What Led to the Battle of Gettysburg? Holy Cross Student and Professor Say It Was the Shoes

With the 155th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg approaching, Catherine Thompson, visiting assistant professor of history, and Declan Cronin ’19, a rising senior went on a quest to uncover what actually set off the battle.

In an article for History News Network, Thompson and Cronin present their findings and conclusion that it was the rebels’ search for shoes that led to the initial contact at Gettysburg. According to the co-authors, the Confederates originally wanted to pillage a shoe warehouse in Gettysburg to resupply soldiers with better shoes, when they stumbled upon John Buford’s Union cavalry.

The rest, as they say, is history.

To read the full article, go to HistoryNewsNetwork.org.

Additional Coverage:

• TIME.com, June 29