Hello again

I'm sorry that I haven't been around. Posting will resume soon....I hope. I've had some internet issues. Please continue to watch for more postings....I promise that it will continue but for now, I will be in and out until things are straightened out.

Snow in Gettysburg

It was bound to happen....sooner or later, but we had our first snowfall in Gettysburg yesterday. It wasn't much....maybe 1/2".....probably less. But the ground is white. I love the first snowfall on the battlefield. Why? I hate snow. But the really nice thing about a light snowfall is the fact that you can see things that you would NEVER see at any other time of the year.

First I drove on Ayres Avenue and looked up at Little Round Top. One of the things that stands out most is the tracks where the trolley used to go around the base of Little Round Top. Although you can make out the tracks on any given day, the little bit of snow makes it really stand out. Looking at the path, you can see how that electric trolley bit into the ground, not just at Little Round Top but throughout the park. Its a sad part of the history of Gettysburg. But on a happy note, the walking path near the base of the Triangular Field and through Rose' Woods wouldn't exist without it. I love to walk that path.

As I drove through the Wheatfield, I could look into the woods and see the gentle curve of the land. When there is no snow on the ground, that curve doesn't show. You can sort of see the highs and lows of the ground, but there is just too much underbrush, trees, etc that get in your way. But when there is snow on the ground it shows and you can see deep into the woods. Your perspective changes.

I then drove down Hancock Ave. The one thing that I noticed along this path was the barns. You can see the Weikert, Trostle, Sherfy, Klingel, Codori, Frey, and Brian barns from this road. The snow was still sitting on the roofs and with the sun coming up, they shone like the sun. The glistening of the roofs reminded me that the barns were still there. I hate to say this but I live here and sometimes as a resident I tend to stop seeing things. We get so used to seeing the same things over and over again that they blend into the background. Unfortunately, that happens to me. I try not to let it happen.....but who can stop it. We take the things in our backyards for granted. But seeing those barns glistening in the sunlight was a reminder that even when we stop seeing what we are looking at, they are still there.

Another thing that stood out was General Lee standing tall atop the Virginia Monument. He really stuck out today. Standing close to a mile away and seeing him standing tall made me proud. I'm proud that today we can stand on Union ground, where a Union victory took place and still see the Confederate spirit. The Confederate spirit (whether right or wrong) is what has made this country what it is. The pride and determination of the Southern states is what this country was founded on....only it was the entire country. Where would this country be without determination? Where would this country be without pride? I'm afraid that we wouldn't exist. Seeing General Lee standing there today made me proud to be an American.

Then I got cold and went home. I often joke that I need to move someplace warm....like Hawaii or the Bahamas....but when it comes down to it, I wouldn't live anywhere except in Gettysburg. This is home.

The Chancellor House

I've been to Chancellorsville twice now. There is something about that place that just keeps calling me. There are four battlefields within just a few miles of each other (Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Wilderness, and Chancellorsville) and every time I go down there, I only seem to be able to hit Wilderness and Chancellorsville. I know what my draw to the Wilderness area is: my great great grandfather was wounded here. I
would like to be able to find the area where he was wounded, but I have, as yet, been unable to locate the spot. I don't know what it is about Chancellorsville, though. It might have something to do with Stonewall Jackson. Every time I take the walk around the Visitors Center and see the monument to Stonewall Jackson or the stone that the veterans placed there to remember him, I get a chill. Funny thing, though, I'm not especially a huge fan of his. It's not that I don't like him, he just isn't one of my favorites. So I'm still not sure about the draw....but something is there.



One of the things that I really like to stop and take a good look at is the remains of the Chancellor House. All that really remains is the foundation but from walking around the foundation you get a good feel for the size of the house. It was huge. This wasn't just a small village house.

I've recently come across a biography of Isaac Sharp, a private in the 140th PA. His biography gives a little inside look at what part the Chancellor House played in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Here is what I found:

In March he had a severe attack of erysipelas [type of skin infection], which disabled him until May 1, when he shouldered his traps and joined in the march to Chancellorsville. Wearied and worn, they arrived on the field at 9 pm, on the evening of the third day of the month, and the next morning they took an advanced position facing toward Fredericksburg.

At this point a dispute arose between the leading generals. Hooker had given repeated orders to Couch to fall back, but the advantages of the position were so apparent that Hancock and Warren both advised Couch to stand his ground. Warren went to Hooker and explained the matter, which resulted in an order issued at 2pm for Couch to hold the position till 5:00. But Couch had begun his retreat, and said: "Tell General Hooker he is too late, the enemy is now on my right and rear, and I am in full retreat."

The regiment moved to a position to the left of the former place, and there the Unionists were on too high ground, and before an attack could be made had again moved. While making coffee at the Chancellor House, they were ordered out on double quick to repel an attack made where the Wilderness road turns down the hill. After this they were moved to the left brow of the hill, facing the river, and began throwing up trenches.

Meantime a terrible artillery engagement was being waged, of which the following is an accurate description given by Captain C. L. Linton, commanding: What wild eyes and blanched faces there were when the shells and solid shot came in from the right and rear of us! Orders coming to "about face, left in front," we advanced to the plank road in rear of the Chancellor House to support a battery.

The Fifth Maine had opened fire, to which the enemy replied so rapidly and accurately that almost all the horses and men were killed or wounded. Only two of the artillerists remained at their posts. While there the Chancellor House was seen to be on fire, a detail from Company F was made to remove the wounded therefrom. All this time the shot and shell were coming so thick and fast that it seemed one could not take his nose from the dirt lest he would have his head blown off. A call for volunteers was made to save the guns of the Fifth Maine battery. Upon looking back, whom should we see but our division and brigade commanders, General Winfield Scott Hancock and General Nelson A. Miles. A moment later came our corps commander, hat in hand, and hair streaming in the breeze. The call for volunteers was responded to by a rush from Company D, and a few from one or two other companies, through the concentrated fire of thirty guns, into a storm of shot and shell, in the face of Jackson's men infused with victory, and saved every gun.

Myself and Corporal I. Sharp in the rush, both grasped the limber of one of the guns at the same time and on either side. With superior effort we succeeded in raising it a few inches from the ground, when a solid shot or shell passed between us and under the limber. At that instant Sharp gave down, and i thought he was done for, but was rejoiced when Corporal Sayer and others lay hold to see him straighten up again. He had let down on account of the immense weight we were lifting. A corporal of the battery procured a rope, and we soon had the gun moving from the scene of action. The force attached was not sufficient to make fast time. Try as we did, we stuck once or twice when running against dead horse. Not having fully recovered from former sickness, over exertion brought on disease, and after remaining in the regiment a few weeks, Isaac Sharp was sent to the general hospitals at Columbia, D. C., Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
http://www.pacivilwar.com/bios/sharp_isaac.php

And here is an account from one of the family members who actually lived in the Chancellor House, Sue Chancellor:

"The house was full of the wounded. They had taken our sitting room as an operating room, and and our piano served as an amputating table....The surgeons brought my mother a bottle of whiskey and told her that she must take some and so must we all. We did....Upstairs they were bringing in the wounded, and we could hear their screams of pain." Sue Chancellor, a southern girl whose house provided the names for the battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia. Early the next morning, the sixteen women and children who were hiding in the basement during the battle were brought upstairs. Sue saw the chairs riddled with bullets, the piles of amputated arms and legs, and the rows of dead bodies covered with canvas. The house suddenly caught fire -- probably a shell burst -- and the terrified women and children stumbled out of the building as the pillars collapsed. Her home was completely engulfed in flames, and Sue, her mother, and her five young sisters became homeless refugees.

Winter of 1863-64

In the winter of 1863, my great great grandfather and the rest of his regiment (98th PA) spent their time in Brandy Station. This was the area in which the Army of the Potomac had their winter encampment (for some reason, I'm picturing Valley Forge). It was during this time that the 98th Pennsylvania's time was up and they had to decide to reenlist or not. My great great grandfather did, indeed, reenlist.

