My Civil War Travels

James A. Hall and his battery

2010-04-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

I spent 4 1/2 hours out on the field yesterday....studying and just enjoying the summer-like weather that we have been having. I spent the majority of my time studying the battery of James A. Hall. I guess Hall's Battery has been one of those batteries that I thought I knew a lot about...but until I did a detailed study of his actions, I didn't really understand just what Hall went through on July 1.

First, we have to understand that Hall was sent in with Cutler's brigade. As a matter of fact, when he was sent (by Reynolds) to relieve Calef, he had actually cut off the 147th NY from advancing with the rest of their brigade....which is probably why they ended up in the weird position that they ended up in.

But Hall's 2nd Maine Battery was placed on McPherson's Ridge. 2 of the guns were placed on the south side of Chambersburg Pike and 4 were placed on the north side. The six guns that Hall brought to the battle were 3-inch Ordnance Rifles.

The fighting in and of itself was complicated and hard to explain, but to make a long story short, Hall and his men were fighting the brigades of Davis and Archer. The fighting was short but intense. Many of Hall's men were wounded. I've read two different accounts as to how many men were killed: one source says 0 and the other source says 2. Hall also lost many of his horses.
After seeing the 76th NY and 56th PA retreating, Hall decided to pull his men out. What he didn't realize was that the 147th NY was still on the other side of the railroad cut. They ended up isolated and having to fight their way back to safety. Hall pulled his men out two guns at a time. The big problem was that by the time the last two guns went to pull out, there was no infantry to help cover their retreat. The final gun had to be abandoned after all the horses were shot.

Hall was able to pull his men all the way back to the eastern side of the Seminary. It took about an hour, but one of the other regiments was able to retrieve the lost gun for Hall.

They then retreated back to Cemetery Hill and that is where they stayed for that day and the next. Today, the Lincoln Speech Memorial is at the location of where Hall's battery was held. By the time they arrived at Cemetery Hill, they only had three of their guns in working order.

Hall's battery is just a small sample of the stories that we can find on the battlefield, whether its Gettysburg or any other battlefield from the Civil War. These guys fought hard. They sacrificed much. I'm so glad that today, we can go out on the field and learn about the sacrifices of these men....North or South. They gave so much that today I consider them ALL my heroes.

Lincoln Memorial

2010-04-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Due to my job, I was able to spend some time down in Washington, DC yesterday. The day was the perfect day for sightseeing....70+ degrees, no clouds in the sky, lots of sunshine. And many, many people were walking around looking at our nation's Capital. During my time down there, I spent quite a bit of it looking for Civil War history. Civil War history abounds down there and you don't have to go looking for it, it just shows up.

One of the key places to find Civil War history is none other than the Lincoln Memorial. The memorial is one of the most recognizable places in Washington. When you walk inside, there is a large sculpture of President Lincoln sitting in a chair right in the middle of the room. Lincoln had everything to do with the Civil War: the acting president during the war, commander in chief of the Union forces, delivered the Gettysburg Address, and the list goes on and on and on. When you walk into the memorial, if you move to the room on your right, engraved into the wall is Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. The room on the left has the Gettysburg Address engraved into the wall.

I stood and watched the people reading the Gettysburg Address. I guess this has more importance to me because of the close proximity of Lincoln actually giving that address to my home. But watching the people (most of whom did NOT speak English...at least not out loud), I was struck by how they seemed to fully understand the importance of that short speech. They stood, quietly, seemingly reading and comprehending those few words that Lincoln spoke on that day in November, 1863. But do they? I'm not sure. One thing that I have noticed, both by being a tourist and by speaking to tourists, people from country's other than the United States seem to understand our history better than those who were born and raised here. I find this sad. Our students in our schools do not know who most of our early leaders were nor do they seem to care. Occasionally, you will find a student who does care and does know and when I stumble across one of these kids, I realize that maybe it isn't all a lost cause.

In the upcoming days, I will share some of the pictures that I took of Washington and things that I found that were affiliated with the Civil War. I learned quite a bit about the city this particular day and look forward to sharing it with you.

David McMurtrie Gregg

2010-03-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

On July 3, 1863, the battle was going full fledged in Gettysburg. During the morning hours, Union General David McMurtrie Gregg's 2nd Cavalry Division was guarding the Baltimore Pike in case the Confederate's decided to attack the rear of the Union army. But Gregg looked at the maps that he had and decided that Baltimore Pike was NOT the place to be.....he felt that he needed to be on the Hanover Road. Hanover Road was the place that he felt was going to be attacked by the Confederates. And the feeling never left him.

Gregg let's General Alfred Pleasonton know that he is not comfortable guarding Baltimore Pike and that he feels the real threat is Hanover Road. Pleasonton doesn't agree with him. He tells Gregg to stay right where he is and to follow the orders given to him. Then Pleasonton tells him to get one of Kilpatrick's brigades and to place it on the Hanover Road. Gregg sends an aide to Two Taverns (which is where Kilpatrick was last located). When the aide gets to Two Taverns, the only brigade left in Two Taverns is Custer. So Custer comes to the rescue and moves his men to the corner of Hanover Road and Low Dutch Road.

Photo: David McMurtrie Gregg and his staff (Gregg, seated on right)

Thanks to Gregg's gut feeling and Custer's being eager to do whatever he could to fight, this move may have saved the Union right. To make a long story short, the battle takes place and thanks to the crazy charges made by Custer, the Confederates are forced back and that is where they stay until the Confederates leave Gettysburg.

Who were they?

