The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Civil War [Hardcover]

Michael W. Schellhammer (Author), P. J. O'Rourke (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0786414162 | ISBN-13: 978-0786414161

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. They endured decimation at the battles of the Seven Days, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. However, 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. Actions and events are analyzed from multiple viewpoints. Overall, a detailed and thorough picture is offered of the 83rd’s contribution to the preservation of the Union and defeats.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Michael Schellhammer is a professional army intelligence officer whose work has previously appeared in The Washington Post, The Washington Times and The Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin. He lives in Arlington, Virginia. --The Civil War News

"Well researched, well written, very nicely illustrated, and well designed...excellent" --The Civil War Courier

"Well-written...readable" --Blue & Gray. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Michael Schellhammer is a professional Army Intelligence Officer whose work has previously appeared in The Washington Post, The Washington Times and The Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 237 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786414162
• ISBN-13: 978-0786414161
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,516,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars authentic, historical, and a page turner, October 2, 2003

By 

Michael Allen Phippen (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Civil War (Hardcover)

Prior to reading this book, my idea of torture was to be locked in a room with nothing to read but military books. Lucky for me that I stumbled on this book after searching for P.J. O'Rourke's latest and saw that he wrote the foreword. I was hooked about 20 pages in when it became clear that the author's intent was entirely different than the typical dissection of military battles and tactics that so many civil war books dwell upon. Through letters and journals of the soldiers of the 83rd, we see the war entirely from their perspective. Their day-to-day activities, their views about the war, and their emotional state during horrific losses, tedious marches, and adrenaline inducing victories. It never loses its feel of authenticity because the author, through obviously mind-boggling research, never has to guess what the men were thinking. This book never veers off in the unconvincing and awkward ways that some historical fiction does when authors try to "put themselves in the shoes" of someone who lived hundreds of years ago. Those attempts often ring false in ways that this book never does. Read this book and I guarantee you will not only think about Strong Vincent, Oliver Norton, Seth Waid, Amos Judson, and the other men of the 83rd long after finishing, but your esteem for what they accomplished will grow as well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The 83rd PA Vols., September 10, 2005

By 

C. Boyd (Greensburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Civil War (Hardcover)

I had personal reasons for reading this book. . . an ancestor served with the 83rd and I'm researching materials to authenticate copies of letters the family has in its possession. It's extremely well-written, thorough. I particularly liked the history of northwestern Pennsylvania. I've read Judson's book and approve of the quotes the author used. I was a little disappointed that the narrative stops after Gettysburg but can understand the author's choice in ending at this point. I would rate this 5 star except for the poor proofreading/editing. This is a day when a "manuscript" goes from disk to print through a computer and too many little errors were allowed to remain in the text. . . not when it concerned facts, thankfully, and therefore is the reason I can give it a high rating, but the errors broke the harmony of the written word. Any CW buff would find this an "excellent read."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent regimental history, January 27, 2006

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers in the Civil War (Hardcover)

The 83rd PA Volunteers was organized in October 1861 and saw a great deal of hard combat before mustering out after Appomattox. Made up of recruits mainly from the northwest part of the state, its most glorious moments probably occurred on Little Round Top at Gettysburg, where in a desperate fight (alongside the fabled Joshua Chamberlain-led 20th ME) it helped stave off a Confederate attack. Schellhammer's history of the regiment is historically detailed yet excitingly told, and is one of the best regimental histories I've seen.

Schellhammer's strength lies in the fact that he never forgets he is writing about people, about men who fought and suffered, and not just about "events" that in some hazy way involved soldiers. He quotes often (but not too often) from soldiers' diaries and letters to make his account as humanly interesting as possible. Though he traces the regiment's complete Civil War itinerary, he is especially detailed when describing its actions on the Peninsula in the spring of '62, at Gaines Mill in June (where the regiment lost its first commander, Col. John McLane), at Malvern Hill a few days later, at Fredericksburg in December, and at Gettysburg (where its second commander, Col. Strong Vincent, was killed on Little Round Top). The 83rd lost about half its men to battlefield death, wounding, disease, or capture; 282 died in battle: only one other Union regiment (5th New Hampshire Infantry) lost more men killed in battle (295). Schellhammer writes with style and verve, and this book should find a welcomed place on anyone's Civil War shelf. Highly recommended.