The 83rd Pennsylvania Infantry suffered the second highest number of battle deaths of all the Union regiments, in every theater, throughout the course of the Civil War. Nevertheless, this hardy and determined unit was able to overcome loss, defeat and heartache through their enduring defense and preservation of the Union line during the pivotal battle of Gettysburg.
This book offers the first-ever comprehensive history of the 83rd Pennsylvania. It combines official war records, personal remembrances of veterans of the regiment, information derived from opposing Confederates, and secondary sources to produce a remarkable story of leadership, endurance, hardship and triumph.

Michael Schellhammer, a retired Army officer, has served in the Persian Gulf War, Haiti, Bosnia, and Iraq. His work has previously appeared in The Washington Post, The Washington Times and The Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin.

Michael Schellhammer
Foreword by P.J. O’Rourke
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 237
Bibliographic Info: 73 photos, maps, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009 [2003]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4078-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1380-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     vii

Foreword     1

Preface     3

1 Here Am I, Let Me Go     7

2 It Seemed a Little Like War     26

3 Hard Marches to Yorktown     46

4 A Promise of Perfect Success     62

5 You Will See Enough of Them Before Night     80

6 Revenge for McLane     100

7 An Unlucky Field     116

8 Armies Broken and Divided     129

9 Mournful Cries in the Stillness of the Night     137

10 The Tempest and Whirlwind of Battle     150

11 The Rocky Hill     167

Epilogue: For None Others Can Know      187


Notes     199

Bibliography     213

Index     217

“more objective [than the competition]…excellent analysis…first-rate…maps are clear…a worthwhile contribution to Civil War historiography”—The Civil War News; “well researched, well written, very nicely illustrated, and well designed…excellent”—The Civil War Courier; “well-written…readable”—Blue & Gray.