2010-03-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

I think about the civilians of the Civil War often. They had it rough. Not only did they have to hand over their loved ones to serve and fight in the war, but in many instances, they were forced to experience the war first hand. Often, these men, women and children were caught right in the middle of battle.

I was thinking these thoughts as I was walking around Harpers Ferry last week. For those who have never had the priviledge to go to Harpers Ferry, the National Park consists mostly of the lower town. As such, many of the buildings in this part of town (if not all of them) are owned by the NPS and are pretty much open to the public at any time. Most of these buildings are places where you can walk in the front door and stand in a little roped in area. What you see when you look into these buildings can only be described as stepping back in time. You can look into a room and see what shops looked like in the 1860's or someones living room or apartment, or just about anything. When I look into these glimpses into the past, I imagine what these shops and homes must have been like when things were bustling. I love to watch TV shows that are based on the 1800's. Mostly I watch (thanks to Netflix) Little House on the Prairie and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. As I look into these rooms, I picture the dry goods store to be the Olson's Mercantile or Loren Bray's General Store. I look into these homes and see the homes of the Ingall's, the Quinn/Cooper family, or any of the other characters in these homes. I see many people moving around inside these buildings....purchasing their food, shopping for yarn (to knit socks, of course), looking at bolt fabric, and children looking at the latest toys and yearning for some licorice sticks. What I see in my head is what I have seen on TV. I wonder what life was really like for these people? Life was tough, but life was so much simpler than it is today.

When the Civil War arrived, many of the civilians were forced to either leave their homes or to hide out in their basements. Neither plan was ideal. If you stayed in your basement, you ran the risk of getting hurt or worse, killed. If you left your home, you had a much higher chance of coming back to nothing. What do you do? They did both. And unfortunately, many people died in the process of doing both....not just at Harpers Ferry but at all the Civil War battlefields. These were innocent people.

As I walk around and look at these buildings...interiors and exteriors....I can't help but feel proud for these people. They worked hard and made themselves a life in which they were able to survive. But then the war came.....

Catoctin Furnace

2010-03-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

After my adventure to Harpers Ferry the other day, I made a little side trip to Catoctin Furnace. The furnace is just off Rt 15 in Thurmont, MD. This is a little visited (I've stopped there 6 or 7 times in the past couple of years and have yet to see another car) Civil War site.

The ruins of the Furnace are sitting there just waiting to be explored. I highly recommend taking 1/2 hour and visiting this site. To explain the significance of the furnace during the Civil War, I'm going to write what it says on one of the wayside signs:

When Union General John F. Reynolds' I Corps marched by here on June 29, 1863 en route to Emmitsburg and soon to Gettysburg, his men were progressing "swimmingly". The workers of the Catoctin Furnace had little time to notice, since the charcoal furnaces were in full blast.

The landscape then looked much different than it does today. The air was filled with smoke and ash and smelled like rotten eggs, while temperatures inside the casting sheds reached temperatures upwards of 120 degrees. The mountainside was barren because it took an acre of trees a day to produce the charcoal needed to keep one furnace in blast. Large pits had been dug around the area to mine the valuable iron ore, and there were large piles of slag, the byproduct of iron making, scattered in every direction.

During the Civil War, John Baker Kunkel owned Catoctin Furnace. With two furnaces in operation, production was never interrupted during the war, and the furnace workers shipped three tons of pig iron a day east to the larger arsenals and forges that made war materiel. Iron produced here was used in the manufacturing of ironclad ships like USS Monitor. Employees worked around the clock in 12-hour shifts, earning credit at the company store. According to local tradition, lost and disoriented soldiers from both sides making their way south after the Battle of Gettysburg were offered jobs here because of the chronic labor shortage.

Frederick Roeder

2010-03-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

When going around to historic sites, the thing that really brings home what occurred at these sites are the human interest stories. I hate that term. This isn't a "human interest" story....this is history....the kind of history that happened to a real person.....at a real time. Harper's Ferry isn't any different. There are stories all over town about things that happened to real people. One of the homes that you can go into (well....you can go inside the door but that's about it) was the home of Frederick Roeder. He was a baker. I'm going to put here what the marker says about him. The marker can explain his life far better than I can.

CASUALTY OF WAR

German immigrant Frederick Roeder was a prosperous baker, the father of seven children, and recent widower. Roeder was also about to die. The Fourth of July was normally a day of celebration , but not this year - not 1861. In March Roeder had buried his wife, Anna Maria; the following month the Civil War erupted, Virginia seceded, and Harpers Ferry became a war zone - businesses collapsed and the local economy collapsed.

A Union sympathizer, Roeder longed to catch a glimpse of the United States flag flying on the Maryland shore. Venturing out to the Potomac River, he gazed across to the Stars and Stripes , only to be struck down by a ricocheting bullet fired by a Union soldier. He crawled back to his building, his home, where he died.

Roeder was the first towns person to die during the war. His home, business and other property were confiscated by the Union army for use as a military bakery, post office and headquarters.

His orphaned children abandoned their home, but returned a year later and lived here until 1881. They filed claims with the government for extensive wartime damage to this house and other family property. They were finally approved for $504.00 in 1906.

John Brown's Body by Stephen Vincent Benet

2010-03-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

I picked this book up while down in Harper's Ferry. Here is an excerpt from the book. It's about the Battle of Gettysburg:

Buford came to Gettysburg late that night
Riding West with his brigades of blue horse,
While Pettigrew and his North Carolinians
Were moving East toward the town with a wagon-train,
Hoping to capture shoes.
The two came in touch.
Pettigrew halted and waited for men and orders.
Buford threw out his pickets beyond the town.

