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Book Reviews These are some reviews from a recent issue of
The Civil War News:
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“Isn’t This glorious!” The 15th, 19th, and 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiments at Gettysburg’s Copse of Trees
Edwin R. Root and Jeffrey D. Stocker
Illustrated, maps, appendixes, endnotes, biblio-graphy, index, 237 pp., 2006. Moon Trail Books, 24 W. Fourth St., Bethlehem, PA 18105, $34.95 plus shipping.
Co-authors Edwin R. Root and Jeffrey D. Stocker divide their narrative into two parts. The first describes the regiments’ role in the Gettysburg Campaign, which was victorious. The second is a postwar account of the veterans’ unsuccess-ful struggle with the memorial association and park commission to have their monuments placed at the “High Water Mark.” This is a well-researched chronicle that neatly weaves the tale of individual soldiers into the story. The authors are adept at distributing this material between the narrative and the endnotes, and the notes should not be ignored by readers who desire a wealth of supplemental information. Many regimental histories conclude with the war years, which often is appropriate. But Root and Stocker discovered that Gettysburg’s 19th and early 20th century battlefield preservation efforts were significant in minimizing the credit due to the Bay State. Their meticulous investigation provides insightful provides insightful revelations about the politics of monument placement and its impact upon the perceived role of the Massachusetts units. A variety of historical mysteries are solved by the authors, including the disputed mortal wounding of Col. Paul J. Revere, commander of the 20th Massachusetts. And should anyone wonder, the book’s title is from words shouted by Lt. Sumner Paine, also of the 20th, just prior to his mortal wounding as he charged toward the Copse of Trees to stem the Confederate advance. The fluid nature of troop movement in battle is demonstrated with maps that use a series of dots to depict the alignment of regiments. Excellent photographs show wartime images of the soldiers and postwar views of reunions, monuments and the battlefield. This volume will be especially welcomed by readers with interest in Gettysburg, Massachusetts’ role in the war, and the early battlefield preservation movement.
David F. Riggs
David F. Riggs is a mu-seum cu-rator at Colonial National Historical Park, Yorktown. He has a BA in history from Lock Haven University and MA in histo-ry from Penn State. His publi-ca-tions include Embattled Shrine: Jamestown in the Civil War and Vicks-burg Battlefield Monuments.
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