Book Description

In this novel of the American Civil War, a disgraced Union colonel races to stop Confederates fleeing Gettysburg. Pickett’s charge has just ended, the battle of Gettysburg is over. The Confederate army is defeated and must retreat to the Potomac River forty miles away with thousands of wagons full of wounded soldiers, provisions and tens of thousands of animals. Asa Helms, a private in the Twenty-Sixth North Carolina Infantry, joined the army to oppose the Yankee’s invasion of his “country.” He is torn between serving his country with honor and going home to take care of his wife who is in great need. He faces a long, seemingly impossible march with little food, little hope and the Yankees on his heels. Captain Louis Young, aide-to-camp to Confederate General James Pettigrew, is fighting to preserve a culture and a lifestyle and possible domination by the despicable Yankees. The defeat at Gettysburg, the horrendous condition of the army and the endless resources of the enemy are causing him to doubt the ability of the Confederacy to gain another major victory and thus independence. His objective is to get the rebel army across the Potomac River to preserve it to fight another day. Colonel George Gray, an Irishman, is colonel of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry. He is hell-bent on putting down the rebellion before it divides the country that has been so good to him. He is neither a soldier, nor an accomplished equestrian, and has gotten on the wrong side of his superior, General George Custer, with whom he is in constant conflict. He sees a chance to cut off the Confederate army and end the war before it reaches the Potomac. That is where the journey ends and where each soldier must face the realities of this unnatural war. Asa must choose between escaping across the river or remaining with his wounded friend and facing certain captivity . . . Praise for Leaving Gettysburg “A solid piece of Civil War fiction that introduces readers to seldom discussed aspect of the Gettysburg Campaign.” —ARGunners.com “Curtis Crockett brings the retreat to life in fiction . . . a must-read for everyone interested in the Gettysburg campaign.” —Maine at War “Paints a vivid image of an ACW army in retreat and a victorious army slowly reorganizing to pursue.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society