5 Most Underrated Perfomances (Gettysburg)

[Jimklag]

One of the hard parts about the study of history.... what chaps my hindquarters more than the opinions is the "my opinion is right and the rest of you are idiots" stance taken by some. It's true of all fields, but with history it's a tough sell given none of us were there!

Righto, Adam. You know the quote about opinions and rectums. . .

 

[Zella]

Not on the list. It's been so unfortunate the 20th Maine was chosen as a heroic story by Shaara. Those men did what they did. Taken by itself, without comparing it ( seems the whole problem ), or bemoaning the fact that regiments also holding LRT were not recognized, their fight that day was as worthy of respect as any.

Does it seem cavalier there is an ' Overrated ' list? Gee whiz. No one here knows what it was like for any of them. Men died, lost friends and limbs and life, to be kinda told 150 years later " Well, it was ok but really? Not impressed ". This tendency to ' Best ' everything is silly. There's always a ' worst ', too. I don't know. In that whole bloodbath called ' Gettysburg ', do we really get to judge?

I agree 100%! I also agree that a lot of the problem seems to come from people reacting to comparisons or perceived lack of recognition of other regiments more than anything. I don't think it's fair to say that the 20th Maine singlehandedly saved the day, of course, but I also don't think it's at all fair to dismiss what they did either.

 

[Kurt G]

I agree . They fought well , but if LRT had fallen it would not have been a disaster . The confederate troops were over extended and large Union reinforcements were not far away . The confederates were in no position to haul artillery up there . Don't forget Ken Burn's role in the 20th Maine discussion . I will never completely forgive him for calling Custer's charge with the 1st Michigan against Stuart as "reckless."

 

[Zella]

I agree . They fought well , but if LRT had fallen it would not have been a disaster . The confederate troops were over extended and large Union reinforcements were not far away . The confederates were in no position to haul artillery up there . Don't forget Ken Burn's role in the 20th Maine discussion . I will never completely forgive him for calling Custer's charge with the 1st Michigan against Stuart as "reckless."

It's been so long since I watched Burns's series that I don't remember much about it, but, yes, I can see where he definitely would have played a role in how the public perceived the regiment.

 

[infomanpa]

I picked up The Civil War Monitor "Gettysburg Special Commemorative Issue" today Among the other articles is 5 Most Underrated Performances by Brian Matthew Jordan. I could not help but wonder about his choices.

1. The XI Corps on Blocher's Knoll and East Cemetery Hill
2. The 17th Maine Infantry in the Wheatfield
3. Charles Coster's brigade in Kuhn's Brickyard
4. George L. Willard's brigade on July 2
5. The 137th New York Infantry on Culp's Hill

I agree that items #2, #4 and #5 are underrated. From my study, those units had significant contributions.

 

[Northern Light]

The fifth item seems to tell the whole story about Mr. Jordan. Other than in comparison to the simultaneous battle at Vicksburg (and that is a matter of opinion), I don't think it is possible to overrate Gettysburg's place in the Civil War's long list of battles. Lee made that impossible by staying around and attacking on the 2nd and 3rd. The 20th Maine's feats have indeed been exaggerated thanks to Michael Shaara and Ted Turner. Don't know how the martyrdom of the 1st Minnesota is exaggerated or overrated. What they did is factual and the result of the few minutes they bought by that martyrdom are well documented. If those two things are true, by definition, their actions cannot be overrated. As for the items about John Burns and John B. Gordon, I have no opinion about their possibly being overrated.

Without knowing his reasons for choosing the battle itself it is difficult to know why he placed it on his list. If it is because it is so often viewed as THE turning point of the war, then I might agree with him. It seems to me, however, that the battle cannot be underplayed in its importance to the Eastern Theatre, as a morale boaster for the AoP, and because it represented Lee's final incursion into the North.

 

[Northern Light]

I will never completely forgive him for calling Custer's charge with the 1st Michigan against Stuart as "reckless."

It was reckless, but it worked. He was always a bit reckless. Sometimes it paid off, but not always.....

 

[1SGDan]

I'd add the Engineer BDE and Engineer BN for placing the bridges that got the AoP there in time.

 

[Jimklag]

I'd add the Engineer BDE and Engineer BN for placing the bridges that got the AoP there in time.

Good call, Dan. The Army engineers are almost completely forgotten.

