Scott Mingus’ Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863

I’m pleased to announce the publication of the fifth volume in Ironclad Publishing’s The Discovering Civil War America Series. The latest volume is Scott L. Mingus, Sr.’s excellent study of the Confederate expedition to the banks of the Susquehanna River in the days just before the Battle of Gettysburg, Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Gordon Expedition, June 1863. Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon’s Georgia brigade of Maj. Gen. Jubal A. Early’s division actually made it to the Susquehanna in time to try to prevent the great wooden bridge at Wrightsville from burning up before being recalled to join the Army of Northern Virginia, which was concentrating around Gettysburg. Thanks to Brad Schmehl for permitting us to use his excellent painting “Columbia Bridge Burning” as the cover illustration for Scott’s book.

Scott has done a tremendous amount of research and has written an excellent book. Like the rest of the volumes in the series, it covers little-known engagements, such as Jubal Early’s engagement with the 26th Pennsylvania Emergency Infantry west of Gettysburg on June 26, 1863, the death of George W. Sandoe, of the Bell’s Adams County Cavalry, who was the first Union soldier to die at Gettysburg, the engagement at Witwer’s Farm, the capture and occupation of Gettysburg, the capture and occupation of Hanover, and the capture and occupation of York. It’s a well-written story that fills some significant gaps in the coverage of the Gettysburg Campaign. The book features lots of good maps drawn by Scott, lots of illustrations, and several driving tours that allow the reader to follow in Gordon’s footsteps all the way to the Susquehanna. The book also includes a foreword by yours truly.

I want to acknowledge Scott’s employer, the Glatfelter Paper Co., which donated the paper upon which the book was printed. Glatfelter is the world leader in providing the paper upon which books are printed, and we were honored to be the beneficiary of Glatfelter’s generosity. Glatfelter has a program that we at Ironclad wholeheartedly support, which is called Permanence Matters. Advocating the use of acid-free, high quality paper (not cheap papers based on groundwood) for the printing of books to ensure that they will be around without deteriorating from within, Glatfelter contributed its high quality paper for the publication of Scott’s book, which we appreciate. We at Ironclad endorse Glatfelter’s initiative and commend it for its dedication to ensuring that books will be permanent parts of our libraries and lives.

Check out Scott’s website for his book, as well as his Cannonball! blog, and please check out Flames Beyond Gettysburg. There’s a nifty photo gallery of persons and places that play a prominent role in this story on Scott’s website that is worth a visit all on its own.