by Troy D.Harman
Lanham, Md: Stackpole / Rowman & Littlefield, 2022. Pp. vi, 360.
Illus., map, appends., notes, biblio., index. $29.95. ISBN: 081177063X
The Geographic Logic of Gettysburg
In his latest book, Gettysburg National Park Service Ranger and adjunct professor at Penn State Troy Harman provides a non-traditional look at the Battle of Gettysburg, contesting the claim that the clash was inadvertent, but rather that it took place at the logical location, based on geography and infrastructure.
Harman argues that over the past sixty years, historians, from Coddington's Gettysburg Campaign (1968), to Sears' Gettysburg (2003), Brown's Retreat From Gettysburg (2005), Guelzo's Gettysburg (2013), and so on, have all considered Gettysburg on the premise that it began as an accidental encounter, which, Harman argues, ignores the influence of waterways, rail lines, and roads, as well as mountains and valleys.
Throughout the book, Harmon compares and contrasts the work of earlier historians on this basis of his analysis. He does not necessarily differ about their narrative of the battle, but seeks to bring out how each author's work helps support he case for the environmental circumstances that set up the battle, much as they did for most major battles in the war.
Harman does an excellent job in showing readers the ways in which waterways, rail lines, and roads tended to bring the two armies together at Gettysburg.
More obviously, of course, once the armies settled into battle lines, both made use of local geography, hills, Rock Creek and Marsh Creek, approachable by east-west roads, but separated by the north-south Emmitsburg Road. He also makes the case that Culp’s Hill was more than just a small part of the fighting; control of the hill offered control of the Rock Creek water supply, and was also essential to Union control of rail links to the rear.
Harman uses reports by officers, soldiers' personal accounts, civilian remembrances, and war correspondents' accounts, which together often included descriptions of waterways, rail line, and roads, and how movements were affected by these. To bolster his case, Harman's maps are significantly important, helping readers to better understand his ideas as to why and how the battle took place at Gettysburg.
Quite readable, well written, and, for this reviewer, hard to put down. All Roads Led To Gettysburg is, however, more valuable for well-read and knowledgeable students of the battle than for the novice.
I highly recommend it.
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Our Reviewer: David Marshall has been a high school American history teacher in the Miami-Dade School district for more than three decades. A life-long Civil War enthusiast, David is president of the Miami Civil War Round Table Book Club. In addition to numerous reviews in Civil War News and other publications, he has given presentations to Civil War Round Tables on Joshua Chamberlain, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the common soldier. His previous reviews here include, A Fine Opportunity Lost, The Iron Dice of Battle: Albert Sidney Johnston and the Civil War in the West, The Limits of the Lost Cause on Civil War Memory, War in the Western Theater, J.E.B. Stuart: The Soldier and The Man, The Inland Campaign for Vicksburg, All for the Union: The Saga of One Northern Family, Voices from Gettysburg, The Blood Tinted Waters of the Shenandoah: The 1864 Valley Campaign’s Battle of Cool Creek, June 17-18, 1864, Union General Daniel Butterfield, We Shall Conquer or Die, Dranesville, The Civil War in the Age of Nationalism, “Over a Wide, Hot . . . Crimson Plain", The Atlanta Campaign, Volume 1, Dalton to Cassville, and Thunder in the Harbor.
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Note: All Roads Led to Gettysburg is also available in e-editions.
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