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Michael ShaaraA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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“Should have gone to Vicksburg. News from there very bad. It will fall, and after that…we must win here if we are to win at all, and we must do it soon.”
Longstreet is reflecting on the Confederate Army’s situation as he waits for Lee to emerge from his tent. This brief thought throws the reader into the middle of the Civil War with an understanding that the South is in a dire situation and needs a victory if they have any hope of winning the war. Longstreet’s observation also illustrates a sense of desperation, and desperation rarely bodes well in battle.
“That’s different. Generals can do anything. Nothing quite so much like God on earth as a general on a battlefield.”
Chamberlain is talking to his brother, Tom, warning him to be careful in how he addresses him to avoid any appearance of favoritism. This statement illustrates the reverence that the generals in both armies receive from their staff, their officers, and their soldiers. It also shows the hierarchy inherent in the military, and this hierarchy reflects the importance of leadership and the need for each army to have solid leaders to stand behind. This reference to gods and generals is also significant, as Shaara’s son Jeff will carry on his father’s legacy by writing two additional Civil War novels, the first of which is titled Gods and Generals.
“He had grown up believing in America and the individual and it was a stronger faith than his faith in God. This was the land where no man had to bow. In this place at last a man could stand up free of the past, free of tradition and blood ties and the curse of royalty and become what he wished to become. This was the first place on earth where the man mattered more than the state. True freedom had begun here and it would spread eventually over all the earth. But it had begun here.”
Chamberlain is a very complicated man and character, and it is easy to see his strengths as a professor of rhetoric. In this quote, Chamberlain is alone in a grove of trees trying to decide how he’s going to address the mutineers assigned to his regiment and contemplating his patriotism, the ideologies related to the war, and why he has sacrificed so much to be a part of it. His thoughts of freedom mirror those shared by many commanders and leaders in the Union and create a stark contrast to the reasons behind the Confederate commanders’ thoughts on what they are fighting for.
“He saw the lone officer, much closer now, sitting regally on horseback, outlined against the darkening sky. The man was looking his way, with glasses. Buford waved. You never knew what old friend was out there. The Reb officer took off his hat, bowed formally.”
Buford has ridden to the road the Rebels retreated down and is faced with this lone officer in the distance. His decision to wave to the officer illustrates a sense of humanity not often found in the middle of a war. He waves because he realizes he might know this officer, an idea at the heart of the tragedy surrounding a civil war. Many officers in both armies served together in the Mexican War, and some even attended West Point together, creating a sense of irony as the armies are enemies while also being friends.
“Well, Lo, you know we are dying one at a time and there aren’t enough of us and we die just as dead as anybody, and a boy from back home aint a better soldier than a boy from Minnesota or anywhere else just because he’s from back home.”
Longstreet is speaking to Armistead, discussing the Confederate cause and the pride the Rebels have in their ability to win the war, bragging that one Rebel soldier could beat 10 Union soldiers. However, Longstreet’s comment here contradicts that idea and illustrates the brutal reality of war: every man will die the same death as any other man, regardless of where he comes from or what his rank is. The Southern soldiers feel a strong sense of pride in their homeland and feel that this pride will carry them through to victory. Longstreet knows that all officers and soldiers are on equal ground when it comes to death.
“Troops were gathering along the rail fence, looking in at him. He heard a man cry a raucous greeting. Another man shushed him in anger. Lee turned, bowed slightly, waved a stiff arm. There was a cluster of sloppy salutes, broad wet grins under dripping hats. A bare-headed boy stood in reverent silence, black hat clutched to his breast. An officer moved down the fence, hustling the men away.”
This passage references the great respect that the Confederate and even the Union soldiers have for General Lee. (In a conversation with Longstreet, Fremantle says that he is also respected throughout Europe.) Some soldiers cheer him, while others demand silence, but all stop and pay respects to one of the greatest military leaders in American history. This passage also illustrates Lee’s respect for his soldiers, as he acknowledges his men despite being heavy of mind and spirit.
“Want to see Longstreet. Up ahead, in the mist, A.P. Hill probes towards Gettysburg like a blind hand. Hill was new to command. One-legged Ewell was new to command. Both had replaced Stonewall Jackson, who was perhaps irreplaceable. Now there was only Longstreet, and a thumping heart.”