While studying his life.....what he did during the Civil War....and even after, I decided to do some checking up on what exactly happened in Brandy Station during that winter. I found two markers in Brandy Station that explain about life during that period. Here are what the markers said:

Marker 1

On the night of December 1, 1863, following its unsuccessful advance against Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Mine Run Campaign, a cold and tired Army of the Potomac withdrew across the Rapidan River and returned to Culpeper County. On these fields and throughout most of Culpeper and part of Fauquier Counties, 100,000 Union soldiers set up a massive winter encampment that disrupted the lives of local residents. Union commander Major General George G. Meade ordered that the army establish its camps in an enormous oval-shaped configuration. As protection, an outer ring of cavalry pickets stretched around the army, backed up by an inner line of infantry. Supplies from Alexandria, Virginia rolled down the Orange and Alexandria Railroad into Brandy Station, the army's principle supply depot, and to Ingalls Station, 1.2 miles to the north. The encampment, which lasted from December 1, 1863 to May 4, 1864, was described by one soldier as a time "when the shattered regiments regained form and fair; when the new men learned the ways of the old, and caught the spirit of the organization they had entered...and the new body, thus composed, was to be thrown into one of the most furious campaigns of human history."

"A man could walk for miles and never leave the camps around Brandy Station." Anonymous Union Soldier

"A few weeks ago it was a wilderness; now it is a city of log huts, hardly a tree to be see." 126th New York Soldier

Marker 2:

The 1863-1864 winter encampment proved a busy time for the Army of the Potomac. "There was something fascinating about our winter city of 100,000 men," a staff officer recalled. "Many pleasant recollections cluster around the old camp at Brandy Station...history should know that our military service did not consist entirely of being shot at or trying to shoot at the other man." Thousands of new recruits joined the army and learned how to be soldiers. For members of the "old" regiments, the issue of re-enlisting was of grant interest; those who decided to sign on for "three more years" - or until the end of the war - were treated to a 30-day furlough, a $300 bounty, and special veteran stripes for their uniforms. Soldiers grumbled over the unpopular abolition of the First and Third Corps and the transfers of their regiments into other corps. In March 1864, following his appointment as general-in-chief of all the Union armies, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant came to Culpeper County. Although George Meade continued to command the Army of the Potomac, Grant chose to make his headquarters in the field with his army and directed operations until the end of the war. Not two months later, in early May 1864, the men of the Army of the Potomac packed their knapsacks, fell into line, and left these camps for good. On May 4, they crossed the Rapidan River and marched to the Wilderness. Before the momentous and bloody Overland Campaign ended, nearly half of those who had spent the winter at Brandy Station would be dead or wounded.

Reading about this time in the history of our country just reminds me of how precious we should consider life. I can't imagine what they must have gone through....the lack of warmth, few clothes, no luxury items, were they wanting for food? With the Christmas season approaching, thinking about the struggles that the armies on both sides went through, how little they had, what they had to do without, etc., really makes me thankful for what I do have. I am not the richest person, sometimes I wonder how I am going to pay my bills, but they get paid, I have food, I have a place to live (and its in the most wonderful town ever), and I have clean clothes on a daily basis. Stopping and thinking about the past makes me even more thankful for the future. The slate is clean....we can do with the future whatever we want....so here is my question: What will we do with our future? Let's remember to look at the past so that we can look toward a bright future.

The New Horse Trail

It was a warmish day yesterday morning and I thought I would take a little stroll on the new horse path that the park made this summer. This isn't the first time I've walked this trail...its at least my third trip on it. The trail goes from somewhere around the Bushman house down South Confederate Avenue across the bridge over Plum Run and then runs off to the base of Big Round Top. From there it heads back over towards the Slyder Farm. I didn't walk the entire path. I just wanted to follow the part that went from Plum Run up to the 'D' shaped field. Its a short walk but pleasant.

So, I parked my car at the bottom of the hill, right on the other side of the bridge. For reference, this bridge is the bridge that has the dinosaur footprints on the sides....just past the William Wells statue. I started to walk the path around 7am. The sun was up, but it was still kind of dark and you could tell that we were heading for some stormy weather. I didn't care what the day was like....I just wanted to walk this path.

First, in the spring, this is going to be an awesome path to walk. When the leaves start to come out and the birds are singing....its just going to be awesome....and I can't wait. In the meantime, winter is here and with that, there is little foliage which makes your views incredible. At no time during my walk did I lose sight of the road...in the spring and summer that will be different.

During the first leg of the path, I heard this really loud rustling in the bushes and when I looked over, I saw the tails of two deer taking off at high speed into the thick woods. I don't know where they were heading but they weren't taking their time. During this part of the walk, I could hear Plum Run as it ran softly over the rocks in its path. There's something about the sound of a brook running its course. Its relaxing.

I turned at a sharp turn in the path. The path also heads straight....right around the backside of Big Round Top. You are welcome to take this path, but be aware! This path is nothing more than a mud path (I've had shoes sucked off my feet in the past) and it can be treacherous. Also, in the summer, I've run into snakes in that area. Yuck!

At this point in my walk, I could see the top of Big Round Top. The one thing that I noticed more than anything was that Big Round Top contains 2 hills. The part where I was walking rose up and then leveled off. It sort of became a plateau of sorts. Then the other part rose high above the leveled off section....really high above that section. In the summer, I believe that there is no way that you could see this. I'm sure that the Alabamians who climbed up this hill and then down the other side couldn't see just what they were in for. Even though mostly the underbrush was eaten away by wild animals and farm animals, the tree tops HAD to hide the rise of the hill. There is no way that it could have been seen....just no way.

I looked through the brush and though about these poor Alabama boys. They had their canteens taken from them so that they could be refilled....so there was nothing to drink. It was July in Gettysburg (I don't care how low the temperature is, the humidity is always there in July). And they had to climb up this mountain that is completely covered in rocks....no, boulders....HUGE boulders. How did they do it? Today, I wouldn't want to try it. I noticed how the brush is REALLY, REALLY thick and just full of thorn bushes. I'm hurting just thinking about walking that hill.

The boulders along the path are just a sampling of the boulders on the hill. Some of these boulders are big enough that I could hide in their shadows with a few other people. They are huge! The path leads up hill from where I started. I got to the road and then turned around and headed back down the path. One thing that I had to be very careful about, is that this is a HORSE path.....watch where you are stepping.

While walking down the path, I noticed different things than when I was walking up. Seeing it from two different perspectives, it gives you a different way of seeing things. This is a path that I am going to look forward to seeing in the spring....while its still cool out. I'm sure that the snakes will love this area...and I'm not really excited about seeing them anytime soon.

Andrew Humphreys advance to Gettysburg

Humphreys advance into Gettysburg has always interested me. He started up the Emmitsburg Road and then was pulled onto Bull Frog Road by one of General Sickles staff. From there, they took a long way around the town of Gettysburg only to run head first into the Confederates. Fortunately, they weren't seen. So they snuck away. It was a long and difficult walk which only resulted in Humphreys men getting worn out. The original path would have been about 2 miles....the new and improved shortcut was about 8 miles. Here is General Humphreys words on telling the story of their advance into Gettysburg: When half-way to Gettysburg, a dispatch from General Howard to General Sickles, commanding the Third Corps, was delivered to me by Captain McBlair, of the staff, in which the latter general was warned to look out for his left in coming up to Gettysburg, and about the same time I learned from a citizen, who had guided part of General Reynolds' command that our troops occupied no ground near Gettysburg west of the road from that town to Emmitsburg. As we approached the crossing of Marsh Run, I was directed by General Sickles, through a staff officer, to take position on the left of Gettysburg soon as I came up. For reasons that will be apparent, from this statement I concluded that my division should from this point follow the road leading into the main road to Gettysburg, reaching the latter road in about a mile and a half, and at a distance from Gettysburg of about 2 miles; but Lieutenant-Colonel Hayden was positive that General Sickles had instructed him to guide the division by way of the Black Horse Tavern, on the road from Fairfield to Gettysburg. Accordingly, I moved the division in that direction, but, upon approaching the Black Horse Tavern, I found myself in the immediate vicinity of the enemy, who occupied that road in strong force. He was not aware of my presence, and I might have attacked him at daylight with the certainty of at least temporary success; but I was 3 miles distant from the remainder of the army, and I believed such a course would have been inconsistent with the general plan of operations of the commanding general. I accordingly retraced my steps, and marched by the route I have heretofore indicated, bivouacking at 1am on July 2 about 1 mile from Gettysburg and eastward of the Emmitsburg Road.

