On Pickett’s Charge

A UNC Press Civil War Short, Excerpted from Pickett’s Charge in History and Memory

By Carol Reardon

98 pp., , 4 illus., 3 maps

  • E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-0-8078-3620-0
    Published: January 2012
  • E-book PDF ISBN: 979-8-8908-4495-8
    Published: January 2012

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If, as many have argued, the Civil War is the most crucial moment in our national life and Gettysburg its turning point, then the climax of the climax, and a central moment in our nation's history, is Pickett's Charge of 3 July 1863. This Civil War Short presents Carol Reardon's stirring narrative of the charge itself, drawn from Pickett's Charge in History and Memory, which demonstrates that the story of Pickett's Charge told today is really an amalgam of history and memory and that the evolution of that mix tells us much about how we come to understand our nation's past.

UNC Press Civil War Shorts excerpt rousing narratives from distinguished books published by the University of North Carolina Press on the military, political, social, and cultural history of the Civil War era. Produced exclusively in ebook format, they focus on pivotal moments and figures and are intended to provide a concise introduction, stir the imagination, and encourage further exploration of the topic. For in-depth analysis, contextualization, and perspective, we invite readers to consider the original publications from which these works are drawn.

About the Author

Carol Reardon is George Winfree Professor of American History at Pennsylvania State University and author of Pickett's Charge in History and Memory and With a Sword in One Hand and Jomini in the Other: The Problem of Military Thought in the Civil War North.


For more information about Carol Reardon, visit the Author Page.