The most exceptional works require the most exceptional resources and there is no lack of exceptional sources about the battle of Gettysburg. However, along with the exceptional there is the truly unexceptional sources and the true puzzle becomes sifting out the bad and retaining the good.
The picture of little round top is an example of a helpful source because it helps the writer actually visualize the setting, to which is being explaining. This could be used in better explaining the true struggle the men endured charging and then climbing up the hill.
The report by Joshua Chamberlain is another example of an impeccable resource for understanding the battle of Gettysburg. He describes the furious defense against the Confederate hoard where
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Contained are the exact movements of troops upon Gettysburg, which is fabulous for explaining the Confederate approach. Along with movements are times and dates of when those men attacked or moved. This gives the writer a clear timeframe which to abide by. The final thing of note in this is showing the ferocity of some of the conflicts. He explains that in one of the battles they took 4,000 prisoners and applied great casualties on the enemy. Not just the enemies losses are explained, their own are losses are heavy with multiple Generals and officers wounded, missing, or …show more content…
Dent explaining the events experienced by the First Delaware Infantry. The detail in troop movements and attacks help show the ferocity and also complexity associated with this battle. This would allow the recreation of the situation at hand as one that is not just men shooting at each other but more similar to the playing of multiple different chess matches against skilled opponents. Each situation that arises calls for a different solution, for instance when Lieutenant Colonel Harris withdrew he was replaced by General Hancock, who was replaced by captain Hizar who was wounded, and finally replaced by Lieutenant William Smith. The report went on to detail the onward advance of the enemy in two units oblique formation coming on them, one from the right and one from the left, which allows us to create a picture of what the defenders would have seen coming towards them. The final bit of information in the report is an analysis of the wounded and dead from the skirmish and also the timeframe of the 2-day battle. This is the final piece needed to put the picture of the fight, have the complexity, have the movements of the attackers, have the timeframe of the battle, and finally have the mortality numbers which describe the full ferocity of the battle to avoid taking any artistic liberties either exaggerating or under crediting the