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ONE CONTINUOUS FIGHT: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 | 
 enlarge | Authors: Eric J. Wittenberg, J. David Petruzzi, Michael F. Nugent
Publisher: Savas Beatie
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 111362
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 576
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.5
ISBN: 193271443X
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9781932714432
ASIN: 193271443X
Publication Date: June 2008
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Product Description
The titanic three-day battle of Gettysburg left 50,000 casualties in its wake, a battered Southern army far from its base of supplies, and a rich historiographic legacy. Thousands of books and articles cover nearly every aspect of the battle, but not a single volume focuses on the military aspects of the monumentally important movements of the armies to and across the Potomac River. One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 is the first detailed military history of Lee's retreat and the Union effort to catch and destroy the wounded Army of Northern Virginia. Against steep odds and encumbered with thousands of casualties, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee's post-battle task was to successfully withdraw his army across the Potomac River. Union commander George G. Meade's equally difficult assignment was to intercept the effort and destroy his enemy. The responsibility for defending the exposed Southern columns belonged to cavalry chieftain James Ewell Brown (Jeb) Stuart. If Stuart fumbled his famous ride north to Gettysburg, his generalship during the retreat more than redeemed his flagging reputation. The ten days of retreat triggered nearly two dozen skirmishes and major engagements, including fighting at Granite Hill, Monterey Pass, Hagerstown, Williamsport, Funkstown, Boonsboro, and Falling Waters. President Abraham Lincoln was thankful for the early July battlefield victory, but disappointed that General Meade was unable to surround and crush the Confederates before they found safety on the far side of the Potomac. Exactly what Meade did to try to intercept the fleeing Confederates, and how the Southerners managed to defend their army and ponderous 17-mile long wagon train of wounded until crossing into western Virginia on the early morning of July 14, is the subject of this study One Continuous Fight draws upon a massive array of documents, letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, and published primary and secondary sources. These long-ignored foundational sources allow the authors, each widely known for their expertise in Civil War cavalry operations, to describe carefully each engagement. The result is a rich and comprehensive study loaded with incisive tactical commentary, new perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern and Northern cavalry, and fresh insights on every engagement, large and small, fought during the retreat. The retreat from Gettysburg was so punctuated with fighting that a soldier felt compelled to describe it as "One Continuous Fight." Until now, few students fully realized the accuracy of that description. Complimented with 18 original maps, dozens of photos, and a complete driving tour with GPS coordinates of the entire retreat, One Continuous Fight is an essential book for every student of the American Civil War in general, and for the student of Gettysburg in particular. About the Authors: Eric J. Wittenberg has written widely on Civil War cavalry operations. His books include Glory Enough for All (2002), The Union Cavalry Comes of Age (2003), and The Battle of Monroe's Crossroads and the Civil War's Final Campaign (2005). He lives in Columbus, Ohio. J. David Petruzzi is the author of several magazine articles on Eastern Theater cavalry operations, conducts tours of cavalry sites of the Gettysburg Campaign, and is the author of the popular "Buford's Boys" website at www.bufordsboys.com. Petruzzi lives in Brockway, Pennsylvania. A long time student of the Gettysburg Campaign, Michael Nugent is a retired US Army Armored Cavalry Officer and the descendant of a Civil War Cavalry soldier. He has previously written for several military publications. Nugent lives in Wells, Maine. REVIEWS "...Is there anything left unwritten about the Gettysburg Campaign? Absolutely, and this bookis but one example. It is a must have for any student of the Civil War, and especially for a student of the Gettysburg Campaign."Civil War Notebook, 06/2008
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Excellence Diminshed August 13, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
The understandably complex and detailed movements of both armies were handled well. Unfortunately the editing job was shockingly inadequate. Numerous mis-spelled words, words omitted and grammatical errors took the bloom off what should have been a rose.
 A great book that still needs an editor before going to its 2nd edition July 14, 2008
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
The Union Army in the Civil War provides a tremendous example of how an institution can survive its own imperfections and turn itself into a successful organization. It was not easy, and it took awhile. Corruption and indolence under the Buchanan administration were endemic. Incompetence prevailed after the cream of the officer corps defected to the Confederacy. As with the present administration, its highest ranking officers were too often those whose skills lay in their politics.
Eventually, these people were filtered out, but the cost was tremendous,
and invariably paid by others.
This book is a marvelous addition to the common base of knowledge about the critical days after Lee's assault on Gettysburg. It may well lead to the conclusion that the entire battle should be viewed as comprising the first two weeks in July, 1863, rather than just the first three days. The scholarship is first rate, the logic and conclusions profound. If nothing else, we now have the reasons why Lincoln's intuition led to his shelving that famous unsent letter to Meade.
A book this important calls for a competent editor. Three writers working together turns this call into a scream. The occasional typographical error can be forgiven - even though the copy is overrun by the writers' spelling errors. Assaults on grammar are endemic. What I cannot forgive, and what inspires this review, is the frequent repetition of whole paragraphs.
I salute the publisher, Savas Beatie, of El Dorado Hills, California. I also beg them, and the authors, to insist on a competent editor before committing this volume to its well-deserved future printings.
 the dramatic aftermath of the battle of Gettysburg July 8, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The plotting of the maneuvering and engagements between the Confederate and Union armies in the week and a half right after the climactic battle of Gettysburg leaves off with a trip along the route of the armies giving GPS coordinates so readers can follow in the footsteps of the armies and also locate the exact spots covered in the regular text. But for this book, many of the routes and spots could not easily be located as these days of the conflict have received little attention. In many cases, there are no historical markers or official sites. Historians and Civil War buffs tend to think both armies, spent after the battle of Gettysburg, licked their wounds and recuperated, not to engage in any significant confrontations until the battles in northern Virginia marking the closing phase of the war. But by their detailed recounting of the week and a half after Gettysburg, the coauthors show that this period evidences its own strategic aims and fateful clashes. It was especially important for the South in that Lee's army survived intact by fending off Union forces trying to deliver a crushing blow to it in its weakened state.
