Like Leaves In A Storm: The Sacrifice of Iveron's Brigade at Gettysburg - Hardcover

Jason Amico

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1889246417 ISBN 13: 9781889246413

Publisher: Schroeder Publications, 2010

Synopsis

A fine work on an important subject yet to be treated thoroughly in book form. Visitors to the Gettysburg battlefield daily ask how to reach Iverson s pits, either for historical reasons or for paranormal ones. Interest in the pits is strong, and the name Iverson resonates with a sense of bitter tragedy. A comprehensive treatment of the brigade, tracing its journey up through the first two years of the war to Gettysburg, has proven allusive thus far. Amico s book changes that. The book is well-rounded. Whereas some military historians prefer strict analysis to personal accounts, or lean towards biographical material instead of general descriptions, or they stress human interest over concentrated combat action, Amico s book weighs them together. He does so discreetly by shifting from one emphasis to another towards a complete picture. In his blending of the material, the reader learns how interplay at the regiment and brigade level affected decision-making in circumstances of promotion and combat. At the most basic levels, the author has woven in the private dramas and internal politics of army officer life, so that when Iverson s brigade reaches Gettysburg, there is a clear understanding of where to look for structural and organizational flaws. With Amico s approach, one is not surprised the brigade behaved the way that it did on July 1. Yet another strong element is the background information presented for other brigades that participated in the Iverson fight at Gettysburg. There are full biographical descriptions for key members of Colonel Edward O Neal s Alabama brigade are inserted into the storyline. Important players from the two opposing Union brigades, belonging to Brigadier Generals Gabriel Paul and Henry Baxter, are also profiled. Other brigades including Brigadier Generals George Doles, Stephen Ramseur, Junius Daniel, and Lysander Cutler, are analysed. Amico shows the vital advantage that Oak Hill gave Major General Robert Rodes division in assaulting the Union 1st Corps flank and became a key position on first day s battlefield and Rodes seizure of the hill a decisive moment. From introduction to conclusion, Amico has rigorously reconstructed a manifold picture of one pivotal afternoon, upon one critical piece of ground, during a fateful three day battle. In doing so, he has illustrated through one brigade the internal issues facing Civil War soldiers, and explained the circumstances behind a disastrous military outcome that still affects the public consciousness. His attention to detail and quest to tackle the issue of where Iverson went wrong on July 1 has created a solid historical brick for other historians to build around.

About this title

About the Author

Jason Amico is from Scranton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University where he studied under Dr. Gary Gallagher and Dr. Carol Reardon. He has a Master s Degree in History from the University of Scranton. He has been previously employed with the National Park Service at the Eisenhower Farm in Gettysburg and at Antietam National Battlefield. He authored an article about Civil War photography in America s Civil War Magazine (November 2001). Jason formerly worked at the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg as an Archivist and Military Historian. He is an independent researcher and resides in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Edition details

• Publisher: Schroeder Publications
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1889246417
• ISBN 13: 9781889246413
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208