The next morning was July first. It was hot and calm.
On the grey side, Heth's division was ready to march
And drive the blue pickets in. There was still no thought
Of a planned and decisive battle on either side
Though Buford had seen the strength of those two hill-ridges
Soon enough to be famous, and marked one down
As a place to rally if he should be driven back.

He talks with his staff in front of a tavern now.
An officer rides up from the near First Corps.
"What are you doing here, sir?"
The officer
Explains. He, too, has come there to look for shoes.
_Fabulous shoes of Gettysburg, dead men's shoes,
Did anyone ever wear you, when it was done,
When the men were gone, when the farms were spoiled with the bones,
What became of your nails and leather? The swords went home,
The swords went into museums and neat glass cases,
The swords look well there. They are clean from the war.
You wouldn't put old shoes in a neat glass case,
Still stuck with the mud of marching.
And yet, a man
With a tasted for such straws and fables, blown by the wind,
Might hide a pair in a labelled case sometime
Just to see how the leather looked, set down by the swords.

The officer is hardly through with his tale
When Buford orders him back to his command
"Why, what is the matter, general?"
As he speaks
The far-off hollow slam of a single gun
Breaks the warm stillness. The horses prick up their ears.
"That's the matter," says Buford and gallops away.

Chills. I get chills reading this. Awesome. But the proven wrong "shoes" theory is still included. Oh how I wish that STUPID theory would just die. There were NO SHOE FACTORIES in Gettysburg. The Confederates were NOT coming to Gettysburg for shoes. I don't care what Harry Heth stated in his report....he was just trying to cover his butt.

Harper's Ferry and John Brown

2010-03-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Inside John Brown's Fort

John Brown's Fort

I just spent the morning in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Living in the Gettysburg area is great because there are dozens of Civil War sites (not just battlefields) that are within an hour or two of town. Harper's Ferry is included in that list. It's about 50 minutes from here.

John Brown's Fort (above) is one of the places that you can get up close and personal with John Brown. This building has had a very interesting history. This is what the plaque in front of the building says:

1848 Built as fire-engine house for U.S. Armory

1859 Serves as stronghold for John Brown and his raiders

1861-1865 Escapes destruction during Civil War (only armory building to do so), but is vandalized by souvenir-hunting Union and Confederate soldiers and later travelers

1891 Dismantled transported to Chicago Exposition

1895 Rescued from conversion to stable and brought back to Harper's Ferry area to be exhibited on a farm

1909 Purchased by Storer College and moved to campus

1968 Moved by National Park Service within 150 feet of its original location

This building has had such a varied history but its incredible to see it still standing. Its not a very big building and its standing right near the insection of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. As I stood looking at the building, I thought about who John Brown was....what he did....why he did what he did. I went into the John Brown wax museum and saw a wax reenactment of the hanging of John Brown (he wasn't actually hanging....he was standing on the steps leading up to the gallows) and this thought raced through my mind: "John, you had the right idea. It's a shame that you did it the wrong way." But then this thought came into my head: "What was the right way?" John Brown's action in Harper's Ferry was the unofficial start to the Civil War. If he had stormed the armory at Harper's Ferry in the hopes that more slaves would join him, would the Civil War had started when it did? So many questions....so little answers.

The Gettysburg Atlas

2010-03-10T01:31:00.000-08:00

The ultimate map book on the battle of Gettysburg has been published and it is The Gettysburg Atlas. For us map lovers, 421 maps on the battle is more than we can handle. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite regiment or brigade. Follow your favorite general. See who stood on your favorite part of the battlefield. Whatever you need (or want) to know....its in this book.

What makes this book even better (as if 421 maps on the battle isn't good enough) is that it is spiral bound. This makes taking it on the battlefield so much easier. Instead of standing around trying to figure out how to hold open a book (which I've done many times) and look around without dropping said book, this makes following the battle while on the field 1000x better.

There is also a wonderful order of battle in the back. Ever wonder how many and what type of guns a particular artillery unit had....its in here. Ever wonder what the casualty rate for a certain regiment was.....its in here.

There's a real in-depth index in the back. AND a really long bibliography (which is something that I look for in a GOOD book).

The book sells for $40 and is worth every penny. For anyone who is looking for the ultimate book, The Gettysburg Atlas by Phil Laino is it!

The Minie Ball

2010-02-14T05:46:00.000-08:00

I've sent some time reading about weapons and weaponry. One of the things that I have wondered about was the Minie Ball. Now, I know what a Minie ball is....but why was it shaped the way it was, why did it do the damage that it did, what was the purpose of this bullet? And so many other questions. So I did a little research. So many questions.....

Well, I hit the Internet....what a wonderful (and awful) tool. And I learned some interesting things about Minie Balls. First, here is a picture of what they look like.
It's important to know what they look like in order to understand why they did what they did.

This bullet was a conical shaped projectile with a hollowed out base. The bullet and the gunpowder were placed in a paper "cartridge" which made loading the gun easy. When the gun was fired, the gases from the gunpowder got captured in the hollow section and caused the bullet to expand. When it expanded, the bullet was forced to touch the sides of the barrel of the gun. This barrel was rifled (had circular lines on the side which helped spin the bullet on its way out of the gun) and by expanding, the bullet was forced to spin. Think on terms of a football....when you throw it without a spin, you have no control of it. When you spin it, you can throw it more accurately. Once the bullet left the barrel of the gun, it was spinning, giving the gun more accuracy and a longer range with which to hit. The Union minie balls had three grooves on the bottom of the exterior of the bullet and the Confederate minie balls had two bands of grooves. This was the basic rule of thumb for a minie ball.

