This series of essays aims to expand understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg. They offer controversial interpretations, to prompt re-evaluation of several officers - such as Robert E. Lee, Daniel E. Sickles and Henry W. Slocum - who played crucial roles during the second day of the battle.
Notable Civil War historians herein continue the evaluation of select commanders begun in The First Day at Gettysburg: Essays on Confederate and Union Leadership. Based on fresh manuscript sources and careful consideration of existing literature, the essays in The Second Day at Gettysburg explore such controversial issues as Robert E. Lee's decision to renew the tactical offensive on July 2; James Longstreet's effectiveness in executing Lee's plan; the origin and impact of Daniel E. Sickles's decision to advance his Third Corps, which formed the infamous "Sickles's Salient"; the little-understood role of Henry W. Slocum and his Union Twelfth Corps; and the contribution of John C. Caldwell's division in the maelstrom of the Wheatfield. These provocative essays present new evidence and sometimes controversial interpretations that will prompt reevaluation of several officers who played crucial roles during the second day of the Gettysburg campaign.