 

[Burning Billy]

The fifth item seems to tell the whole story about Mr. Jordan. Other than in comparison to the simultaneous battle at Vicksburg (and that is a matter of opinion), I don't think it is possible to overrate Gettysburg's place in the Civil War's long list of battles. Lee made that impossible by staying around and attacking on the 2nd and 3rd. The 20th Maine's feats have indeed been exaggerated thanks to Michael Shaara and Ted Turner. Don't know how the martyrdom of the 1st Minnesota is exaggerated or overrated. What they did is factual and the result of the few minutes they bought by that martyrdom are well documented. If those two things are true, by definition, their actions cannot be overrated. As for the items about John Burns and John B. Gordon, I have no opinion about their possibly being overrated.

I was confused by the 1st Minnesota's inclusion as well. That unit willingly charged into near certain death and was shot to ribbons. How do you overrate 82% casualties? It is still the highest casualty rate ever suffered by any U.S. Army unit in a single engagement.

Unless he's making the argument that the 1st Minnesota's charge wasn't as instrumental in holding Cemetery Ridge as often claimed, or that Hancock erred in his order. I'm not sure I'd agree but wouldn't dismiss it without having first read his argument and considered whether or not it is well sourced.

I fully agree with the 20th Maine's inclusion, though I'd bump them up to the #1 spot. Little Round Top and the 20th Maine aren't only the most overrated aspects of Gettysburg history, the stand of the 20th Maine is arguably the most overrated action by a Union regiment in the entire Civil War. More people get their history from Hollywood than books, and so the average viewer of the Gettysburg film probably thinks Chamberlain and the 20th Maine won the battle or that Little Round Top saw the most critical fighting of the 2nd day at Gettysburg, neither of which is true. That probably goes for the average visitor to Gettysburg as well, who is much more likely to spend more time on LRT than the Wheatfield or Culp's Hill, for instance.

Having said that, I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers by saying the 20th Maine is overrated. So let me be clear: Saying something is overrated doesn't necessarily mean it is bad or unworthy of praise. It just means the hype exceeds the reality. All of the men in the 20th Maine were heroes. LRT just wasn't as crucial to the battle's outcome as some of the actions on other corners of the battlefield on the 2nd Day, and there were other Union units who were just as brave or faced greater odds than the 20th Maine, but are much less well known.

 

[amweiner]

I was confused by the 1st Minnesota's inclusion as well. That unit willingly charged into near certain death and was shot to ribbons. How do you overrate 82% casualties? It is still the highest casualty rate ever suffered by any U.S. Army unit in a single engagement.

Unless he's making the argument that the 1st Minnesota's charge wasn't as instrumental in holding Cemetery Ridge as often claimed, or that Hancock erred in his order. I'm not sure I'd agree but wouldn't dismiss it without having first read his argument and considered whether or not it is well sourced.

I fully agree with the 20th Maine's inclusion, though I'd bump them up to the #1 spot. Little Round Top and the 20th Maine aren't only the most overrated aspects of Gettysburg history, the stand of the 20th Maine is arguably the most overrated action by a Union regiment in the entire Civil War. More people get their history from Hollywood than books, and so the average viewer of the Gettysburg film probably thinks Chamberlain and the 20th Maine won the battle or that Little Round Top saw the most critical fighting of the 2nd day at Gettysburg, neither of which is true. That probably goes for the average visitor to Gettysburg as well, who is much more likely to spend more time on LRT than the Wheatfield or Culp's Hill, for instance.

Having said that, I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers by saying the 20th Maine is overrated. So let me be clear: Saying something is overrated doesn't necessarily mean it is bad or unworthy of praise. It just means the hype exceeds the reality. All of the men in the 20th Maine were heroes. LRT just wasn't as crucial to the battle's outcome as some of the actions on other corners of the battlefield on the 2nd Day, and there were other Union units who were just as brave or faced greater odds than the 20th Maine, but are much less well known.

Nicely said, @Burning Billy. As for the 1st MN, I know some purists like pointing out that the entire regiment wasn't present for the July 2nd action as some were detached, but who cares??! That was brave beyond all description, perhaps even more so given the fact that not all the men were in line. All in all, it gives me the chills to stand at the 1st MN monument and look out at the place where they all must have been thinking, "You want us to do WHAT now??"

 

[AUG]

For underrated I would add the charge of Perrin's Brigade on Seminary Ridge, July 1. One of the most overlooked actions of the battle, yet a successful Confederate attack by all means that broke through the final Federal line of defense before they were driven through the town. Abner Perrin handled the brigade well.