Now that we know what a minie ball is and how it works, let take a little look into the background of this particular bullet. This was co-designed by Capt. Claude Etienne Minie of the French army. He built on the design of Henri-Gustave Delvigne. Delvigne had designed an early version of the minie ball but it was larger and just didn't work as well. So, Minie got ahold of his design and tweaked it, made it smaller, used soft lead and was able to come up with a bullet that did just what they wanted it to do....shot long, fast, and deadly.

The minie ball was notorious for destroying bone. When the bullet hit bone, the bone usually disintegrated. Here is a photo of a bone that I found that shows a minie ball hit. When a bone was destroyed by one of these bullets, there was very little that a doctor could do for the patient....just amputate. This is usually when infection set in and people died.

Overall, the minie ball seemed like a good idea....and it probably was. It was dangerous....but what bullet isn't? After reading up on this, now I get a much better idea of just what a minie ball is, what it did, the history, and results.

Why did Lee go North?

2010-02-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

First, before I get into the topic, I need to find a friend. Well....actually, I need to find someone or someones who is/are taking the Licensed Battlefield Guide test in December. If anyone out there is taking the Guide test and is looking for a "study buddy" please contact me: civilwargirl1@hotmail.com. I think I'll do much better if I can find a study buddy. Besides helping study for the test, this is a way to have a friend to help cheer on. So, if anyone is interested, please let me know. The more, the merrier!!!

So, what were the reasons for Robert E. Lee to move his army north of the Mason/Dixon line? Well, according to Edwin Coddington, there are 8 reasons. Actually, these are the only ones that I have ever heard...so these are probably a really good list.

1) He wanted to draw Grant away from the Lower Mississippi Valley. Take some of the pressure off of Vicksburg.
2) He wanted to gain a decisive victory
3) He wanted to break up the enemy's plan for a summer campaign in Virginia
4) He needed to find supplies
5) He wanted to force the Peace Democrats in the north to step up their agitation against the politicians
6) He wanted to impact the morale of the citizens of the north
7) He wanted to give the Southerners a respite from the war
8) He wanted to give the Southerners a chance to harvest their crops

When you stop and take a good look at the reasons that Lee wanted to move North it makes complete sense. The war had completely ravaged the south (especially Virginia) and he needed to get the war away from the citizens. He also needed to make the Northerners realize just what was happening in the South. By moving north, he was doing just that.

Alexander S. Webb - Forgotten Hero

2010-02-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

Quite often as I study the Battle of Gettysburg, I stumble across people who performed unquestionable loyalty to their country. These are people who go above and beyond their duties....or they perform their duties in such a courageous way that they are almost larger than life. Occasionally one of these people really, really catches my eye....and my heart. One of these people happens to be Alexander Stewart Webb....a brigade commander in the 2nd Corps under the leadership of Winfield Scott Hancock.

First, let me repeat what Edwin Coddington states in his book about what Webb did at Gettysburg on the 3rd day during Pickett's Charge. On page 517, this is what is said:

As Webb struggled to rally his troops, for a time he despaired of preventing a major breakthrough and feared personal disgrace for himself and disaster for the Army of the Potomac. Refusing to give up, he set an example of bravery and undaunted leadership for his men to follow, although many of them barely recognized him since he had been appointed their commander but a few days before. To organize a counterattack he rushed back to his reserve regiment, the 72nd Pennsylvania, which was several hundred feet behind his line. In the confusion Webb neglected to go through channels and give Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Heiser the order to charge. Instead, he himself shouted out the order; when the soldiers did not budge, Webb in desperation seized the regimental standard and tried to drag the color bearer ahead in hopes of getting the regiment to follow. The bearer apparently not knowing him, pulled back and then, riddled by bullets, fell over head. Finally the men advanced a few paces and fired at the Confederates. They refused to go any farther, however, and steadfastly remained in a position about 250 feet back from the wall, where though without protection they kept up their fire.

Webb, almost frantic, then left the line of the stubborn 72nd and, fully exposed to enemy bullets, rushed over to the 69th Pennsylvania, the left regiment of his brigade. It had stoutly held its ground, although the right half of the regiment had pulled away from the wall at almost a forty degree angle to give the men elbow room and to keep them from being outflanked. When Webb cried out for them to fire across the front of the 72nd regiment, they raked the Confederates with a crippling cross fire. To their rear 2 companies of Webb's 4th regiment, the 106th Pennsylvania, remained steady and resolutely blazed away at the charging enemy. On his way to the 69th PA regiment Webb passed within a few feet of Armistead as he was leading his men up the slope beyond the wall. The two Generals narrowly missed a personal encounter just as the fierce contest between their forces reached its climax. Within minutes Armistead fell mortally wounded, while Webb survived to relive the scene of his triumph for years to come.

Years later General George G. Meade was given a gold medal by the Union League of Philadelphia to "Commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg". He had copies of the medal made and gave one of them to Webb. Here is the reason that Meade gave the medal to Webb: "For distinguished personal gallantry on that ever memorable field" and in appreciation of his "Cordial, warm, and generous sympathy and support so grateful for a commanding General to receive from his subordinates."

