“Don’t give an inch, boys! Don’t give an inch!”
— Col. Strong Vincent on Little Round Top
Don’t Give an Inch: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863—from Little Round Top to Cemetery Ridge
by Chris Mackowski, Kristopher D. White, and Daniel T. Davis
Savas Beatie, 2016
192 pp.; illustrations, 10 maps
ISBN: 978-1611212297
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About the Book: George Gordon Meade could hardly believe it: only three days earlier, he had been thrust unexpectedly into command of the Army of the Potomac, which was cautiously stalking its long-time foe, the Army of Northern Virginia, as it launched a bold invasion northward. Meade had hardly wrapped his head around the situation before everything exploded.
Outside the small college town of Gettysburg, Confederates had inexplicably charged into the lead elements of Meade’s army and attacked. The first day of battle had ended poorly for Federals, but by nightfall, they had found a lodgment on high ground south of town. There, they fortified—and waited.
The next day, July 2, 1863, would be one of the Civil War’s bloodiest. Confederate commander Robert E. Lee would launch his army at the Federal position in a series of assaults that would test the mettle of men on both sides in a way few had ever before been tested—and the Pennsylvania landscape would run red as a result.
With names that have become legendary—Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield—the second day at Gettysburg encompasses some of the best-known engagements of the Civil War. Yet those same stories have also become shrouded in mythology and misunderstanding.
In Don’t Give an Inch: The Second Day at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863—From Little Round Top to Cemetery Ridge, Emerging Civil War historians Chris Mackowski, Kristopher D. White, and Daniel T. Davis focus on the south end of the field and peel back the layers to share both the real and often-overlooked stories of that fateful summer day. In the same engaging style that has invited thousands of readers into the Civil War’s most important stories, the authors share their intimate knowledge of the battlefield they grew up on.
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Don’t Give an Inch also includes:
- A foreword by Tom Huntington
- Appendix A: “The Wheatfield: A Walking Tour” by Kristopher D. White
- Appendix B: “The Hero of Little Round Top?” by Ryan Quint
- Appendix C: “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” by James Brookes
- Appendix D: “Not a Leg to Stand On: Sickles vs. Meade in the Wake of Gettysburg” by Chris Mackowski
- Order of Battle
- Suggested Reading
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Read More About the Book:
Emerging Civil War Correspondent Liam McGurl wrote about the book on July 14, 2016:
Don’t Give an Inch is “one big adrenaline rush”
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About the Authors: Chris Mackowski, Ph.D., and Kristopher D. White are co-founders of Emerging Civil War and Daniel T. Davis is managing editor. Between them, they have authored more than a dozen books and have penned articles for all the major Civil War magazines. Chris is a writing professor at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, NY, and historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ridge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. Daniel has worked as a historian at Appomattox Court House National Historic Site. Kris is a former Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg. All have worked as historians at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. Read their blog at www.emergingcivilwar.com.
