"The smoke had just cleared from the last volley of musketry at Gettysburg. Nearly 70 percent of the First Minnesota Regiment lay dead or dying on the field - one of the greatest losses of any unit engaged in the Civil War. Pale Horse at Plum Run is the study of this single regiment at this crucial moment in American history. Through research of firsthand accounts, eyewitness reports, and official records, Brian Leehan constructs a narrative remarkable for its attention to detail and careful reportage.".

"Word of the First's heroic act at Gettysburg quickly spread along Union lines and back to Minnesota. Their stand late on July 2, 1863, stopped a furious rebel assault and saved the day for the Union. Emerging from the chaos of battle, however, firsthand reports contradicted each other. Confused officers and frightened soldiers told very different stories of this event. Further removed, newspaper correspondents often relied on hearsay and camp gossip for their sources of information.

All of this leaves the historical investigator to ask, what really happened that day at Plum Run?"--BOOK JACKET.