Some years later, General Winfield Scott Hancock is attending a dinner being given by General Daniel Butterfield. There was a toast given at the dinner and Hancock responded: "In every battle and on every important field there is one spot to which every army [officer] would wish to be assigned -- the spot upon which centers the fortunes of the field. There was but one such spot at Gettysburg and it fell to the lot of General Webb to have it and to hold it and for holding it he must receive the credit due him."

Now these are two men who didn't go around complimenting people.....unless they deserved it. Congress must have agreed with them because a few years after the Civil War they presented him with a Medal of Honor.

Sometimes when we read about the Civil War, these men are just names or sometimes just a face.....but when we really understand what they did.....how they put themselves out there......how they did things that the average person would not do.....that when we start to realize just how much these guys are the real heroes on the battlefield. Alexander S. Webb is no exception.

2010-02-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

It happened....we got a blizzard in Gettysburg. Actually things aren't too bad....it's only 25ish inches. What's an inch or two when you have 2 feet???

AND....we are expecting more on Tuesday. I've heard that we could get another ten inches. We are being punished...but I'm not sure what for, yet. Enjoy this picture because I really don't want to see any more of THIS.

Another snow in Gettysburg

2010-02-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

I just came home from work and had to take a drive around the battlefield. I had to do this because I may not get to drive around the battlefield again for a week or more. Why? We are expecting another really big snow storm. Depending on who you believe, we could get 6+ inches (no big deal) or we could get 24 inches (big deal). Pretty much I'm hearing about 12-18 inches. Anything less than 10 inches is just a nuisance storm. More than a foot is something that I dread. When it snows, the park closes off many roads throughout the battlefield. Pretty much, you can't get to the southern end of the park. And forget about Culp's Hill. That's not happening. So today I took a drive around because I know that I need to hit the battlefield for one last glance until we have a warm spell (hopefully soon).

Tuesday night/Wednesday morning we had a small snowstorm....maybe 3-4". This storm was just enough snow to make driving a little treacherous for a short time. But those 3-4" are great for looking at the battlefield. As of today, there isn't much of that storm left, but there is enough to see things that you don't normally see.

It was also enough to have snow banks along the sides of the roads from the snow plow. This is pretty much what is left of the storm. Until tonight. Looks like there are going to be huge piles on the sides of roads and in parking lots and where ever else it will get piled.

I have lived in Gettysburg for almost 5 years and this is the worst winter that we have had yet. I'm not complaining. But its been a wild winter. All too often roads throughout the battlefield are closed off and I haven't been able to spend as much time out there as I would like (well....its been really cold also). Looks like we are in for it again tonight....and another storm is on the horizon for Tues or Wed. So, for anyone who is anxious to get to the battlefield, unless you are good at cross country skiing, I wouldn't recommend coming until April or May or whenever we finally get out from under all this snow.

Coddington

2010-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've been taking my book "The Gettysburg Campaign; A Study in Command" by Edwin Coddington to work with me just about every day. Slowly but surely, I have been going through the notes at the end of the book.

First thing that I should say about this book is that even though I love the subject matter, I find the book very, very dry. There is just no excitement. Everything is presented in a matter of fact manner. Now, with that said, I LOVE this book. Unbelievable isn't it??? I have never read this book through from cover to cover....but I have read every single chapter in this book a number of times. This book is considered the "Bible" of the Licensed Battlefield Guides.

One of the juicy treats that you can find in this book is at the end of it: 200+ pages of notes about the body of the text. Reading the book and the notes at the exact same time is really hard and I admire anyone who is able to do it. What I have been doing is reading a chapter and then going into the back and reading the notes on that particular chapter. There are some real gems in these notes. The footnotes of history are almost better than the history itself.

Right now, I'm reading about the advance of the armies with them heading into Gettysburg. They are working their way slowly towards battle. The details of the advancement of these armies is wonderful. I can almost follow each corps from each army work their way north. Here is a little bit from Chapter 6: "Preparations to meet the invasion were by no means confined to the large cities, and people in the rural areas of Pennsylvania also took measures to protect their property if and when the rebels should come their way. As early as June 15 Couch had warned the residents of the Cumberland Valley of the possibility of a Confederate advance, and he advised the farmers to run off their horses to places of safety. Many banded together and sent hundreds of their best animals to the mountains or across the Susquehanna. Others his them in obscure nooks on their property. In desperation one farmer sought to save his bid gray from seizure by putting him in the basement of his house which was quite a feat. Other livestock, food supplies, harness's, wagons, and similar items were secreted in lofts and haystacks, for everyone feared the rebels would appropriate all they saw for their own use, and what they could not use they would destroy. Shopkeepers in the small towns, equally worried about what the Confederates would do, began to ship their most valuable merchandise to Harrisburg and other cities farther east."

This is interesting stuff.....and this isn't exactly a dry part of the book, but it is a good example of what the book is like.

For those of you who like to learn about the Battle of Gettysburg, I highly recommend this book. If you find that you can't sit down and read the entire book....cover to cover, then do it like I do: a chapter at a time....over the course of a few months. But by all means, read this book!

Gettysburg: From a Newspapers Perspective

2010-01-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a newspaper report that I found about the Battle of Gettysburg. It's from the Franklin County newspaper, "Valley Spirit", July 8, 1863. I'm going to make some comments as we read along.

