Storming the Wheatfield: John Caldwell's Union Division in the Gettysburg Campaign

ISBN: 0999304933

Author: Smith II, James M.

Condition: New

This gripping narrative is an in-depth study of the valiant men of General John Caldwells Union Division during the Gettysburg Campaign. Caldwells 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 Crosss 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 Smiths 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.Table of ContentsForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1: Caldwells Commanders and Brigade Histories2: The Long March to Gettysburg3: Saviors of the Wheatfield4: The Bloody Aftermath of July 25: A Stiff Fight on July 36: Pursuing Lees Army7: Conclusion and EpilogueAppendix: Losses in Caldwell's Division at GettysburgNotesBibliography