While the Battle of Gettysburg is often remembered for Chamberlain's dramatic defense of Little Round Top, Pickett and Pettigrew's tragic charge, and the stand of the "Iron Brigade," less-remembered units like the 151st Pennsylvania were also crucial in the Civil War's most famous battle. The 151st lost over 72 percent of its men to death, wounds, or capture, the second-highest-percentage loss of all Federal units at the battle. This is the account of that courageous unit and its role in this decisive moment in American history.

The 96th Pennsylvania Volunteers infantry regiment was formed in 1861--its ranks filled by nearly 1,200 Irish and German immigrants from Schuylkill County responding to Lincoln's call for troops. The men saw action for three years with the Army of the Potomac's VI Corps, participating in engagements at Gaines' Mill, Crampton's Gap, Salem Church and Spotsylvania. Drawing on letters, diaries, memoirs and other accounts, this comprehensive history documents their combat service from the point of view of the rank-and-file soldier, along with their views on the war, slavery, emancipation and politics.

Hailing from the south-central region of the state, the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry was forged during the Gettysburg Campaign in the third summer of the Civil War. Its charismatic officers included William H. Boyd and Oliver B. Knowles, who had honed their fighting prowess earlier in the war against fearsome Confederate tacticians John Mosby and John Imboden. The regiment's war record was dynamic and arduous, including service under Meade and Grant at Cold Harbor as infantry and making the last charge at Appomattox Court House as cavalry. After the war, veterans continued to honor their comrades, and two monuments were erected at Gettysburg to commemorate the regiment's proud service. Author Britt Charles Isenberg chronicles the gritty history of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry.

The second day's fighting at Gettysburg--the assault of the Army of Northern Virginia against the Army of the Potomac on 2 July 1863--was probably the critical engagement of that decisive battle and, therefore, among the most significant actions of the Civil War. Harry Pfanz, a former historian at Gettysburg National Military Park, has written a definitive account of the second day's brutal combat. He begins by introducing the men and units that were to do battle, analyzing the strategic intentions of Lee and Meade as commanders of the opposing armies, and describing the concentration of forces in the area around Gettysburg. He then examines the development of tactical plans and the deployment of troops for the approaching battle. But the emphasis is on the fighting itself. Pfanz provides a thorough account of the Confederates' smashing assaults -- at Devil's Den and Litle Round Top, through the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard, and against the Union center at Cemetery Ridge. He also details the Union defense that eventually succeeded in beating back these assaults, depriving Lee's gallant army of victory. Pfanz analyzes decisions and events that have sparked debate for more than a century. In particular he discusses factors underlying the Meade-Sickles controversy and the questions about Longstreet's delay in attacking the Union left. The narrative is also enhanced by thirteen superb maps, more than eighty illustrations, brief portraits of the leading commanders, and observations on artillery, weapons, and tactics that will be of help even to knowledgeable readers. Gettysburg--The Second Day is certain to become a Civil War classic. What makes the work so authoritative is Pfanz' mastery of the Gettysburg literature and his unparalleled knowledge of the ground on which the fighting occurred. His sources include the Official Records, regimental histories and personal reminiscences from soldiers North and South, personal papers and diaries, newspaper files, and last -- but assuredly not least -- the Gettysburg battlefield. Pfanz's career in the National Park Service included a ten-year assignment as a park historian at Gettysburg. Without doubt, he knows the terrain of the battle as well as he knows the battle itself.