The reports which the newspapers and eye-witnesses bring us of the three great battles near Gettysburg,
I guess they considered the three days of battle as three separate battles. But in the Civil War, a three day battle was considered one battle....the only thing that broke up the battle was darkness.
are not very full and satisfactory, but enough is known to warrant the assertion that we have achieved a complete and glorious victory over the enemy.
I'm not sure that the Confederates nor the Federals were considering it a complete and glorious victory. Most assuredly the North won.....but was it considered complete and glorious? The south was actually the victor on both days one and for the most part Day two.
The first engagement began at nine o'clock on Wednesday morning, July 1st, about two miles this side of Gettysburg, on the Chambersburg turnpike.
The first shot occurred at 7:30 am (or thereabouts). Buford's Cavalry was fully engaged when Reynolds arrived at 10am.
The forces engaged on our side were only the first and eleventh corps, under command of Generals Reynolds and Howard, the other corps not having arrived on the field.
General Reynolds was in charge for a very short time during the battle as he was killed about 1/2 hour after he arrived at the battle.
We were compelled to fall back a mile or so, during the great portion of the day, but regained nearly all the lost ground before night.
What????? Yes, the Union army fell back a mile or so....they fell back to Cemetery Ridge, but what ground did they regain?????
During the night the greater portion of our army came up, and all were in position by daylight. The enemy did not commence the attack until four o'clock in the afternoon.
For the most part, the battle did not really get going until later in the day....but there was fighting on Culp's Hill and a few other places.
The engagement lasted until dusk, and the enemy were repulsed at all points and driven back with great slaughter.
Again....HUHHHHH?????? Yes there was a great slaughter, but at where did the Federals push the Confederates back at all points? I must be studying a different battle. When did we regain Sickles salient???
At daylight on Friday morning the fight was again resumed, the enemy being the attacking party. We held our own until noon, when an advance was made along our whole line. The rebels hotly contested every foot of ground, but were driven back to the foot of the mountain, leaving the ground covered with their killed and wounded.
Which mountain did they retreat to....Seminary Ridge? Because as of the evening of July 3, they were still on Seminary Ridge.
Our forces captured several thousand prisoners and a large number of cannon.
I'm not so sure that the Union army captured a large number of cannon. The Confederates captured a few of the Union's pieces.
This engagement is said to have been the hottest of the war.
This is very true.
So completely were Lee's columns shattered that he commenced rapidly to retreat along the mountain the same night, our cavalry and artillery harrassing [sic] him at every step.
Isn't this why Lincoln was furious with Meade...because he DIDN'T chase after the Army of Northern Virginia?
He took the route by Millerstown, through Monterey towards Boonsboro, and will doubtless, unless he is completely cut off, go by way of Hagerstown to the river at Williamsport.
Hey, he got that prediction right!
Here his retreat has been most effectually checked, by the destruction of his pontoon bridges by Colonel French. A large portion of our forces will probably succeed in getting between the retreating army and the river.
Well, this prediction wasn't correct because General Lee actually made it across the Potomac.
In which case, if the rebel general is brought to bay, he may make an obstinate stand, and another desperate battle may be fought, probably on or near the old Antietam battle-field.
True. But it didn't happen.
Whether any considera[b]l[e] portion of the rebel army ever succeeds in recrossing the river there can be no doubt that the greater part of their immense wagon train will be capture.
Again, it didn't happen.
This train retreated by Newman's pass through Greenwood, New Franklin, and Greencastle.
I've never heard of Newman's pass. I'll have to do some checking into this.
Already fifty or sixty wagons have been taken, and if the river continues high, the entire train must fall into our hands.
Fifty or sixty wagons? Really?
Thus far the victory of our army, under command of the gallant Meade, has been most complete and over-whelming; and it only remains to be seen whether the scattered remnants of the rebel host succeed in gaining the Virginia shore and saving themselves annihilation.
They did indeed make it to the Virginia shore and they were not annihilated.
Meade has been largely reinforced, and he has already done so magnificently that we hope of still better things from the Army of the Potomac. All honor to this gallant Army! Nobly and completely has it redeemed the disasters of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville!
I'm not sure that I would say this.
Meade has been largely reinforced, and he has already done so magnificently that we hope of still better things from the Army of the Potomac.
Eventually.
All honor to this gallant Army! Nobly and completely has it redeemed the disasters of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville! And a terrible lesson has it taught the defiant rebel horde who flaunted their banners so insultingly in our faces, and boasted that they could march and plunder and destroy wheresoever they pleased.
If any lessons were learned, it was Lee who learned it....he learned that his army was not indestructible.

In reading this newspaper article and so many others, we can learn much about the battle....or any battle, but we have to keep in mind that the information isn't always accurate (the same as today). But reading these articles is always enlightening to the attitude and thoughts of the people at the time.

Flooding in Gettysburg

2010-01-25T05:38:00.000-08:00

I just got home from work about an hour ago. Usually on my way home, I head for the park (afterall, I live right down the street from it). I always try to take a quick drive through every day just to be there. Today was no different. But things were a little bit different. We are having one horrible rain storm (I am SOOOO very, very thankful that the temperatures are in the 50's today....I would hate to think about how much snow this would be).

There are certain parts of the battlefield that are prone to flooding....mostly anywhere that a creek or run runs through. Today with this storm, the flooding has happened but it is so much worse than I have ever seen it before. I drove down Wheatfield Road to get to the Devil's Den/Plum Run Valley area. The flooding in this area is normal. Everytime we get quite a bit of rain this area immediately floods. But what I saw today was unbelievable. First of all, the ground next to the roadway is lower than the road surface itself. The water usually gets up within a few feet of the road surface, but the road doesn't ever flood. Today, the water is about 2 inches from the roadway. The small bridge that goes over Plum Run is all but under water. The water is just a couple of inches from the bridge itself. I drove over it, but I felt very uneasy about it.....I was waiting for the bridge to get swept away. The Run in that area is easily 100 yards wide....and this is a small waterway that you can jump over on any good day. I have never seen it this flooded.

