A collection of 100 original, rarely seen photographs of identified Union and Confederate soldiers and other participants in the Gettysburg Campaign, each accompanied by vivid accounts of their personal experiences based on letters, journals, newspaper reports, regimental histories and other documents. The photographs are wartime portraits of men and women presented to families, friends and comrades in arms. These unique artifacts, once found in parlor photo albums, fireplace hearths and bedstands, somehow survived the ravages of time and today are in the hands of private collectors. The faces of the individuals reveal the romance and horror of a generation at war. The stories that accompany each image detail triumphant and tragic events before, during and after the three-day fight. These individuals hailed from all walks of life – rich and poor, urban and rural, native born and immigrant, with varying levels of education and perspectives on life. Each profile is a microhistory. Together, they tell the larger story of Gettysburg in human terms. Among those you’ll meet: James M. “Roe” Reisinger of the 150th Pennsylvania Infantry, who suffered a wound and later received the Medal of Honor for his actions at on July 1; Helim S. Thompson of the 44th New York Infantry, severely wounded and left for dead on Little Round Top; Zachariah Angel Blanton of the 18th Virginia Infantry, wounded and captured in Pickett’s Charge; and Harriett A. Dada Emens, a nurse who cared for desperately wounded and sick in the Union army’s 12th Corps Hospital.

One of the largest and perhaps the most well-known battle of the American Civil War occurred in July of 1863 in the modest town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The location and beauty of the many monuments and memorials on the battlefield today, preserve the memory of the soldiers who fought and died on these hallowed grounds. Visitors are also reminded of another hero of the American Civil War that played a vital role, the horse. Horses are unique because they are flight animals; Equines are prey not predator. Yet, from the earliest recorded histories we see these animals used as implements of war. At Gettysburg, these animals were used as mounts for officers, staff, couriers and cavalry. Some were used by the artillery, while others the often-mundane task of pulling supply wagons and ambulances. They required sound handling skills and a great deal of attention to keep them healthy. Sources often quote the number of horses present and the number lost, but there is more to their story. These animals were prepared for battle like the armies who fought here. The Horse at Gettysburg: Prepared for the Day of Battle is a historical narrative that includes numerous color and period photos/illustrations as well as maps that cover the Gettysburg Campaign. It is hoped that this publication honors the memory of horse and those they served. Topics Covered:* Horse breeds and color patterns* Acquisition and maintenance of these majestic animals (farriers, veterinary care, and training methods)* Cavalry mount and artillery horse requirements and the contrast between Union and Confederate armies* Cavalry depots* Personal mounts and monuments* Prelude to the battle, the Battle of Gettysburg: July 1-3, retreat, casualties, and aftermath of the battle* Utilizing the field, terrain features, chaos of battle, weather and the distinct attributes of the horse

Tens of thousands of Irish-Americans fought in the Civil War, with "Sons of Erin" playing a vital role in both Union and Confederate armies. Award-winning author Scott L. Mingus, Sr. , has teamed with living historian Gerard E. Mayers to present more than 150 of their most memorable personal stories. In this unique collection, readers will find tales of courage, boldness, and humor. Many have rarely been seen in print since their original publication more than a century ago. Stories have been adapted for the modern reader, with original sources cited. The anthology also includes brief biographies of leading Irish soldiers and personalities such as Patrick Cleburne, Father William Corby, James Shields, Michael Corcoran, and the incomparable Thomas Francis Meagher of the famed Irish Brigade and its battle cry, "Ireland Forever."

Lying dead in Gettysburg in 1863, a solitary Union soldier lacked any standard means of identification. Only a single clue was clutched in his fingers: an ambrotype of his three young children.With this photograph the single clue to his identity, a publicity campaign to locate the soldier's family swept the North. Within a month, his grieving widow and children would be located in Portville, New York. The soldier, a devoted husband and father, was revealed as Sergeant Amos Humiston of the 154th New York Volunteers. Using many previously untapped sources, noted historian Mark H. Dunkelman recreates the fascinating story of 19th-century war, sentiment, and popular culture in full detail.The Humiston story touched deep emotions in Civil War America, inspiring a wave of prose, poetry, and song. Amid the outpouring of public sympathy, a charitable drive grew to assist the bereft family. At the end of the war, the crusade was expanded to establish a home in Gettysburg for orphans of deceased soldiers, The Homestead. The first residents of the institution were Amos Humiston's widow Philinda and her three children: Franklin, Alice, and Frederick. In this extensive account, a full portrait emerges of Amos Humiston, the husband and father destined to be remembered for his death tableau, and of his family, the widow and orphans who struggled for the rest of their lives with celebrity born of tragedy.This paperback reprint edition is updated with a new introduction by the author, as well as a foreword by Academy award-winning film director Errol Morris.

