Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy (Military Controversies)
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Launches Brassey's Military Controversies, a new series of books focusing on the greatest military controversies in history
Examines the feud between Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles and Union commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade at the Battle of Gettysburg
Highlights the political infighting that hobbled the Army of the Potomac's fighting efficiency
On July 2, 1863, the second day of fighting at Gettysburg, Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles, in a controversial interpretation of his orders, advanced his men beyond the established Union line, exposing his flanks to a potentially devastating Confederate attack. Shortly after being reprimanded by his commander, Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, for endangering the entire Union Army, Sickles was hit by a cannonball. He returned to Washington, D.C., with his leg amputated and his pride badly wounded. A politician and lawyer prior to the war, Sickles was already notorious for being the first person in U.S. history acquitted of murder by pleading temporary insanity. During his recuperation in the nation's capital, Sickles defended his actions at Gettysburg to anyone who would listen, including President Lincoln, and criticized Meade before Congress's Committee on the Conduct of the War. He continued defending himself for years after the war, while Meade remained mostly silent.
Historian Richard A. Sauers destroys many commonly held myths about the controversy by examining the evidence in detail. In this fascinating analysis, he highlights the way combat is always complicated by personality conflicts and human frailties among military leaders. He also demonstrates that distortions, like Sickles's version of Gettysburg, are frequently accepted as fact by historians and repeated for generations to come. Sauers shows that Sickles's unjust manipulations harmed Meade's reputation for years after the war.
About the Author
Richard A. Sauers, Ph.D., has written numerous books on the Civil War including MEADE: VICTOR OF GETTYSBURG, ADVANCE THE COLORS! PENNSYLVANIA CIVIL WAR BATTLEFLAGS, THE CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF COLONEL WILLIAM J. BOLTON, and HOW TO DO CIVIL WAR RESEARCH.
Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy (Military Controversies),Richard A. Sauers,Potomac Books,1574884883,1815-1872,19th century,Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysb,Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863,Historiography,History,History - Military / War,History: American,Meade, George Gordon,,Military - Other,Military - Strategy,Military - United States,Military History - U.S. Civil War,Sickles, Daniel Edgar,,Strategy,U.S. History - Civil War And Reconstruction (1860-1877),United States - Civil War,American history: c 1800 to c 1900,Battles & campaigns,Meade, George Gordon,Military leadership,Sickles, Daniel Edgar,USA,c 1800 to c 1900
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