I got down to the Devil's Den area and was just stunned at the water. It was everywhere...but especially up to the road....which it never does. There is a "comfort station" (aka....bathroom) at the Devil's Den but in order to get to it, you have to walk across this little footbridge and cross Plum Run. Normally the bridge is nice and you get to look down in the Run and see some water creatures (frogs, fish, crayfish, etc) but you're not going to see anything like that today. First, you can't even get to the bridge. It's an island. The water is going under and around the bridge. The steps leading up to the bridge are under water, but the bridge itself is not. That's kind of ironic. The bridge is an island.

Then I drove down around the den and watched the Run tumble over and around the rocks. I just can't believe how much water we have gotten from this storm. Its unreal.

Then I went down Sedgwick Ave to get to Hancock Avenue. I realized that there was a truck sitting in the roadway facing me (but the road is one way.....heading in the same direction that I am going). It was the Park Maintenance employees (and these guys are my heroes). They were trying to open a storm sewer to let the water go down it. But the water was a couple of inches deep across the road and these poor men were standing in water that must have been half way to their knees.

This storm is very strange. One minute its not raining at all. I had my windows rolled down so that I could see better and had no trouble with rain coming in....and then all of a sudden its like the sky would just open up and you could barely see to drive. And then in a couple of minutes, no rain any more.

I would love to show you pictures of the park, but I didn't have my camera with me. I've been taking my Coddington to work with me and my purse can handle either the book or my camera....but not both. I really don't want to leave the house either. This storm is bad and I like watching it from my window and not from my car.

Memorializing Stonewall Jackson

2010-01-22T05:42:00.000-08:00

Here are what the waysides at Chancellorsville say about the memorializing the great Stonewall Jackson. I find the whole character of Stonewall Jackson very intriguing. So when I head down to Chancellorsville, I tend to find myself heading for the Stonewall Jackson spots....positions, or whatever. Here are the waysides:

Memorializing Jackson's Death

Of his soldiers he was the idol;
Of his country he was the hope;
Of war he was the master.

Senator John Warwick Daniel

When General "Stonewall" Jackson dies eight days after being wounded in these woods, shock waves rippled through the South. Confederates immediately memorialized him in words. "A greater sense of loss and deeper grief never followed the death of mortal man," wrote one artilleryman. Few felt Jackson's loss more keenly than Robert E. Lee, who confessed, "I know not how to replace him."
After the war local residents erected a small boulder about 60 yards from the site, to commemorate the generals wounding. That rock still stands amid the bushes to your left front. In 1888, 5000 people attended the dedication of the more formal monument in front of you.

Jackson Monuments
The effort to erect a monument at the site of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's mortal wounding began in February, 1887, when Fredericksburg newspaper editor Rufus Merchant founded the Stonewall Jackson Monument Association. On June 13, 1888, a crowd of more than 5000 spectators attended dedication ceremonies at the monument. Guests included the former Confederate cavalry general. Governor Fitzhugh Lee, whose vigilant scouting activities during the Battle of Chancellorsville contributed to Jackson's success. Prior to construction of the monument, Jackson's former staff officer's, Beverly Tucker Lacy and James Powers Smith, assisted by Lacy's brother, J. Horace, of nearby Ellwood Plantation, transported the large quartz boulder to the wounding site.

Stonewall Jackson's Death

2010-01-21T03:28:00.001-08:00

I was going through some of my notes. It's amazing how many notes I have accumulated over the last couple of years. I've got notes on everything and anything. In looking through them, I found some notes that I took when I was visiting the Chancellorsville battlefield this past March. Here are what some of the wayside markers say about the death of Stonewall Jackson (something that I really taken an interest in):

A Fatal Reconnaissance

When "Stonewall" Jackson reached this point at about 9pm on May 2, 1863, he stood at the peak of his military career. Four hundred yards in front of you, a shaken Union army hastily built earthworks to halt the Confederate tide. One hundred yards behind you, Jackson's troops formed along the Bullock Road for what Jackson hoped would be a final and climatic night attack against the faltering federals. While the Confederates prepared, the general and a small group of attendants rode forward on the Mountain Road -- little more than a woods path -- to this point. Jackson could hear the axes of Union soldiers fashioning earthworks in front. One of his staff officers cautioned the general to go back. "The danger is over," he snapped, "The enemy is routed. Go tell A.P. Hill to press right on!" With that, Jackson continued his fateful ride toward the front.

Confederate Catastrophe

Near this spot around 9:15 pm on the night of May 2, 1863, the Confederate cause suffered a disaster. As "Stonewall" Jackson and his party returned from their reconnaissance down the Mountain Road, Confederate musketry erupted south of the Plank Road (Route 3). The scattered fire rippled northward, directly across Jackson's path.
A Confederate officer yelled, "Cease firing! You are firing into your own men!" Through the darkness, a voice shouted back: "Who gave you that order? It's a lie! Pour it into them, boys!" The flash from dozens of rifles illuminated the darkness. Two bullets crashed into Jackson's left arm, a third pierced his right hand. Later that night his left arm would be amputated. On May 10, 1863, Jackson died in a farm office at Guinea Station.
After the shooting, Jackson's horse bolted through the woods. Staff officers stopped the panicked animal and lowered Jackson to the ground near the site of the present monuments.
After Jackson was shot, attendants carried him to a field hospital behind the lines. There surgeons removed his wounded left arm.
The last portrait of Jackson, taken at a Spotsylvania County farm about ten days before his mortal wounding. Mrs. Jackson regretted that the image showed "a sternness to his countenance that was not natural."

