Killer Angels
...Gettysburg was one of the most bloody and horrific battle of the American Civil
War. Author Michael Shaara does an excellent job of showing the bravery and valor of
the men fighting on both sides.
The story begins in a town near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in the town of
Taneytown on June 29, 1863. Harrison, a spy for the confederacy, returns to General
Longstreet late in the night and tells him about the Union troops he spotted moving closer
to their camp and could ambush them at any time. Longstreet doesn't believe Harrison at
first but Harrison is able to convince him eventually. Longstreet wastes no time and alerts
the commander of the Rebel army, General Robert E Lee. General Lee is skeptical too of
the union movement, but eventually decides to move his troops north towards Gettysburg.
Shaara then switches over to the union perspective, giving you a look at their point of
view. He introduces the reader to Colonel Chamberlain and Buster. Buster wakes
Chamberlain up and lets him know that their troop has picked up 120 men from the
Second Maine that disbanded. The new troops are deserters and Chamberlain is ordered
to shoot anyone that will not march. Chamberlain gets the newcomers some food and
meets with their leaders. The leaders tell him that they are sick of fighting and just want
to return home to their families. Chamberlain can't let them go so he asks them to please
stay and join the 20th Maine, all of the men except 6 agree to this.
It's now July 1, 1863 and General Lee is waking up. He is having heart trouble
and tries to take it easy. General Stuart still has not reported back to Lee, so he has no
news on the movements of the union army. Longstreet reports to Lee that the new
commander of the Union forces is George Meade, and that he believes the Union Forces
have...
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