Now here is General Joseph Carr's (I Brigade II Division III Corps) version of the events: When about 1 mile from that town, General Humphreys joined the division, and resumed command. The column was guided by a civilian (a doctor) from Emmitsburg and Lieutenant-Colonel Hayden, assistant inspector-general of the corps. When about 3 miles from Gettysburg, we crossed Marsh Creek and advanced on the left-hand road about a miles, when we were suddenly halted by General Humphreys as a measure of precaution. Lieutenant-Colonel Hayden, who had been in advance with the guides, soon after rode up to General Humphreys, and stated that we were but 200 yards from the enemy's pickets. General Humphreys rode forward to the Black Horse Tavern, on the road from Fairfield to Gettysburg, and finding the information to be correct, and that the enemy occupied the road in heavy force, and believing that an engagement with him at the distance of 3 miles from the rest of the army, with the enemy between the army and his division, would be inconsistent with the plan of battle, faced the division about, and marched to the rear until striking the main road, upon which we proceeded to Gettysburg, reaching that place and going into bite bivouac at 1:30 am on Thursday, July 2.

Unfortunately, these are the only O.R. that I have been able to locate that talk about Humphreys advance. But in Harry Pfanz's book on the Second Day, I located just a bit more information. Here is what he says: Humphrey's caught up with his division a mile north of Emmitsburg and found it guided by Lt. Col. Julius Hayden, the inspector general of the 3rd Corps, and by a Dr. Anan of Emmitsburg. The division traveled northwest on a country road [Bull Frog Road] that angled from the main road [Emmitsburg Road] taken by Birney. At dusk the column reached Marsh Creek south of Black Horse Tavern on the Fairfield Road, where Wilcox's Confederate brigade waited. [1]

Finally, I have an excerpt from Richard Sauers book on the Meade-Sickles controversy: Humphreys was ordered to march via a road parallel to the Emmitsburg Road in an effort to prevent a clogging of the main artery. His men started off with no problems. Lt. Julius Hayden, inspector general on Sickles' staff, accompanied the column as guide. Sometime around 9pm, the head of the column approached Black Horse Tavern on the Hagerstown Road. By this time, Humphreys had become convinced that the road he was on was diverging too far from the reported Federal positions south of Gettysburg. He wanted to take a road that led off to the right, but Col. Hayden refused, maintaining that he had orders from Sickles to continue on to the assigned road.
Nevertheless, Humphreys was cautious about continuing so he and a small party went ahead to reconnoiter. The general noticed the glow of a number of campfires not far ahead, indicating the presence of troops. Suspecting that his brigades were about to encounter Confederates, Humphreys signaled a halt without the use of bugles. Lt. Francis W. Seeley, commanding Battery K, 4th U.S. Artillery, did not receive the order and his bugler sounded the halt. Shortly thereafter, a squad of Rebel artillerymen, thinking that the bugle call came from their battery, came up to report and were captured. Humphreys turned the column around as quietly as possible and eventually reached the Federal line on Cemetery Ridge at two o'clock in the morning of July 2, his soldiers thoroughly worn out and exhausted. This entire affair so disgruntled the General that he later wrote to a friend, "You see how things were managed in the Third Corps!" [2]

[1] Harry Pfanz's book on The Second Day, pg. 44
[2] Richard A. Sauer's book Gettysburg: The Meade-Sickles Controversy, pgs 26-27

Thoughts While Walking Through Evergreen

On a recent walk through Evergreen Cemetery, I realized how "soft" our society has become. If we need to dig a hole, we use a machine....if we need to travel a mile to hit the Post Office or Library, we hop in our car.....if we need to talk to a friend, we pick up the phone....all modern conveniences, but things that have made us "soft".

While walking through the cemetery, I saw the statue of Elizabeth Thorn and realized that I don't think I could have done the things that she did during those fateful days in 1863. Elizabeth Thorn is one of the true unsung heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Her husband, Peter, was the caretaker of Evergreen Cemetery. In early the early 1860's he joined the army and left the care of the cemetery to his wife, Elizabeth. In July of 1863, Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant with her daughter Rose.

When the battle hit, she was staying at the Gatehouse, but eventually was forced to leave due to the battle literally being in her backyard. So she packed up her three young sons and her parents (who were living there with her) and they left their home. When they returned days later, they found their home all but destroyed, their belongings either gone or soaked in blood, and over 100 soldiers needing burial in the cemetery.

Somehow, she cleaned up her home. And then she went on to the task of burying the dead. She and her father (which she considered aged although he was probably in his fifties) dug graves for over 100 men in the Evergreen Cemetery (and the graves are still there). This took quite a few days, but they were able to get it done. And she did all this while 6 months pregnant!

Here is a link to her account of those days:
http://www.gettysburgguide.com/ge05001.html

In my book, Elizabeth Thorn deserves to be considered a hero for all women. She did the impossible, in an impossible situation. But she did it! Today, we can go in the cemetery and see all sorts of signs of her: the statue at the entrance, the area where the 100 soldiers are still buried, her and her husband's graves, the cemetery gatehouse. They are all still there. Knowing what to look for and where to look for it, the clues left behind can tell the story of this amazing woman and what took place during those horrible days of July 1863.

Thanksgiving in Gettysburg

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there in Blogland! I truly hope that this Thanksgiving was the best possible for you.

Here in Gettysburg, things were very quiet. In Thanksgiving's past, I have usually been alone so I would take advantage of the quietness and hit the battlefield. First thing in the morning, there isn't a soul in sight. I like those kinds of days on the battlefield. But, this year was different for me. My sister and youngest brother spent the day with me.

Believe it or not, I have a ten year old brother (he's adopted) and I have rubbed off on him. Through me, he has learned much about the battle of Gettysburg and about the battlefield itself. So, we ate around noon and by 1:15 we had hit the battlefield. One of the places that he really wanted to see and spend some time was at Devil's Den. What ten year old isn't fascinated by those rocks? What 42 year old isn't fascinated by those rocks????

We drove around the Wheatfield and went off in search of my 8-point buck that I saw last week. I fear the the sharpshooters that they brought in to control the deer population may have got him. My sister kept telling me that he probably went off to another part of the field. I hope she is right. The minute I see the eyes of an animal, I feel a deep connection with them and I can't stand the thought of anything happening to them. I guess this is why I spend so much time talking to the cows. But let me warn you, eating a hamburger while talking to the cows probably isn't a good idea.

What surprised me the most today, was the number of cars on the battlefield. Usually I'm out there first thing in the morning and by noon, I'm home. Today it was the opposite and we ran into a ton of vehicles. At the High Water Mark, I actually had to sit for a minute because of the traffic (well....more like people trying to get into their vehicles and refusing to close their car doors so that other vehicles can get past). There were many, many people out walking their dogs and some walking off their feasts (or maybe that was just me).

Today was a really lousy day to be battlefield tromping....rainy, foggy, but warm. Yet the crowds were out and about. The Visitor Center and all the attractions in town were closed...only a handful of restaurants were open....yet there were so many visitors in the area.

I drove through town and noticed that the Christmas decorations are up. We have the ugliest fake tree that they build around the flagpole on the Square. But at night, when the lights are on, it is really quite pretty. The Square is always a magical place right after Thanksgiving and as of today, its still the same way. But what was really nice, and probably only happens a couple of times a year, is that I was able to drive around the Square and not see another car. I guess everyone was on the battlefield. But to be able to cruise around that Square without anyone cutting me off, or stopping dead in their tracks, or trying to get off at every turn and then changing their minds, was really, really nice.