This gripping narrative is an in-depth study of the valiant men of General John Caldwell’s Union Division during the Gettysburg Campaign. Caldwell’s Division made a desperate stand against a tough and determined Confederate force in farmer George Rose's nearly 20-acre Wheatfield. Ready for harvest, the infamous Wheatfield would change hands nearly six times in the span of two hours of fighting on July 2, becoming a trampled, bloody, no-man's land for thousands of wounded soldiers. Smith examines the lives of the Union soldiers in the ranks—as well as leaders Cross, Kelly, Zook, Brooke, and Caldwell himself. From Colonel Edward Cross’s black bandana, to the famed Irish Brigade's charge on Stoney Hill, to a lone young man from Washington County whose grave is marked in stone nearby, James Smith’s Storming the Wheatfield goes deep into the lives the soldiers, evoking a personal connection with the troops. Smith painstakingly contacted nearly one hundred descendants of Caldwell's soldiers, producing one of the most extensively researched narratives to date.

Thousands of soldiers who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg for both the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia settled in Texas after the Civil War. Throughout the days, weeks, and years after the battle, these soldiers captured their stories in diary entries, letters, interviews, and newspaper articles. From the first crossing of the Potomac River to the intense fighting on July 1, July 2, and ultimately at Pickett’s Charge on July 3, these Texans of the Blue and the Gray played a key role in the Gettysburg Campaign. This collection of soldiers' accounts written during and after the war provides a unique perspective from Texans in the ranks over the course of those historic days in the summer of 1863. Also included are the stories of civilians who bore witness to the tremendous battle and who settled in Texas after the Civil War. Collected for the first time in a single volume, this is essential reference for historians of the Lone Star State and Civil War researchers.

During the Civil War, citizens were usually unscathed if they were able to stay out of harm’s way. However, on July 3, 1863, Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade was kneading dough for biscuits in her sister's home on Baltimore Street when she was killed instantly—by a bullet passing through two wooden doors that struck her heart. In that moment, Jennie Wade became the only Gettysburg civilian to be killed outright during the battle. That is usually all visitors hear about this "Gettysburg Maid." For the first time, author Cindy Small presents a complete narrative of Jennie Wade, her life, her family, and her untimely death on that fateful July day. Illustrated with period photos, detailed research includes other injured civilians, the relationship between Jennie and Jack Skelly, rumors of Jennie's reputation, the possible origin of the fatal shot, and details of Jennie's first coffin and three burials. Here is Jennie Wade's whole story.

Coster Avenue, the smallest portion of the Gettysburg National Military Park, marks the site of some of the last fighting on July 1, 1863, the First Day of the great battle. There, in what was then a brickyard, Col. Charles Coster’s Union brigade made a forlorn and futile stand against the two Confederate brigades of Gen. Harry Hays and Col. Isaac Avery. Outnumbered by more than three to one, Coster’s brigade was shattered and sent reeling in a pell-mell retreat through the streets of Gettysburg to the safety of Cemetery Hill. The action resulted in almost 800 casualties, most of them Union soldiers. Among the killed was Sgt. Amos Humiston of the 154th New York, who became celebrated as the father of the “Children of the Battle Field.” In the decades following the Civil War, Coster Avenue - hidden away off a Gettysburg side street - languished as one of the least-visited parts of the Gettysburg National Military Park. In 1970, Mark H. Dunkelman, an artist and historian of the 154th New York, saw the roofing company that owned the property adjacent to Coster Avenue was building an addition to its warehouse. A blank concrete wall was going up about ten feet from the monument to the regiment he studied. Inspiration struck. Dunkelman designed a mural to cover the 80-feet-long wall. He and his artistic partner Johan Bjurman painted and installed the mural in 1988, the 125th anniversary of the battle. In the years since then, as exposure took its toll on the painting, Dunkelman and Bjurman produced two newer versions of the mural, the current one rendered on glass. In Gettysburg’s Coster Avenue: The Brickyard Fight and the Mural, Dunkelman tells the little-known story of the battle that inspired the mural and the saga of how the painting came to be and its several permutations. Published on the mural’s thirtieth anniversary, this book includes more than fifty photographs, many in color and previously unpublished, a map, and source notes to the text. Gettysburg’s Coster Avenue is the definitive account of this much admired public artwork, told by the mural’s creator in his own words.

