About This Book

A "fascinating illumination of little-known accounts and personalities" by two experts on the Battle of Gettysburg ( Civil War News). The historiography of Gettysburg's second day is usually dominated by the Union's successful defense of Little Round Top—but the day's most influential action occurred nearly one mile west along the Emmitsburg Road, in farmer Joseph Sherfy's peach orchard. This is the first full-length study of this pivotal action. On July 2, 1863, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ordered skeptical subordinate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet to launch a massive assault against the Union left flank. The offensive was intended to seize the Peach Orchard and surrounding ground for use as an artillery position to support the ongoing attack. However, Union Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles, a scheming former congressman from New York, misinterpreted his orders and occupied the orchard first. What followed was some of Gettysburg's bloodiest and most controversial fighting. General Sickles's questionable advance forced Longstreet's artillery and infantry to fight for every inch of ground to Cemetery Ridge. The Confederate attack crushed the Peach Orchard salient and other parts of the Union