These Honored Dead: How The Story Of Gettysburg Shaped American Memory

The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1 -- July 3, 1863) was the largest battle fought in North America and a pivotal event of the American Civil War. The battle, its causes, environs, personalities, events, among other things have been written about and memorialized endlessly, literally from the moment the troops on both sides left the battlefield. In his study "These Honored Dead", Thomas Desjardin examines some of the the legends that have grown around this great battle. He has written a historiography which shows how and why it is difficult to determine what in fact occured during the battle from the mass of conflicting accounts in the literature. Desjardin holds a PhD in American history. He is the author of "Stand Firm Ye Boys from Maine" which examines the activities of the 20th Maine and Colonel Joshua Chamberlain on Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. Desjardin offers several reasons contributing the the difficulty of separating fact from memory in understanding a complex historical event such as the Battle of Gettysburg. First, during the battle, the participants were under, obviously, severe stress and tend to focus only on the activities under their direct observation. With the passage of years, memories tend both to fade and to become embellished. Second, after the battle many of the participants tried to shape the story for ends and meanings of their own. Thus Union General Dan Sickles tried to destroy the reputation of General Meade, the Union commander at Gettysburg, to cover Sickles's own misdeeds in moving his Third Corps to an exposed position which threatened the Federal position and resulted in great loss of life. Similarly, various Confederate writers, including General Jubal Early, tried to find scapegoats for the loss of the battle to foster a "Lost Cause" mythology and absolve General Robert E. Lee from blame for the defeat. Third, Gettysburg has become regarded as a key moment in understanding and giving meaning to the American experience. Historians, artists, and the public have shaped the meaning and events of the battle to meet perceived national and frequently individual ends. Desjardins examines a number of key moments of the battle, including the fighting for Little Round Top at the extreme left of the Union line on July 2 and "Pickett's Charge" at the center of the Union line on July 3. A great deal of mythology has grown around these two moments. With respect to Little Round Top, Desjardins examines the bases for some of the claims put forth about Joshua Chamberlain and Gouverneur Warren, among others, and concludes that a number of the claims are extravagant, unsupported by, and in some cases contradicted by the historical record. Desjardin discusses in some detail Michael Sharaa's famous novel, "The Killer Angels" and the television series and movie based upon it and shows the fictitious character of much of the account. A work such as Desjardin's could easily degenerate into an exercis

It was refreshing to read a Civil War book by an author with no ideological ax to grind. Desjardins raises some of the fundamental historical and historiographical questions in trying to determine: " How do we know what we know?" Obviously, using Gettysburg as the centerpiece for discussion, but branching into " Lost Cause" critiques, Desjardins has produced an entertaining, often humorous, an ultimately valuable assessment of the many myths that surround Civil War discussion.Perhaps the most striking and revealing commentary deals with how the tradition of Gettysburg worship and celebration evolved, and how the controversial selection and placing of monuments transpired. Although some of the probing covers previously analyzed terrain, the author brings a new angle, and thankfully, non-ideological viewpoint to the topics. An enjoyable, and informative read from cover to cover.

If you type "Gettysburg" into this site's search engine, you'll find more than 500 books that include the name of that famous battle in their title. It's likely that more has been written about those three days at the beginning of July, 1863, than any other battle in the history of the United States. Yet in "These Honored Dead" Thomas A. Desjardin brings fresh insights to the Gettysburg saga by beginning his account on July 4, 1863--the day after the guns fell silent. In this thoughtful work, Desjardin explores the legends and myths that have developed around Gettysburg in the ensuing decades. He argues that the actual record of what happened has been open to conflicting interpretation by just about any group or individual with enough persuasive ability to bend the story to its own purposes "History has a way of coming out as we hoped it would rather than the way things really happened," he observes, then spends the next several chapters exploring how the reality of the conflict has been obscured, through accidental or deliberate misinterpretation. In the first decades after the battle, it might have been a disgraced officer seeking to salvage his reputation; in more recent times, it's likely to have been a novelist or filmmaker in search of a dramatic hero or moment to illuminate his story. But whatever the motives, the result has been to shroud the reality of those days in myth. In one chapter, Desjardin considers the conflicting versions on what happened on Little Round Top. Certainly it's a pivotal spot on the battlefield; but if we can't determine the truth of what happened on a piece of real estate barely 100 yards wide, how can we hope to sort out the myths from the reality of the battle as a whole? Do you believe that as many men died in the three days of Gettysburg as in the entire Vietnam war? Have you read that the Confederate army headed into Gettysburg hoping to raid a shoe factory or warehouse? Do you believe the positioning of a horse's hooves on an equestrian statue at the battlefield is designed to convey the rider's ultimate fate? Do you blame James Longstreet for the Confederate defeat, or credit Joshua Chamberlain for the Union victory? Then be prepared to re-think what you know about this most famous of American battles. Desjardin's book is not only a thoughtful look at those three days in July; it's also an intriguing exploration of the entire history-making process.--William C. Hall

This is actually a pretty unique book on Gettysburg in that it's not a study of the battle itself but of the history of the battle and how people's perceptions of Gettysburg have been shaped over time. Tom Desjardin does a wonderful job of looking at some of the more famous parts of the battle such as Little Round Top and The High Water Mark and explaining why and how they became focal points. Many myths are explored and how they came into being such as the myth that the Confederates were a ragged shoeless army (They were actually well equipped). Sickles' endless campaign after the battle to smear Meade's reputation also gets a close look as well as the evolution of the 20th Maine's role in the battle thanks to the book Killer Angels and the film Gettysburg.The book also has some interesting info about the monuments on the field. We learn why the Armistead marker is in the wrong place, why the statue on the statue on the 83rd Pennsylvania monument looks so much like Stong Vincent and why there is no statue to Sickles on the Battlefield (Sickles embezzled the money!).Lastly Tom Desjardin is just a plain good writer. To many books on history these days are written by people who while they do good research don't have great writing skills. Desjardin however is as good a writer as he is a scholor and the result is a very pleasant read.

Millions of Americans come to Gettysburg every year, but few realize how the history of this so hallowed place has evolved through the years. This book is absolutely compelling and it is a true lesson in how history is "made". The chapter on Joshua L. Chamberlain is worth the price of the book alone. It is written in an engaging style that does not mean to discredit any previous historian who has spilled ink on the world's most famous battle yet the book offers a stimulating thesis on how we remember things as humans. History is a mystery. That's why studying it so fascinating. There is no "true history, just clues. It is our job to solve the case. This book is a must for any history buff and certainly it should be read be every Civil War affectionado. Read it because it's good stuff and then visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, because it is special.