If I could suggest one day of the year to visit Gettysburg, Thanksgiving Day would be the day. If you don't want to hit the attractions, then the battlefield and town are all yours....all you have to do is show up (and try to get here early). This may be the slow season, but its one of the best seasons!

Stonewall Jackson

I just started reading a biography of Stonewall Jackson. Its amazing how many misconceptions I have about the man. I am very much aware of all the "strange" ideas that Stonewall had and I think I'm finally understanding why he was the way he was.

Thomas J. Jackson was known for his strange ideas. He never sat with his back against the back of a chair. Why? It caused your organs to get bunched up together. He never ate pepper because it caused pain in his left leg. He would ride his horse with his arm in the air. he sucked on lemons. When he taught school, he memorized the text book and just recited it. The list goes on and on. Stonewall Jackson was, indeed, a strange man. But what would cause him to go to such extremes. I think that we need to take a good look at his early life. This could explain a lot.

When he was very young, Thomas' father died. His father had been rather wealthy, but as fast as he would make money, he also spent money. So that by the time of his death, he was broke. Thomas' mother remarried shortly after, but she married a man who was broke as well. His mother and stepfather could not afford to raise him so they sent him to live with his father's brother who was rather wealthy himself. About a year later, Thomas's mother died. This all occurred by the time that he was seven years old.

My thoughts about the lifestyle that Stonewall Jackson chose as an adult, probably has a lot to do with the lack of control of his life that he had as a young boy. Then as a young adult, death seemed to surround him: his first wife died in childbirth, that child also died, he and his second wife had a child who died shortly after birth. It probably seemed to him that his life was swirling out of control. When you are spiraling like that, the only way to gain control is to control your actions....ALL your actions and I believe that he would do some of these things to keep some control in his life. It all seems so odd to us, now, but to Stonewall, these were perfectly normal.

I guess my main point here is that we can hear things about people and look at them as odd, strange, weird, whatever adjective you want to give them. But sometimes we have to take a good look into their lives to understand why they do the things they do. Sometimes tragedy in the lives of a person and drastically change their perspective....and then we have to stop and understand why they changed. This is one reason that I love to read biographies. We can delve into the lives of some of the leaders from the past and understand why they were the way they were. It makes history so much more interesting!

17th Maine at Gettysburg

The other day....a few days before Remembrance Day, I took a walk through the Wheatfield to get a good feel for the land where the 17th Maine fought. Being a few days before Remembrance Day and Dedication Day, there were very few people in the park. I was on those fields for 2 1/2 hours and never once saw a car or another person. This is a great time to be on the fields. You get them to yourselves and can really study the ground without bumping into tourists. I enjoy tourists, but sometimes you just want the field to yourself and this is the prime time for that.

As I walked down the road to where I wanted to be, I heard a loud noise in Rose's Woods. So I stopped to see what might have made the noise. It was so loud that I thought a bear was stalking me. But it wasn't a bear, it was the largest buck I've ever seen (not that I've seen many).....an 8-pointer. He caught my attention, and I, his. We stood for quite a few minutes just staring at each other until he decided that I wasn't a threat and he ran away. A few minutes later, I ran into him again. Again, we stared at each other. I never noticed how graceful these animals can be when they are bounding away. I say bounding because he wasn't really jumping and he wasn't really running...it was a combination of the two. I love the nature shows I see on the battlefield.

So off I went to the 17th Maine. I found the monument right near the stone wall. That stone wall played such a significant role in the battle in the Wheatfield. It was behind this wall that the Maine men laid to await the advance of the Confederate troops. This seemingly unobtrusive wall....a divider between the woods and the Wheatfield....was the dividing line between the two armies.

The regiment was led by Lt. Col. Charles B. Merrill. And they fought very tenaciously. Here is what the monument has to say about this regiment:

The 17th Maine fought here in the Wheatfield 2 1/2 hours, and at this position from 4:10 to 5:45 p.m., July 2, 1863. On July 3, at the time of the enemy's assault, it reinforced the centre and supported artillery. Loss 132. Killed or mortally wounded 3 officers, 37 men. Wounded, 5 officers, 87 men.

This regiment of volunteers from western Maine was mustered into U.S. Service at Portland August 18, 1862, for 3 years. It took part in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wapping Heights, Auburn, Kelly's Ford, Locust Grove, Mine Run, Wilderness, Po River, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg Road, North Anna, Totopotomoy, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Jerusalem Road, Deep Bottom, Peeble's Farm, Fort Hell, Boydton Road, Siege of Petersburg, Hatcher's Run, Fall of Petersburg, Detonsville, Sayler's Creek, Farmville, Appomattox.

Aggregate actual strength in service 91 officers, 1475 men. Killed and died of wounds, 12 officers 195 men. Died of disease 4 officers, 128 men. Died in Confederate prisons, 31 men. Wounded not mortally, 33 officers, 519 men. Missing in action, fate unknown, 35 men. Total losses 357. Mustered out June 4, 1865.

Side A:
130 killed and wounded July 2, 1863. 17th Maine Infantry, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, 3rd Corps

Side B:
350 engaged. Lt. Col. Chas. B. Merrill commanding. Wheat-field July 2, 1863. Pickett's Repulse. July 3, 1863.

I stood and looked over the placements of the flank markers. For those who may not know, the flank markers are generally placed where the ends of the lines for the regiments where located. The left flank would be the left end of the line and the right flank would be the right end of the line. I then sat down and just stared into the woods....pretending in my mind that I was one of these soldiers.

After I got up, I looked behind me to the high ground of the Wheatfield. There gleaming in the sunlight were the two cannons and a monument commemorating the Battery under the command of George Winslow. During the fighting on the 2nd of July, this battery was shooting at the Confederates which were advancing on the Wheatfield. In order to fire without hitting their own men, the 17th Maine had to stay low and the cannons shot solid shell high....high into the trees. By hitting the tops of these trees, they were doing as much damage as if they were firing into the men. The limbs and branches were falling onto the Confederates and causing broken bones, concussions, death. It was the ideal weapon of choice when you have your own men in front of you and it helped to slow the advance.

I sat and took this all in. The next time that I am able to head out on the field, I am taking my book by John Haley of the 17th Maine along. He only wrote 4 or 5 pages on the battle at Gettysburg, but to be able to read what he experienced, in the place where he experienced it, is going to help me to fully understand the attempt that these men made in this horrible fighting....at the Wheatfield.

November 21, 2009

What a day today has been! It's probably not a great way to describe Remembrance Day, but I almost feel like its a street carnival. When you walk down the street, its people moving, street vendors selling their wares, music, etc. This is all basically on Steinwehr Avenue. Baltimore Street is full, too, but not quite the way Steinwehr Avenue is.

I had planned to go to the ceremony over at the National Cemetery first thing this morning. But when I got home from work, my cat left me a present: a dead mouse, lying in the middle of my living room floor. Now, some may think this is silly, but I'm deathly afraid of mice....living or dead....and it took me about an hour to get that thing out of my house. Let's just say the removal involved brooms and snow shovels. Anyway, I missed that ceremony. So, later I met my friend Jackie as we got ready for the parade.

I wasn't in much of a party mood. Living next door to a business that has "shows" in their courtyard pretty much left me sleep deprived. On Friday I went to bed at 2:30 pm....the drumming started at 5pm....and I had to be at work at 11pm. When I left for work, the drumming was still going strong. Three hours of sleep makes me crabby. So, after lack of sleep and the mouse incident, I really wasn't in the mood for a party atmosphere. But there is something really infectious about the atmosphere on the street. And I felt my mood changing....not a lot....but I was a little more festive.

