chambersburg Pike). There is an interesting discussion of General Pettigrew trying to convince Generals Hill and Heth that there were Union regulars at Gettysburg. His fellow officers pooh poohed his concerns and chose to march on the village the next morning.

Then, the battle begins. Buford's cavalry are heavily pressed, Then, Reynolds and his corps come up and the sanguinary struggle commenced, a classic "meeting engagement." The book describes in considerable detail the ebb and flow of battle, with the Union forces finally breaking. The afternoon concludes with General Hancock (in concert with General Howard) establishing order in the Union ranks.

The book is enhanced with many maps, showing nicely the specifics of various parts of the fighting on the first day. Also, there are quite a few photographs that provide a sense of the terrain. The book concludes by noting what happened afterwards to some of the key figures at Gettysburg.

All in all, a fine book on the first day. . . .

[Iain · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not perfect, Shue's text is a remarkable achievement. He manages to cover the events of 1864 at a strategic, operational, tactical, and even personal level; and does so in an engaging and informative way. No mean achievement as I've read dozens of accounts of the strategic lead up to Gettysburg and yet Shue taught me a thing or two.

I would read another book by this author without reservation, but I suspect that this work was such a labor of love that we might never see another.

Recommend for anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg, the Army of the Potomac, or Union cavalry actions in the ACW.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fine Gettysburg microhistory, covering the morning fighting on July 1st and analysing the tactics and strategy used by both sides. The author includes an entire chapter devoted to resolving several controversies concerning the opening engagement, such as how many of Archer's and Davis' men were captured. The only criticism I have of the book is the opening chapters; personally, I think the author spends too much time covering the campaign events up to July 1st.