Lee is haunted by the death of Stonewall Jackson, as illustrated here. With Jackson gone, Lee depends on Longstreet, his most capable commander. However, Lee must also rely upon new commanders, such as Hill and Ewell, with the hope that they will settle into their new roles with confidence and competence. Because of the nature of their work and their relationships, Lee is often in conflict with his commanders as he tries to understand and trust them while they fulfill their roles as best they can under difficult circumstances.
“Mrs. Pender is, ah, a pious woman, and she believes that now that we have invaded Pennsylvania we are in the wrong, and God has forsaken us—you know how these people reason, sir—and she says she cannot pray for him.”
This passage shows how important it was for the commanders, soldiers, and families to have divine support and approval in their decisions throughout the war. Lee is particularly aware of God’s will and opinion, and it often drives his thoughts and actions. In this instance, however, readers see that some viewed the invasion of the North as a mistake, Longstreet included. Because the Confederate Army is now on the offensive, some doubt their success because their cause is no longer respectable. Thus, when Pender dies from a wound sustained at Gettysburg, Mrs. Pender believes that it is God’s will.
“Lee turned away from the table. He wanted no argument now. He had been down this road before, and Longstreet was immovable, and there was no point in argument when you did not even know where the enemy was. Yet it was good counsel. Trust Longstreet to tell the truth.”
Lee and Longstreet have a very good relationship, and Lee trusts Longstreet implicitly, finding comfort in his quiet presence. Sometimes, of course, the two come into conflict when discussing strategy. Longstreet prefers defensive tactics, whereas Lee wants to end the war as soon as possible. This passage also illustrates the importance of information from other commanders, which Lee doesn’t have from Stuart, who has gone silent, leaving the Confederate Army—and Lee in particular—blind.
“Then he heard that ripply sound that raised the hair, that high thin scream from far away coming out of the mist unbodied and terrible, inhuman. It got inside him for a suspended second. The scream of a flood of charging men: the Rebel yell.”
Here, Buford is sitting in the seminary’s cupola, watching the first movements of the Battle of Gettysburg. He can see the Union artillery is firing into the Confederate line, yet there is no returning fire from the Rebels. Despite this seeming lull in the fight, Buford hears a sound that will likely haunt the dreams of many Union soldiers: the Rebel yell. Traditionally, this yell marked a charge from Confederate infantry, but it also symbolizes a sense of pride and honor for the Rebels. It reflects their strength and pride, but it also shows the more inhuman side of war, when men too often act more like animals than human beings.
“Buford issued his own orders. The great weight was off him. Now it belonged to Reynolds. And there was no regret. Through most of his life he had resented the appearance of higher command. Now it came to save him.”
At this point in the battle, Buford has been doing well keeping his dismounted cavalry holding their line as they await reinforcements. When those reinforcements come—in the form of Reynolds’s infantry—Buford is grateful to turn over command. It’s common for commanders at any level to want control over a larger force, but this passage illustrates that some men are happy to turn over responsibility to others.
“Reynolds lay in the dirt road, the aides bending over him. When Buford got there the thick stain had already puddled the dirt beneath his head. His eyes were open, half asleep, his face pleasant and composed, a soft smile. Buford knelt. He was dead.”
Just after Buford found comfort in Reynolds stepping in to take command on Cemetery Hill, Reynolds is killed in battle, leaving Buford alone once again. Reynolds’s line continues to hold after his death, however, and Buford pulls back his cavalry as Reynolds had ordered. The battle continues despite the loss, creating an ironic contrast: battles need commanders, yet battles continue without them.
“His mind flashed a vision of Reynolds. A neat trim man. A gentleman, a friend. Lee shook his head. It was queer to be so strange and tight in the mind. He seemed unable to think clearly. Reynolds dead. Gone. Doubleday behind him. Doubleday an unknown quantity, but certainly nothing spectacular.”
While reporting to Lee, Heth mentions that Reynolds has been killed in action, as reported by Union prisoners. While the relationship between Reynolds and Lee is not described, this passage shows the effect the news has on Lee. As general of the Confederate Army, readers would expect Lee to be accustomed to death, yet clearly, that is not the case. Lee’s thoughts about Reynolds’s death likely reflect an attitude that Lee has toward the war and the death it causes.