Jackie and I walked around the town. We met up with a friend of hers and hit the National Cemetery. What a site the cemetery was! Flags, both national and state, were flying over the graves of each and every grave of our soldier heroes. There is just something about seeing thousands of flags flapping in the wind over the graves of these brave men. One thing I noticed was, throughout the cemetery, there were pictures of the men lying in the graves below. I personally saw about 6 pictures of the men who were resting eternally in our cemetery. I have no idea how many more there might have been. That really made me stop and think. I keep harping on this idea, but so often people here names but don't realize that these were real men. Looking at these pictures and seeing their names really makes one stop and think about who these men were and what their lives were all about. There were quite a few people milling around the cemetery, but you didn't even notice them....what you did notice was that the majority of them were wearing period clothes. Us '09ers were clearly the minority.

From there, we moved on to the Wax Museum....A.K.A. the American Civil War Museum. The front lawn was like a circus....a Civil War circus. Generals from both sides were wandering around talking to folks, pictures were being taken, demonstrations were happening, food was being sold. I got a chuckle when I saw someone take a picture of J.E.B. Stuart and George Armstrong Custer.

Walking down Steinwehr Avenue towards Baltimore Street was tricky. Folks had their chairs on the sidewalk for the parade, thousands of people were trying to get to their next destination, and everyone wanted to be on the same exact sidewalk. A couple of times we had to walk in the street or on the grass just to keep moving. I had a thought (I know....strange thing for me) but I just wondered why on this ONE DAY, they don't just close off Steinwehr Avenue to traffic and just let the pedestrians have a go at it???? Traffic really doesn't move that well on the street any way and there are lots of ways around Steinwehr. It seems that it would just make sense. But what do I know????

While walking down Steinwehr we ran into friends. The Sutlers had their wares. There was food a plenty. Lots to drink. There was a mercantile set up. Authors were autographing their books. Restaurants had tables outside. It really was a street carnival. I loved it.

Then we got to our chairs and sat waiting for the parade. Again, we ran into friends. The sun had been out earlier and it was getting warm....but by the time we sat down, the clouds had covered the sun and it was time for me to pull out my gloves....strange, because earlier I was ready to take off my coat.

The parade was, as always, very exciting. First the Union regiments came marching past. Some were playing music, some were on horseback, some had artillery, some in carriages, but all in Union clothes. We saw zouaves, sharpshooters, cavalry, and infantry. We saw generals galore. And row after row after row of Union soldiers. Then the Confederates came through. Again, it was the same things as the Union but in different colors. The bands were playing: Battle Cry of Freedom, Dixie, whatever song they happened to be playing. This year I only saw 2 General Lee's....disappointing considering a couple of years ago I saw FOUR. Generals Longstreet, Jackson, and Stuart abound. The parade lasted about an hour and I enjoyed every moment of it!

After the parade I went home. Had to get some sleep because I needed to be at work at 11pm....and considering the little bit of sleep I had the day before, it was very much needed. So...I never got to see the luminaries. That's a shame but I'm sure it was awesome...like always.

This wasn't a typical day for me on Remembrance Day. Usually I do much more...but considering the day I had, I needed a scaled-back day. I don't regret a moment of anything I did or didn't do and look forward to next year!

Remembrance Day

Tomorrow is probably the biggest holiday in Gettysburg. It Remembrance Day 2009. This is purely a Gettysburg holiday, but its HUGE. There is so much going on and so little time to do everything. Here are just a few of the things that you can see and do in and around the battlefield:

1) At 8am there is a ceremony in the National Cemetery. A bunch of reenactors get together and they place flags at the graves of the Civil War burials. They move from state to state placing American and/or state flags. At the end of this ceremony, the reenactors stand on the lower path through the cemetery and one lone bugler steps out. All the men stand at attention while the bugler plays "Taps". A very solemn ceremony and one that I never miss.

2) Individual wreath-laying ceremonies at monuments. It seems that every regiment that has a monument here at Gettysburg has a wreath-laying ceremony at some point throughout the weekend. They aren't on any schedule, but you accidentally stumble across them. These little ceremonies can be very emotional. The one that I attend most every year is at the Hancock Equestrian statue. The W. S. Hancock Society holds this ceremony every year. But there are literally hundreds of these ceremonies taking place over the course of the weekend.

3) The big draw: THE parade. Imagine thousands of reenactors marching down the streets of Gettysburg. It always starts off with the Union reenactments groups then followed by the Confederate reenactment groups. Some of these are women following "their men". There are some children (although not many). But mostly its men in their regiments. You can see most every general: Lee, Longstreet, Grant, Hancock....the list goes on and on. One year I saw 4 different General Lee's. Very exciting! But this parade is a must see for anyone who ever had an interest in the Civil War.

4) The Lincoln Cemetery. There is a ceremony at the Lincoln Cemetery on Long Lane. I've gone to this several times. The Lincoln Cemetery is the colored cemetery. Years ago, back during the days of the Civil War, blacks and whites could not be buried in the same cemetery. Segregation was alive and well in Gettysburg, along with most every other community throughout the United States. This is a shame....black, white, green, purple.....we all bleed the same color. When you peel off our skin, you see the same things. Yet these folks were forced to have their own cemetery. Thankfully, the cemetery is well maintained and every year, a colored troop regiment comes and they have a beautiful ceremony in this little cemetery. Frederick Douglas is usually at this.

5) Another BIG draw: The Luminaries in the Cemetery. They place one bag (filled with sand and a candle) for each Civil War burial in the cemetery. Imagine: It's dark outside, you walk up to the National Cemetery, every half hour you can hear a bugler playing Taps. At the Baltimore Street entrance, a little stand is set up and they read the names of each person buried. As you walk along the paths, there are just lines and lines of these luminaries. They outline the paths, they outline the burials. Its very, very dark in the cemetery...except for these little bags of candles. People are constantly walking, and talking, yet its very quiet. This is definitely a must-see on Remembrance Day.

This is a very special day. When walking the streets of Gettysburg, if you are dressed in today's clothes, you are most definitely a minority. I've often said that this is the one day of the year that you feel like you have hit a time warp and ended up in 1863. I love this day. It's my most favorite holiday!!!

Dedication Day

One hundred and forty six years ago today, Abraham Lincoln spoke a few words at the Dedication of the new National Cemetery in Gettysburg. This speech has become the most famous speech in all of American history. Today, we celebrated that speech, in typical Gettysburg fashion, at the National Cemetery.

The ceremony was to begin at 10am. I arrived at 8:45. I wanted a good seat. By the time I arrived the first 3 or 4 rows were filled....so I had to sit about 6 rows back. The view was pretty good, though....once everyone put down their umbrellas. The weather wasn't sure what it wanted to do....rain or not. So it was a bit miserable.

The "President's Own" Marine Corps band played for about a half an hour prior to the ceremony. That was nice to sit and watch them while we waited. The wreath-laying ceremony was taking place at the Soldiers National Monument....and the Dedication Day ceremony was taking place at the Rostrum....not too far apart, but I wasn't giving up my seat....so I never got to see the wreath-laying.

When the ceremony finally began at 10:00, I was getting a bit cold. I guess two pairs of pants, a t-shirt, sweatshirt, coat, 2 pairs of socks, hat, gloves (brought a scarf but ended up sitting on that because the seats were so wet) weren't enough. But it was warmer than other years I've spent out there.

The colors were presented. They walked down the aisle and went right to the front. Then the Marine band played the Star Spangled Banner. I always get goose-bumps when I hear that song. It just always goes through me. We all stood, hand over our hearts, singing. Then we sat and the program went on.

Of course, we had to have the governor of the state of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, present. He gave a little speech and then he read a letter from President Obama. That's when the reason I was there, came up to speak. The key note speaker was actor Richard Dreyfuss.