Award-winning author Scott L. Mingus, Sr., combines the best stories of Volumes One and Two with new anecdotes and photos presenting a complete edition. The Complete Human Interest Stories of the Gettysburg Campaign will resonate with all those intrigued by fascinating stories — both humorous and tragic — as seen through the eyes of Gettysburg soldiers and civilians. Using primary sources including diaries, pension records, historical collections, official records, journals, newspapers, and books, features are presented in chronological order.

According to the history books, the story of the Battle of Gettysburg ended when the armies departed on July 4, 1863. But for the citizens of Gettysburg, their story was only beginning. Many survived three days of battle that raged July 1–3, 1863, through their farms and homes and were left alone to pick up the pieces. To a casual observer, Elizabeth Thorn was no different than all of the other civilians doing their part to restore their town from the devastation of war. However, she was very different. No other woman in town was a six-month-pregnant mother, who simultaneously managed both a household and a cemetery, and acted as sole caretaker to two aging parents. No other woman was asked to dig nearly 100 soldiers’ graves. Elizabeth performed all of these strenuous tasks in the heat and the stench of a battlefield of bodies left to rot in the hot summer sun. This is her story and the story of the Evergreen Cemetery, a small-town burial ground that acquired national fame.

Thanks to years of dedicated preservation efforts, the Gettysburg National Military Park has evolved into a thriving, diverse ecosystem. It is home to many native, and introduced, species of plants and birds. This full-color, photographic field guide identifies the natural treasures of the Military Park's trails and fields. Over 160 stunning color photos are accompanied by common and scientific names with brief, informative text. Ideal for Gettysburg visitors, armchair naturalists, and nature photographers.

This Comprehensive Order of Battle includes: - The structure of the armies- Changes in command due to casualties- Commanders from regimental level and above- Casualties listed by number including killed, wounded and captured/missing- Percentage of casualties of total engaged for all units- Short biographical sketches of commanders and key participants in the battle

Through extensive research and period photographs, author Roy Frampton brings the lives of Civil War heroes back from the forgotten past. Because of their courageous acts during the Gettysburg Campaign, 71 men were awarded the Medal of Honor; seven men were awarded the reactivated Confederate Medal of Honor. Learn the names, stories, and acts of bravery that earned these soldiers our country's highest military decoration for valor. You'll be introduced men such as Captain Francis Irsch, who, with a small contingent of men, stalled the Confederate advance through the streets of Gettysburg by fortifying a local hotel; Sgt. Francis Jefferson Coates, who suffered a horrific wound attempting to rally his company on McPherson's Ridge; Benjamin W. Owens, who single-handedly manned an artillery piece on a rickety wooden bridge at the battle of Stephenson's Depot. These stories and more honor a few ordinary men and their enduring acts of valor that stand like noble pillars.

During the 19th century, death shadowed daily life. A high infant mortality rate, poor sanitation, risk during childbirth, poisons, ignorance, and war kept 19th-century Americans busy practicing the ritual of mourning. The Victorian era in both Europe and America saw these rituals elevated to an art form expressing not only grief, but also religious feeling, social obligation, and even mourning fashion. Complete with period illustrations, Widow's Weeds and Weeping Veils explores how Victorians viewed death and dying as a result of the profound historical events of their time. This concise, informative work is ideal for students of Victorian-era culture and Civil War enthusiasts.