“Listen. Let me tell you something. I appreciate honor and bravery and courage. Before God…but the point of the war is not to show how brave you are and how you can die in a manly fashion, face to the enemy. God knows it’s easy to die. Anybody can die.”
In a conversation with Fremantle, Longstreet says this in response to Garnett’s honor being called into question by Stonewall Jackson, who wanted Garnett court-martialed for cowardice. Longstreet’s opinion stems from the idea that, with Jackson dead and unable to clear Garnett’s name, Garnett must die a heroic death to prove his honor and redeem his reputation. Longstreet disagrees with this idea because it doesn’t take much effort to die, especially during war.
“And then Lee thought: But sometimes I have seen it happen. A man loses part of himself, an arm, a leg, and though he has been a fine soldier he is never quite the same again; he has lost nothing else visible, but there is a certain softness in the man thereafter, a slowness, a caution. […] Very little of a man is in a hand or a leg. A man is in his spirit and he has that in full no matter what part of his body dies, or all of it.”
Lee is struggling to come to terms with Ewell’s caution, which prevents him from attacking Cemetery Hill. Ewell likely could have taken the hill, giving the Confederates the high ground. As a general, Lee must have confidence in his commanders, so it is unsurprising that he spends so much time ruminating about Ewell’s mental state. In this passage, he is wrestling with the effect losing a leg in a previous battle has had on Ewell, knowing that the quality of a man is not found in his limbs. While Lee seeks to understand Ewell, he also does not mean to judge him, as he has not experienced such a loss himself.
“Fremantle, had a sudden numbing thought: by evening this man could be dead. Fremantle stared at him, transfixed, trying to sense the premonition. He had never had a premonition, but he had heard of them happening, particularly on the battlefield. Men often knew when their time had come.”
This passage occurs at the start of the second day of the battle as Fremantle observes Hood. It illustrates the role of premonition, intuition, and instinct in battle and when facing imminent danger. It is particularly powerful—and even ironic—that Fremantle is the one making this observation. He is in Gettysburg to observe the army in action, not to help fight. He will be safe and out of the way while the men he observes and respects are in harm’s way.
“Kilrain said, ‘And this is what it’s all about.’”
The Union soldiers find an injured Black man, who was shot by a woman from her front porch in Gettysburg. He was looking for directions back to his home. The Union soldiers seek to help him, but they are also curious about him since they know that his race is at the center of the war even though they don’t see many Blacks. This episode sparks a telling conversation between Kilrain and Chamberlain. This simple quote illustrates the Union soldiers’ discovery that all the death and destruction associated with the war comes down to what this man symbolizes.
“Chamberlain said, ‘To me there was never any difference.’ ‘None at all?’ ‘None. Of course, I didn’t know that many. But those I knew…well, you looked in the eye and there was a man. There was the divine spark, as my mother used to say. That was all there was to it…all there is to it.’”
This passage is part of the conversation between Kilrain and Chamberlain about the Black man they have discovered. This passage is Chamberlain’s response to Kilrain’s comment that he has met some, though not many, Blacks who earned his respect. Chamberlain shows his honorable character when he tells his perspective on Blacks, which is that they, too, are men. It’s a simple yet powerful statement that shows the kind of man Chamberlain is.
“At moments like this, it was difficult to look a man in the eye. He put out his hand. ‘Well, Sam, let’s go to it. Take care of yourself.’ Hood took the hand, held it for a moment. Sometimes you touched a man like this and it was the last time, and the next time you saw him he was cold and white and bloodless, and the warmth was gone forever.”
with Lee’s orders. Both know that they will follow those orders to the best of their ability. As they separate, they shake hands, knowing that it might be the last time that they do. This scene again ties to the idea of premonition and instinct in war. The men know that any conversation could be the last, and they part with the knowledge that they might not see each other again.
“They are damned good men, those Rebs. Rebs, I salute you. I don’t think I can hold you.”
Chamberlain’s regiment has held off multiple attacks from the Confederate Army, and when he sees that he’s lost a third of his men and is quickly running out of ammunition, he understands that he can’t hold his position much longer. Instead of being angry or afraid, he admits respect to his enemy and acknowledges their abilities. This passage, again, shows Chamberlain’s character and the honorable man he is.