I learned something about Richard Dreyfuss today. He's one of US. He said that he has walked the fields of Gettysburg 40-50 times in his life. He has contemplated the battle over and over again in his mind. And he was really honored to be asked to speak at today's ceremony. The gentleman who introduced him was telling us about how he had been giving a speech on Lincoln, one time, when he looked up and he was immediately distracted. He said, "How do you concentrate when Mr. Holland is staring at you?" That was the first time that he had met Richard Dreyfuss and that was when he learned that he was a student of the Civil War. Like I said, he is one of US. He gets it!

Mr. Dreyfuss then got up to talk. What I was a bit surprised about, but then not really, was that he didn't speak about himself. So often these guest speakers talk about themselves. He didn't. First, he wished his daughter, Emily, a happy birthday because today was her birthday. Then he went directly into his speech. He spoke about how Abraham Lincoln has become the forgotten president. They combined the birthdays of Lincoln and Washington to become President's Day and the only thing good that came from that was that there was now an extra day of school. By making President's Day, we forget about the two most important presidents this country ever had. He said that they have become just as important as Fillmore, Cleveland, and others who were just filling the seat....not doing anything important.

Then he went on to tell us about this initiative that he has started: to put Civics back in the classroom. The purpose of this initiative is to get the kids to understand that they "own" this country and that they are responsible for maintaining and updating it. Good for him. Too often, our country sits on the backseats in our classrooms anymore. I never even learned about the Civil War when I was in school. Everything I know is self learned. It shouldn't be that way.

After Mr. Dreyfuss's 10 minute speech, Mr. Lincoln (A.K.A. Jim Getty) gave the Gettysburg Address. Mr. Getty has been doing this for many, many years and it just wouldn't be a Gettysburg ceremony without him giving the Address.

After the ceremony was over, that's when things got emotional for me. We had a swearing in ceremony for 16 people who had decided to become American citizens. They all raised their right hands and agreed to the oath. Here were some people from around the world who have decided that America was where they wanted to spend the rest of their lives. They didn't move across the state...or across the nation....they moved to a whole new country, with new rules, new cultures, new everything. And then after being here for awhile, decided that they wanted to make this land their land. I had tears in my eyes during the whole thing. It was the greatest part of the day. This is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. We gave them all a standing ovation. And then we all said the Pledge of Allegiance. For the first time in my life, those words REALLY meant something. It wasn't just something that I was reciting....it MEANT something, not to just me, but to everyone in that audience. I'm really proud of those 16 who chose to become U.S. citizens. What a cool place to get sworn in!

After all this, I went home....mostly to warm up....but also to think about all that I saw today. It's programs like this that make me proud to be an American.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advance. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion --to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

Books, books, and more books

Having gotten a new piece of furniture for my living room, I decided to put it in the spot where I have a make-shift book case. Actually, its a TV stand that I was using prior to getting my entertainment center. But the stand is piled at least 2 feet high with 2 stacks of books. So in the course of trying to rearrange furniture, I have a dilemma.

Now I love my books. My books are my best friends. But WHEN did I accumulate so many of these things???? Fortunately, I do have places to put them and spent about an hour today moving them around. But it dawned on me that the majority of my books have something to do with the Civil War. Actually, I found THREE books that weren't Civil War related (I should note here that these are ONLY the books in my living room....I haven't even begun to go through the books in my bedroom). Hmmmm...makes you wonder where my interests lie.

The reason I'm talking about this is because recently there was a guy who I had come into contact with who wanted to know all things about the Civil War and Gettysburg and didn't want to read. He wanted those of us who DID know these things to tell him everything. But we all spent many, many years reading and studying the Civil War to come to the level of knowledge that we have attained.

I will never claim to have all the answers, I am no where near being an expert, but I am a little farther advanced than the novice when it comes to my Civil War knowledge. I rely on my books to help me understand the big picture of what happened. We can be on the battlefields and study the terrain, but until we read someones account or an after action report or someones interpretation of these events, how can we understand? The written word is what brings it all together. Now, I'll use Gettysburg as an example because I live here, but even when you are on the field, you really don't need a book to understand the battle....we have a ton of monuments, markers, etc that tell the story for you....but you still need to READ.

I still find myself buying books on certain aspects of the Civil War, whether its a campaign, a battle, a biography or whatever, but I'm getting to the point where I have entirely too many books dedicated to the Gettysburg campaign....so I'm concentrating on 1st person accounts. The diaries, journals, personal memoirs of the common soldier who fought at Gettysburg is what intrigues me the most nowadays. As a matter of fact, I just ordered a book from Amazon that was written by Private John Haley of the 17th Maine. Can't wait to sink my teeth into this book.

I guess what I'm trying to say, after all this, is that without books, we can never fully understand the Civil War. We need to sit down with a book and read it to be able to gain an understanding that can surpass the textbooks from high school. What we need to do is READ. Run to your favorite bookstore (new or used). Run to your local library. Run to a friend who has entirely too many books (who could I possibly be describing?). Borrow books, buy books. Do whatever you have to do to get your hands on them.....but read! This is how we learn!

Powers' Hill

I drove down the Granite Schoolhouse Lane the other day and sort of glanced up at Powers' Hill. I do this so often and it just dawned on me, why don't I spend more time on Powers' Hill and more time studying it??? The hill is located at the intersection of Baltimore Pike and Granite Schoolhouse Lane.

Well, I can say why I don't spend more time on the hill: parking is terrible in the area. You could park at the miniature golf course and cross Baltimore Pike (a very dangerous idea) or you can park alongside Granite Schoolhouse Road (again another dangerous idea....but more for your car than you). Those are pretty much the options. But heading up that hill is ALWAYS a good idea. Hardly anyone ever goes up to see the monuments up there so you can almost be guaranteed total silence while exploring and understanding this hill. I like silence when I'm contemplating the battle.

This hill was used as Slocum's headquarters for the "right wing" of the army. Through a series of misunderstandings, Slocum believed that he was in charge of the "right wing" of the Army of the Potomac....so he used this hill as his headquarters. It was also used as General Meade's headquarters shortly after the cannonade began prior to Pickett's Charge (just to keep everyone on the same page, I will use this term although it has many other names). While Gen. Meade was at Lydia Leister's house (his 1st headquarters) the cannonade began and the shots were over missing the Federal lines. With the Leister house situated behind the Federal lines, it was what was getting shot at....and Meade had to leave for his own safety. The next stop for him was behind LRT and then on to Powers Hill.

This hill was also used as an artillery platform. Knap and Rigby had their guns up there (this was before the hill had become overgrown with trees) and the 77th New York was also located on this hill.

And finally, this hill was used as a Signal Station. They were in communication with the Signal Station on Little Round Top.

When walking around on Powers' Hill, please take note of the private property signs. The entire hill is NOT owned by the NPS so if you go past one of these signs, you will be on someone else's property. But it is tempting to head into forbidden land: below the crest of the hill, you will see some old rusting vehicles. These are trucks from about 50 years or so ago. The trucks are really cool to see....but they belong to someone and they are on their property. We have also found some other interesting things when exploring up there.

If you go down Granite Schoolhouse Road a few hundred yards or so, you can actually see the foundation of the Granite Schoolhouse. My friend, Jackie and I spent a bloody and bruised afternoon wandering around those woods before we found it and it turns out the foundation is right next to the road. There was no reason for us to be getting caught in the thorns (and that in itself is a funny story....when you have to call the other person over to untangle your hair from thorns and tree branches, you know not many people hang out in those woods....that's why you should wear hats when exploring....but I will never learn).

Powers Hill is a seldom heard of area on the battlefield, a seldom studied sector of the battle, and a seldom visited spot. There are a few monuments up there and they need to be remembered just as much as each of the other spots, monuments, and soldiers who fought here at Gettysburg. Sometime, if you haven't already trod up there, take a walk and see what interesting things you can find up there.

32nd Massachusetts Aid Station

Situated on the Stony Hill in Gettysburg, across the road from the much visited Irish Brigade monument, sits a large boulder with a plaque on it. This area of the battlefield gets so few visits. I often wonder why, when people stop to get out and look at the Irish Brigade monument, they don't just walk across the road to visit the little grouping of monuments there....but often they don't. I've watched. And its a shame.