The authors have a special interest in the Civil War cavalry. But it is not because of this they pay particular attention to the role of the cavalry of both sides. They pay close attention because the cavalry was particularly important in the brief period. Southern cavalry was mainly responsible for protecting the 17-mile long wagon train of wounded rebel troops. For its part, Union cavalry played a leading role in combat against the Confederates; and some units proved to be a match against the highly-touted Southern cavalry forces. The variety of sources--letters, diaries, military communications, news reports, and books--allows for shedding light on varied aspects of the days covered. The title is taken from a phrase in a letter by a Union soldier. Overarching strategic views are succeeded by first-person accounts of particular combat episodes; from communications among officers, one follows the battle preparations on both sides; newspaper articles give a picture of the concerns of civilians trying to follow developments; papers from civilian leaders reveal their efforts to bring about the respective desired outcome. This variety of material is skillfully integrated for a dramatic narrative. The reader hardly notices the shifts in content as one becomes engrossed in the tale to learn specifics of how the known outcome of the escape of Lee's army happened. "One Continuous Fight" is popular history at its best--simultaneously engaging and educating.
The Long and Winding Roads After The Battle of Gettysburg July 2, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I recently finished the book and am glad to see that this part of the Gettysburg Campaign has finally received the recognition that it deserves. The authors have given us a full blown history of the battles that occurred as Lee's army retreated from their loss at Gettyburg. It's a day by day travelog that shows just how each army reacted to the aftermath of the fighting at Gettysburg.
The authors have shared stories of the heroism on both sides as they found themselves involved in the 10 days described in the aftermath of the most significant battle of the Civil War that took place in the Eastern Theater. They have delivered a fascinating tale of those in the ranks, whether on foot or riding a trusted horse as they dealt with the horrible weather and the lack of sleep.
My favorite chapter deals with the events of July 8, 1863, as I was born 100 years after that date. The events at Boonsboro and what Lee and Longstreet were doing that day provided this reader with a glimpse in to the Civil War that I have rarely come across. I had no clue that on that day 145 years ago, a son of NJ, Judson Kilpatrick received 3 cheers from his men. This son of NJ was happily surprised reading that, as in all my reading on Kilpatrick I have not come across "Kilcavalry" being cheered like that.
Highly recommend this book for those who are interested in the Gettysburg Campaign. It's a fascinating and well written treatise on what happened after the battle. As others have mentioned, take advantage of the tours listed at the end of the book. It's well worth your time following in the footsteps of those who walked the walk 145 years ago. You will not be disappointed.
Steve Basic
A New Volume In The Gettysburg Library June 29, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Gettysburg. Say it and one is immediately reminded of the cataclysmic three day battle between the Army of the Potomac, commanded by George Meade, and the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E. Lee. Three days, July 1-3, 1863, that changed American History forever. Thousands of books and articles have been written about the battle which took place in the tiny hamlet of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I dare say you could fill an entire room in a library with nothing about books devoted to this one battle alone.
But what happened after the battle? Lee's retreat from Gettysburg, and Meade's failure to destroy the Army of Northern Virginia before it crossed the Potomac River to the safety of Virginia is sometimes given the briefest of mentions, but more often is treated as a single chapter, or epilogue in a work covering the battle or the whole of the Gettysburg Campaign. Books devoted entirely to the retreat itself can easily be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Eric J. Wittenberg, J. David Petruzzi and Michael F. Nugent have successfully corrected this omission from the historical library with their book, "One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863." Drawing on a wealth of first hand accounts: letters & diaries, many of which until now have remained unpublished for 145 years, as well as contemporary newspaper articles and previously published primary and secondary sources, the trio of authors have written a dynamic and engaging volume, that is easily read and hard to put down.
During its retreat the Army of Northern Virginia clashed in nearly two dozen skirmishes & major engagements with the Army of the Potomac, including fighting at Granite Hill, Monterey Pass, Hagerstown, Williamsport, Funkstown, Boonsboro and Falling Waters. There was so much fighting going on between the opposing forces that Privet L. T. Dickinson of the 2nd Virginia Cavalry to described the ten day retreat as "one continuous fight."
The book covers in detail the movements of the armies; however the first chapter is devoted entirely to Imboden's "Wagon Train of the Wounded," which I found compelling to read.
Meade has often been accused of letting Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia slip from his grasp at the moment when he had the ability to crush them in the palm of his hand. After the titanic three day struggle on the fields of Gettysburg, was Meade derelict in not following up on his victory? Did he move too slowly or too cautiously? Could Meade have done more? Or was the blue-clad Army of the Potomac as used up as their brothers clad in butternut and gray? From the title of their book alone, the authors dispel nearly 145 years of finger pointing, and accusations and in their conclusion they give a fair and balanced view of exactly who, if any one, was at fault.
Included at the end of the book are two driving tours: The Retreat from Gettysburg and The Wagon Train of the Wounded, both contain GPS coordinates and detailed driving directions so the reader can follow in the footsteps of history. Of course, if you want the full experience, I'd encourage you to don a wool uniform, strap on a backpack, pick up your rifle and walk the routes in the ninety degree heat of July. If you chose to do so I'll wave at you from the comfort of my air conditioned car as I drive by.
Are there too many books about the Gettysburg Campaign? In a word, yes. Is there still anything left unwritten about the campaign & battle? Absolutely, and this book is but one example. It is a must have for any student of the Civil War, and especially for a student of the Gettysburg Campaign.
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