“That’s why we win, mostly. Because we move with speed, and faith, and because we usually have the good ground. Tactics? God, man, we don’t win because of tricks. […] Listen, there are some damn good boys across the way, make no mistake on that. I’ve fought with those boys, and they know how to fight when they’ve got the ground, but tactics? Tactics?”
Fremantle tells Longstreet that, when he returns to England, he will write a book about the tactics and strategies that he has observed in the Confederate Army and, more especially, Lee. He says that Lee will be “the world’s foremost authority on military matters when this war is over” (239) and then says that people will be surprised to learn that Lee is a “devious” man. This angers Longstreet who believes that it’s the heart of the Confederate soldiers and the faith of their commanders that helps them win; it does not simply come down to tactics. However, after his outburst, Longstreet feels like he has betrayed Lee for what he said. Longstreet does not always agree with Lee, but he will always support, help, and follow him.
“Well, the man was a brother to me. You remember. Toward the end of the evening…it all got rough. We all began, well, you know, there were a lot of tears […] I went up to Win, and I took him by the shoulders and I said, ‘Win, so help me, if I ever lift a hand against you, may God strike me dead.’”
Armistead is describing to Longstreet his last evening with Hancock and some other officers. They were at a final gathering before each man took his side in the war, and clearly, it is a difficult situation for all of them and shows the deep tragedy inherent in civil war. This quote not only shows the friendship between Armistead and Hancock, but it also foreshadows what will happen to Armistead when he is ordered to charge Hancock’s line.
“How far do you stand from the attack on your home, whatever the cause, so that you can bear it? It had nothing to do with causes; it was no longer a matter of vows. When Virginia left the Union she bore his home away as surely as if she were a ship setting out to sea, and what was left behind on the shore was not his any more. So it was no cause and no country he fought for, no ideal and no justice. He fought for his people, for the children and the kin, and not even the land, because not even the land was worth the war, but the people were…they were his own, he belonged with his own.”
When Lee spends the night in the pasture with Traveler before the final attack, he thinks about why he is there and why he was willing to break his vow to defend the United States when his home state of Virginia seceded from the Union. This passage reflects not only what Lee believes but what many Southern soldiers and commanders believed: that they had to fight for their people and their home. Many feel that the South was fighting only to keep slavery, but most of the men had far more important reasons to fight, defending their families and homes being foremost among them.
“But I cannot even do that. Cannot leave the man alone. Cannot leave him with that attack in the hands of Hill. Cannot leave because I disagree, because, as he says, it’s all in the hands of God. And maybe God really wants it this way. But they will mostly all die. We will lose it here. […] And the thing is, I cannot even refuse, I cannot even back away, I cannot leave him to fight it alone, they’re my people, my boys. God help me, I can’t even quit.”
Longstreet is thrown into a significant internal conflict when Lee decides to attack the Union’s center against his advice. Longstreet knows that this attack is going to fail, and he knows that many of the soldiers are going to die for nothing. He wants to walk away from the battlefield, and he wants to prevent this disaster, but he knows he can’t. He is loyal to his army and his commander, and he has faith that God has a plan. Longstreet also knows that he is the most capable commander that Lee has, so he can’t walk away or ignore his responsibility. He can only move forward with the attack, knowing that it will bring disaster.
“‘They do not die for us. Not for us. That at least is a blessing. […] Each man has his own reason to die. But if they go on, I will go on […] It is only another defeat.’ He looked up at Longstreet, lifted his hands, palms out, folded them softly, slowly. ‘If the war goes on—and it will, it will—what else can we do but go on? It is the same question forever, what else can we do? If they fight, we will fight with them. And does it matter after all who wins? Was that ever really the question? Will God ask that question, in the end?’”
This passage is taken from the conversation Lee has with Longstreet after the final Confederate charge. Lee admits that he was wrong in his strategy, yet he asks for help to continue the fight because that is their job so long as the war continues. This is also a response to Longstreet’s concern that the soldiers died for no reason because the attack was a failure. Lee reminds him that the soldiers do not fight for their commanders, they fight for their own reasons, so their death is their choice and a symbol of their cause and purpose, thus limiting the responsibility of the commanders for their soldiers’ deaths.