On this particular boulder sits a plaque that would be well for anyone to read:
Behind this group of rocks, on the afternoon of July 2, 1863, Surgeon Z. Boylston Adams placed a field hospital of the 32nd Massachusetts Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps, established so near the line of battle, many of our wounded escaped capture or death by its timely aid.

So, you walk behind this boulder and sure enough, there is an area that is surrounded by boulders. It would be an ideal spot to place a field hospital....an aid station, if you will. I often stand and look at this particular spot and wonder what it must have been like for Dr. Adams and anyone who was working with him. They were right in the heat of the battle. The regiments were fighting right around where he was working to save the lives of those who fell. And save their lives, he did.

I tried to find some information, personal or otherwise, on this extraordinary man. There doesn't seem to be much out there. But I did locate this on the United States Army Medical Department Regiment website http://ameddregiment.amedd.army.mil/Leadership_Courage.asp:

Surgeon Z. Boylston Adams

Medical Corps

During the Battle of Gettysburg, Surgeon Adams showed great courage by working on the wounded of both armies for two days and three nights without sleep. The eye-strain and fatigue were so severe he finally collapsed. Surgeon Adams suffered an attack of blindness and remained in a state of severe exhaustion and was honorably discharged.

When I read stuff like this, it makes me realize that it wasn't just the soldiers who were the heroes, but the men behind the scenes, too. The men who treated the wounded, the men who drove the wounded to the hospitals, the men who drove the supply wagons, the men who helped with the horses, the men who we hear very little about: they were all heroes.

Dr. Adams would probably be forgotten except for this little plaque that no one really notices. I, for one, pay attention to it, and I, for one, salute him for helping the wounded in such horrendous circumstances. Here to you, Dr. Adams!

27th Connecticut

Oh....my obsession with the Wheatfield at Gettysburg continues. One of these days, I will have this part of the battle down....maybe. They didn't call the fighting here "a whirlpool" for nothing.

But in the process of obsessing over this part of the battlefield, I frequently look to old newspapers for "the rest of the story". Old newspapers are a minefield of gems. They give you the little human interest stories that you don't read in the history books. They give you that tiny piece of information that seems to be the icing on the cake. Although, reporters back then, as today, were biased, you can still glean that little bit of information that satisfies the longing for more.

Today, I was scanning the New York Times archives for some information on the 27th Connecticut and what happened in the Wheatfield. Did you know that there are 5 monuments to the 27th Ct in/around the Wheatfield? And they only had 75 men present for the fighting. A little piece of info on them: At Chancellorsville, 8 companies of this regiment had been captured. At Gettysburg, they were able to piece together three companies to fight.

But what I found in today's scanning of the New York Times, was a little article on a monument dedication. Here is what the article said:

"In the Wheatfield"
A Gettysburg Monument Unveiled by Connecticut Veterans
Gettysburg, Penna., Oct. 22 -- This morning the Connecticut excursionists marched through Gettysburg, escorted by representatives of the Battlefield Association, and then proceeded by train on the Round Top to the site of the monument of the Twenty-Seventh Regiment. Connecticut Volunteers, which is situated in the centre of the wheat field. It is of St. Johnsbury granite, about 25 feet high, surmounted with a bronze eagle. On the shaft, in raised letters, is the inscription, "27th Conn". There is also a lengthy inscription giving a history of the regiment in this battle. A tablet has been erected at the edge of Wible's Woods, marking the advanced position of the regiment in its charge on the afternoon of July 2, 1863. At the monument prayer was delivered by the Rev. (late Lieutenant) Winthrop D. Sheldon. The monument was then presented to the regiment by Capt. Frank D. Sloat, it being unveiled by Miss Ruby Mervin Osbourne, niece of Lieut. Col. Henry C. Mervin, who was mortally wounded on the spot. It was accepted on the part of the regiment by S. J. Fox, Chairman. An oration was delivered by the Rev. James Brand, late color bearer, and a poem was read by Lieut. De Witt C. Sprague. The monument was then delivered to the keeping of the Gettysurg Battlefield Memorial Association by Gov. Henry B. Harrison, D. A. Buehler, Vice President of the association, receiving it. A message of warm greeting for the Massachusetts Veteran Excursion Association was received and answered in kind. In the afternoon the National Cemetery was visited, and the graves of the Connecticut dead were decorated with flowers, Gov. Harrison making an impressive speech. This evening the visitors attended a camp fire in the court house. The party will leave tomorrow.

Published: October 23, 1885

I love finding this sort of stuff and can't wait to scan more newspapers to learn more about the history of this battlefield.

Brooke Avenue

In my present obsession with the Wheatfield, I decided, because it was such a beautiful day today, to take a long walk along Brooke Avenue. For those who aren't familiar with Brooke Avenue, take the NPS driving route down Wheatfield Road, turn onto Ayres Avenue....where the NPS tour says to turn on Sickles Avenue....go straight. That is Cross Avenue, when you get to the first big bend in the road it turns into Brooke Avenue. At the end of that particular road, it turns into deTrobriand Avenue. Its all very confusing (name wise) but the road is my favorite in the entire park. Quite often, you can find my car parked near the Kershaw marker and either I'm sitting in the car reading or I'm out walking the road or talking to the cows on the Rose Farm.

Today I decided to walk. I grabbed my walking tour book on the Wheatfield by Jay Jorgensen and off I went. My goal: the old trolley path...to see the ledge of rocks that 3rd Arkansas Colonel Van Manning was talking about in his O.R. Now, I've seen the ledge of rocks many times....from the road, from the trolley path....but I have never walked up to the rocks. So I was determined to head up there. This time of year is interesting. Today it got up to 70 degrees....too warm for a coat, too cool without one. And there are VERY little leaves left on the trees. I like this time of the year because you can see things that you would never be able to see in the summer. I could very distinctly see the ledge of rocks. But on my way to the trolley path, I stopped and did some thinking.

I took a good hard look at the monuments on the hill where I had parked....53rd PA, 2nd DE, etc. I thought about the men who actually fought in this spot. The more I think about these men, the sadder I get. It's the same thoughts over and over again: Who were these men, who were their families, what did they do for a living, did they get wounded or die, who missed the dead? I dwelled on these thoughts as I got closer to the trolley path.

The electric trolley was a trolley system established around the turn of the century to bring visitors to the Devil's Den/Little Round Top area. There were several stops along the way and "amusement parks" scattered throughout the battlefield. Now, the amusement parks of a hundred years ago are nothing like our amusement parks today, but there were a few of these and they usually had a dance hall, refreshment stand, souvenir stand, and several other things that would attract people. Fortunately, the park won a lawsuit and the electric trolley was forced to close down....and the amusement parks soon followed. But today, you can still see traces of the track....the best place to see its track is along Brooke Avenue....which has been turned into a walking trail.

I finally reached the trolley path and knew that there was a little path that led up to the Ledge of Rocks. What I didn't realize was that the path is right after you turn onto the trolley path. I almost missed it because I thought it was further down. So I took the little path (which was completely covered in leaves) and followed it up to the Ledge of Rocks. Maybe its just me, but the rocks seemed much more imposing from a greater distance away. But I took my time up there, snapping pictures, listening to nothing, and remembering what Van Manning said about the rocks: "Soon I was again admonished that my left was seriously threatened, when I ordered the command back fifty or seventy-five yards to meet this contingency....and I stretched out my front twice its legitimate length, guarding well my left and advanced to the ledge of rocks from which we had previously been dislodged."

