-- First serious account of the Battle of Gettysburg's impact on civilians -- An inspiring chronicle of heroism off the battlefield When the battle at Gettysburg ended, over 21,000 Union and Confederate wounded lay helpless in the shattered woods and decimated fields surrounding the small town. As both armies withdrew they left the care of the wounded -- and the burial of the dead -- to a stunned citizenry. Amazingly, an unprecedented number of volunteers from both North and South, including the U.S. Sanitary Commission and ...
Read More
-- First serious account of the Battle of Gettysburg's impact on civilians -- An inspiring chronicle of heroism off the battlefield When the battle at Gettysburg ended, over 21,000 Union and Confederate wounded lay helpless in the shattered woods and decimated fields surrounding the small town. As both armies withdrew they left the care of the wounded -- and the burial of the dead -- to a stunned citizenry. Amazingly, an unprecedented number of volunteers from both North and South, including the U.S. Sanitary Commission and the U.S. Christian Commission, soon descended upon the isolated town, bringing with them much-needed medical attention, supplies, and food. This powerful narrative recounts the courageous acts that continued long after the battlefield was silent, and reveals the often-forgotten costs of war.
Read Less
Add this copy of Debris of Battle: the Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $3.98, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Add this copy of Debris of Battle: the Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $3.98, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Add this copy of Debris of Battle: the Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $3.98, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Add this copy of Debris of Battle to cart. $4.08, good condition, Sold by Midtown Scholar Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Harrisburg, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Add this copy of Debris of Battle to cart. $5.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Debris of Battle to cart. $5.00, very good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Debris of Battle the Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $12.00, very good condition, Sold by Dave Wilhelm Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Evanston, IL, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Size: 6x1x9; First edition stated. Full number line. Book and DJ are solid VG, except small tape repair/tear at lower front of DJ.
Add this copy of Debris of Battle: the Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $14.00, very good condition, Sold by Old Army Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lexington, KY, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Add this copy of Debris of Battle: The Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $14.72, like new condition, Sold by Ken's Collectibles rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Olmsted Falls, OH, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine in fine dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. 1997 edition with DJ. Book is LIKE NEW. No marks or writing. DJ shows light wear
Add this copy of Debris of Battle: the Wounded of Gettysburg to cart. $15.00, like new condition, Sold by Abacus Bookshop rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Pittsford, NY, UNITED STATES, published 1997 by Stackpole Books.
Gerard Patterson's "Debris of Battle" is an excellent, readable book that describes the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863), the sufferings of the wounded, and the efforts of many private citizens and organizations to help deal with an unprecedented emergency resulting from three days of ferocious fighting.
Following its repulse on the third day of the Battle, the Confederate Army withdrew leaving approximately 2,000 wounded prisoners in Union hands together with 5000 severely wounded soldiers on the field. There were also over 14,000 wounded Union troops needing medical attention. The three-day Battle resulted in over 7,000 deaths, with the bodies requiring burial.
The situation produced a humanitarian and logistical crisis for the town of Gettysburg (population 2,400). The difficulty was compounded when the Union Army, in its pursuit of the retreating Confederates, took with it virtually all available medical personnel and supplies, leaving behind an inadequate team of surgeons and support personnel to offer treatment. In addition, because of exigencies before the Battle itself, the Union medical trains had been mostly left in the rear, resulting in a delay in getting supplies to the wounded.
Patterson's book details the sufferings and difficulties that followed in the wake of this, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. He praises the relief efforts mounted by many private organizations, particularly the United States Sanitary Commission and the United States Christian Commission. These organizations were rivals, in a sense, but both worked valiantly to bring relief to the wounded of Gettysburg. Catholic relief organizations, such as the Sisters of Mercy, other organizations, and private citizens also contributed immeasurably. Patterson also shows how some individuals behaved less nobly by trying to profiteer from the needs of the wounded and to gather relics from the Battlefield.
The book shows the many difficulties that needed to be addressed in short order. These included housing (many of the wounded were left an intolerably long time on the field), finding adequate medical supplies, providing food, restoring rail service and other transportation, performing necessary surgery, and much else. The military response was inadequate. But by late July, 1863, a camp had been established east of Gettysburg, known as Camp Letterman, which provided organized, centralized care for most of the remaining wounded of both armies. Without the assistance of the private organizations, the suffering would have been immeasurably more severe than it was.
Considerations of health, if nothing else, demanded the prompt burial of the Battle dead. Patterson describes their burial, exhumation, and reburial by details established for this purpose. He explains how the need to provide for the burial of the dead resulted ultimately in the formation of the Gettysburg National Cemetery and Gettysburg National Battlefield and also provided, more immediately, the impetus for Lincoln's Gettysburg address.
Patterson's book makes good use of first-hand sources. It introduces the reader to many of the women and men who provided humanitarian service following the Battle of Gettysburg. Interestingly, the book includes a brief but fascinating epilogue in which Patterson describes the subsequent careers of many who participated in providing medical care at Gettysburg, such as Confederate surgeon Simon Baruch, and Frederick Olmstead, the architect of Central Park.
This book presents in a thorough, convincing way a frequently overlooked aspect of the story of Gettysburg.