 

[RochesterBill]

For underrated I would add the charge of Perrin's Brigade on Seminary Ridge, July 1. One of the most overlooked actions of the battle, yet a successful Confederate attack by all means that broke through the final Federal line of defense before they were driven through the town. Abner Perrin handled the brigade well.

I read this whole thread and I kept thinking that when I got to the end I was going to write a post about Perrin breaking the Federal line on Seminary Ridge.

Beat me to it.

 

[Zella]

Having said that, I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers by saying the 20th Maine is overrated. So let me be clear: Saying something is overrated doesn't necessarily mean it is bad or unworthy of praise. It just means the hype exceeds the reality. All of the men in the 20th Maine were heroes. LRT just wasn't as crucial to the battle's outcome as some of the actions on other corners of the battlefield on the 2nd Day, and there were other Union units who were just as brave or faced greater odds than the 20th Maine, but are much less well known.

I think this is a fair statement. Personally, I suspect that one reason the story of the 20th Maine has become so popular is simply because it has so many details that make for a good narrative: the professor-turned-officer, the bayonet charge, etc. Also, the technical details of regiment placements in battle can be confusing, especially for people without any knowledge of the war, so the depiction of the 20th Maine's placement in pop culture is probably an easier detail to latch onto without understanding the actual subtleties of the battle. (For myself, when I was a kid watching Gettysburg, I remember getting the general gist of Days 2 and 3--we need to hold this line vs we need to break this line--but not really understanding what was happening on Day 1 until I was older.)

For myself, the more I've read about the 20th Maine, the more interested I've actually been in their early history rather than Gettysburg. That's not a knock against the unit, but I just find Ames's prickly personality and the regiment's reaction to him amusing.

 

[major bill]

There are time authors will select a certain unit to help explain the battle or give a human face to the battle. I am not sure that one unit should get all the "press" but sometimes it does happen. So does the 20th Maine get more of the narrative than they deserve?

 

[Zella]

There are time authors will select a certain unit to help explain the battle or give a human face to the battle. I am not sure that one unit should get all the "press" but sometimes it does happen. So does the 20th Maine get more of the narrative than they deserve?

That's a good question. To me, I don't think it is a matter of getting more of the narrative they deserve than maybe the narrative that is commonly told just doesn't situate them in their proper context, if that makes sense.

So, I would very much object to someone who says the men of the 20th Maine don't deserve any recognition or that what they did wasn't brave. But I do think it is unfair to the other regiments to exaggerate the role the 20th Maine played in the battle or to talk about them as if they are the only story worth telling or as if they were the only demonstration of courage on the battlefield.

I agree with you that they are probably focused on to provide a human face more than anything. As I said, it is a great story and one that can readily be understood by people with limited understanding of the battle or the tactics. It's just a shame that also sometimes leads folks to ignore other regiments or misunderstand the role of that engagement within the battle as a whole. Also a shame that that in turn has led to a backlash against the 20th Maine. It's not like they really have any control over how people are talking about them and framing their experiences 160 years later.

 

[PrivateBrooke]

I believe Capt. Ellis Spear of the 20th agrees with your guys' assessment of their actions that day...

 

[RochesterBill]

There are time authors will select a certain unit to help explain the battle or give a human face to the battle. I am not sure that one unit should get all the "press" but sometimes it does happen. So does the 20th Maine get more of the narrative than they deserve?

I agree with @major bill that the story of the 20th gets an inordinate amount of the spotlight.

Its hard to say why when, at roughly the same time and just a stones throw away, ( as one example) the unsurpassed valor of the US Regulars in the Wheatfield - a tale which is at least as compelling - goes relatively unnoted.

Or Willards New Yorkers vs. Barksdales Mississipians at the Codori farm.

But there were so many instances of uncommon courage and sacrifice on that end of the line that afternoon that it almost seems unfair, once you start losting them, not to mention them all.

The part that has always mystified me is the virtual cone of silence around the action at Culps Hill. Ive never been entirely convinced - its a great topic for discussion - whether Chamberlains stand really saved the battle or whether Hancock, Warren et all would have been able to stabilize the situation.

But a collapse on Culps Hill would have caused the destruction of the Union Army. Still, you almost never even hear it mentioned.

 

[CCMDCSA]

Now I know my avatar might show some leanings on this one but I'm going to say the the maryland boys at culps hill blue and gray I visit the site regularly and the chills never fail

 

[Tom Elmore]

I would have added the 157th New York, which stopped and then redirected an entire Confederate brigade (Doles).