After standing and looking out at the rocks and standing around the rocks....trying to see what Manning saw, I started to head back towards my car. But not before I took time to reflect on nature. On my way back, I crossed a little bridge that crosses Roses' Run. It's nothing more than a little brook. But I didn't care. I stopped and kept very quiet. This road isn't traveled much..... I was there for 2 hours and saw 3 cars (1 of which went by twice) and 1 Park Ranger....that was it. It the total peace and quiet of nature, I saw things and heard things that I wouldn't have otherwise have seen or heard. The woodpeckers were constantly chattering and pecking on trees. I spotted at least 4 different species of woodpeckers in the the few minutes that I stood there. I also heard some noise in the leaves right next to me on the bridge, I looked down and a chipmunk with his cheeks as full as he could get them, was trying to cross the bridge. Unfortunately, I took a step out so I could see him better and it scared him. I never did see the little guy again. But I listened to the birds. They were just as happy as could be. I felt like I was intruding into the private lives of nature and was getting the show of a lifetime. The birds were flying back and forth, the chipmunks and squirrels were busy getting ready for winter, the leaves (what was left) were falling off the trees, every now and then a branch would break on its way to the forest floor....and I was there to witness it all. It was like being an audience member at an orchestra....everyone had their own music to play and I was lucky enough to hear it played so that it all made sense. This music kept up....until a car went through the park. The car wasn't going very fast, it was really quite quiet, but it was enough to interrupt the music and I didn't hear it again until I was back at my car.

I find it sad that you can find such peace at a place where such devastation took place. The fighting in Rose Woods (which is where I was) was horrible. Men died. Men lost limbs. The wounds were horrendous and men came home horribly disfigured. Yet they did it. I always try to put myself in the places of these men....but I can NEVER understand what they went through. Standing in the exact same places where they stood, reading their words, trying to imagine the fighting....I still can't understand just what they went through. Musket balls, minie balls, and cannon balls aren't flying towards my head. Enemies that I never dreamed I would have weren't trying to kill me. My best friends and brothers weren't lying next to me screaming in pain, dying or worse, dead. Until I experience exactly what they experienced, I can never understand it....I can only try....and I can only remember them.

Battle of Stones River

Every time I read about one battle, I find that battle REALLY, REALLY interesting. Then I move on to the next battle and that one is even more interesting. I'm now reading up on Stones' River (A.K.A. Murfreesboro) and I'm hooked. Here is an overview of what happened:

Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation which was to go into effect on January 1, 1863. On Dec. 26, 1862, The Union army (which was located at Nashville, Tennessee) was told that they needed to go find the Confederate army (located at Murfreesboro), bring on an engagement, and WIN it. Lincoln needed a victory in order to help bolster support for the Emancipation Proclamation.

As of December 30, 1982, the two armies faced each other. They spent the day coming up with a plan on how to attack. And plan they did. They both decided that they were going to attack the others' right flank. It was during this night that the "battle of the bands" took place.

On Dec. 31, 1862, General J. P. McCown and General Patrick Cleburne's men launched an attack at dawn. Their plan was relatively simple: Drive the Union army back to Stones River and cut off their supply lines at the Nashville Turnpike and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.

The attack was so powerful that the Union army couldn't hold their lines. They would move back to the next line of rocks or trees and still couldn't hold on. Fortunately for the Union army, the rocky ground and the cedar forests lessened the attack.

The Confederate infantry then attacked from the front. They weren't trying to gain any ground, but to keep the Union army in their places while the remainder of the Confederate army moved around the right flank. The Union salient was then attacked from three sides. They moved to the north and west towards the Nashville Pike but the slaughter that took place in these woods became known as the "Slaughter Pen".

In the meantime, General Rosecrans pulled his reserves and had them line up in a horseshoe shaped line. With the Confederates running through the cedar trees, their organization fell apart. When they reached the Union reserves, they had all but fallen completely apart.

General James Chalmers' Mississippians crossed the fields in front of Colonel William B. Hazen's Brigade. But artillery poured volley after volley into Chalmers men. The Confederates broke. Hazen's men held their line after FOUR Confederate attacks. The Confederates started calling this part of the battlefield "Hell's Half Acre".

At the end of the day, the Union army still held the Nashville Pike and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.

January 1, 1863 found the men on both sides caring for the dead and wounded. AND the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.

On January 2, 1863, Breckenridge was ordered to attack Van Cleve's Union division. However, 57 cannons were posted on the western side of Stones River and when the Confederates approached, the cannons let loose. Volley after volley attacked the Confederates. After 45 minutes, there were 1,800 Confederate dead and wounded lying in those fields.

On January 3, the Confederates retreated and then on January 5, the Union army triumphantly entered Murfreesboro as the victors in this battle. President Lincoln was very happy about the Union victory...bolstering support for his Emancipation Proclamation.

Braxton Bragg

This guy took himself so seriously, that it was almost comical. First before I tell a story that I LOVE about Braxton Bragg....let me tell you about the man.

He was born in 1817 in Warrentown, North Carolina. He graduated from West Point in 1837. After West Point, he served in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican War...were he was promoted for "valor displayed" at the Battle of Buena Vista. In 1856 he retired from his military life and moved to his plantation in Louisiana to become a planter.

In 1861 when the Civil War began, he was appointed Brigadier General in the Confederate Army...he was concentrated in the Gulf Coast region. In 1862 he was assigned a command under Albert Sidney Johnston. But Johnston was killed in the Battle of Shiloh and Bragg was named Johnston's replacement....making him a full general. Then In June, 1862 he was named the replacement for P.G.T. Beauregard.

Just some of the battles that he took part in were: Shiloh, Perryville, Murphreesboro, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. Because of a horrific loss at Chattanooga, he was removed from command and spent the remainder of the war as an advisor to President Davis.

After the Civil War, he settled in Alabama and Texas as a civil engineer.

Now, let me tell you a little story about this man. This story, whether its true or not, tells you a lot about this man, because whether it happened or not, many said that it could have.

At one point in the Civil War, Bragg was in command of both his Corps and was company quartermaster. Legend has it that he had a battle of wits with himself because he believed that he was correct on both accounts. As corps commander, he was requesting supplies for his troops, as quartermaster, he had to deny the request because they weren't necessary. Supposedly this paper "argument" got so heated that he ended up putting himself on report. This is a story I've heard repeated quite often but its never been as funny as the time that I heard Prof. Gary Gallagher tell it. Like I said before, I don't know if this really happened or not, but it does tell much about this man.

Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage

This is one of my favorite books about the Battle of Gettysburg. Although this is a rehashing of the battle (not very different than Edwin Coddington's "The Battle of Gettysburg, A Study in Command" or Stephen Sears "Gettysburg"....both of which are excellent books) the style in which Noah Andre Trudeau writes this book gives it a different flavor.

When Mr. Trudeau wrote this book, he put it in order according to the times. Does he know that the times he assigns to each action are correct? Of course, he doesn't. No one knows this....but he does it as accurately as possible. It makes it easy to sit and read the book and understand what was happening....what was going on at the same time...who was involved (not just the regiments, but he also quotes many privates and others up the ladder). Reading about the battle in this order makes it so much easier to understand the ebb and flo of the battle. I'm still not sure how the battles at Devil's Den, Little Round Top, The Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard all fit together...but in reading this book, I have a much better understanding of the pieces....how they fit together....and what pieces I am missing (and believe me, no one or ten volume book could EVER put all the pieces together and make me understand).

A couple of years ago, my friend, Jackie and I sat out on the field where the 11th Corps' fighting took place. We sat and read directly from this book and then tried to "see" exactly what he was talking about. By doing a lot of pointing...we were able to almost pinpoint where these events took place....in a timeline which made sense. Studying the battle in this way, has made a really confusing event (for me anyway) easy to understand and even easier to discuss.

For those who are just starting to read about the battle, I would recommend a book like Stephen Sears "Gettysburg"...an easy read with a great overview of the battle. For those who know the battle a little bit...Mr. Trudeau's book is the one to read. If you happen to know a lot about the battle, then you definitely want to read the "packed full of information, but a very dry read" of Mr. Coddington's book.

I look at my ever-growing library of books on the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War, and I realize that there are just a couple of books that I keep finding myself going to over and over again, and this book happens to be one of them. This is definitely a must-read for students of the Battle of Gettysburg.