What was Reynolds thinking?

2010-01-20T01:18:00.000-08:00

Someone that I know asked me to spend a little bit of time doing some research and come back to him with my thoughts on what John Reynolds meant on July 1, 1863. Here is what he was concerned about: John Reynolds arrives in Gettysburg. He sees that John Buford is fully engaged with the Confederates. So he sends a message to George Meade: "The enemy is advancing in strong force and I fear that he will go the heights beyond the town before I can. I will fight him inch by inch, and if driven into the town, I will barricade the streets, and hold him back for as long as I can." His question was: which heights was he concerned about, Cemetery Hill or Seminary Ridge.

Now, I have always thought that Reynolds was talking about Cemetery Hill. But I thought that this would make a good research project for myself. So I have spent the past 4 days reading through all my books that deal with that particular part of the battle. And I have come to a conclusion. Now what I am about to write is merely MY OPINION but I will explain why I have come to this opinion.

John Buford was holding the heights west of town with just his cavalry. He had 2500 men. BUT anyone who knows anything about cavalry knows that when you dismount cavalry, one out of four of the men go to the rear to hold the horses. Which means that Buford was down to about 1800 men. Buford's 1800 men were holding off Archer's and Davis's brigades. That's a lot of men to be fighting against. Reynolds arrives before his men.

This is when he sent the message. Now, I really don't believe that Buford could hold those heights. All he was doing was slowing down the advance of the Confederates.

Every person (of importance) who arrived in Gettysburg was concerned about one place: Cemetery Hill. Cemetery Hill was basically free of trees and it was an imposing piece of ground overlooking the town. There was a lot of ground on the hill and it was fairly flat....a great place to put artillery pieces. Plus, the sides weren't steep....but a gradual slope. Another reason why it was ideal for artillery. Buford, Howard, Hancock, and others noted the importance of this hill. And that was the central location for the Army of the Potomac. John Reynolds was a professional soldier....he was trained on how to find and place his men on the important ground.

The only thing that might change my mind is a small passage that Abner Doubleday wrote in his book "Chancellorsville and Gettysburg". Here is what Doubleday had to say: "Reynolds had the true spirit of a soldier. He was a Pennsylvanian, and, inflamed at seeing the devastation of his native state, was most desirous of getting at the enemy as soon as possible. I speak from my own knowledge, for I was his second in command, and he told me at Poolesville soon after crossing the river, that it was necessary to attack this enemy at once, to prevent his plundering the whole state." So, does this mean that Reynolds wanted to fight the Confederates on the western side of town? Possibly, but Reynolds also knew that he needed men on Cemetery Hill....which he mentioned to Howard. Howard put some reserves on the hill. Then when the men were forced off the field of the First Days Battle, Howard and Hancock were able to regroup on Cemetery Hill....which they were able to hold throughout the battle.

So my conclusion is that we will never know exactly what Reynolds meant. He was killed before he could tell us....but based on the evidence, I truly believe that the heights that he was determined to save was Cemetery Hill.....the commanding heights over the town of Gettysburg.

Fourth Michigan at Gettysburg

2010-01-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking about some of the individual soldiers who fought at Gettysburg. Each person had their own story and each person lived their own life. One of the things that I would love to do....but is physically impossible....is to learn about each and every one of those men.

Harrison Jeffords of the 4th Michigan is one of those soldiers that I find interesting. This man was the colonel of the regiment. In the melee of the fighting in the Wheatfield, Col. Jeffords fought to save his flag. In the process, he was stabbed through the body with a bayonet. What a horrible death!

The 4th Michigan chose to remember him by placing him on their monument in the Wheatfield. Here is what is written on the monument:

Front:
4th Michigan Infantry
2 Brig 1 Div 5 Corps
Participated in 53 skirmishes and general
engagements from Bull Run Va. July 21, 1861 to
Appomattox Va
April 8, 1865

Back:
Mustered in at Adrian Michigan
June 20, 1861
Veterans consolidated with
First Michigan Infantry June 30th 1864

Total enrollment 1325 officers and men
Killed in action - officers 8 - men 115
Died of Wounds - officers 4 - men 50
Died of Disease - officers 1 - men 95
Total 273

This monument marks the location held by the
regiment July 2nd 1863
Present for duty - 27 officers - 376 men - total 403
Killed 1 officer 24 men wounded 9 officers 55 men
Missing 1 officer 75 men total 165
Colonel Harrison H. Jeffords fell mortally wounded
at this point. Thrust through with a bayonet in
recapturing the colors of his regiment.
'From his bosom that heaved, the last torrent that was
streaming, and pake was his visage, deep marked with
a scar. And dim was that eye, once expressively
beaming,
that melted in love, and that kindled in war'

It's a wonderful thing that the members of his regiment remembered him in such a way. For all of eternity (or until the monuments fall down) Harrison Jeffords will be remembered. In generations to come, he will be thought of in the same way that we today think of him. This is what makes the monuments of these soldiers so very, very special.

I'm back

2010-01-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

I am officially back. The blog is going to continue. Thank you so much for hanging in with me...I believe that the problems are over.

So lets get on with my post. Here is an update on the snowfall of Gettysburg: Right before Christmas, we had 16 inches of snow. I've lived here for 4 1/2 years and this is the largest snowfall we've had in that time. The wind was blowing during the snowfall leaving drifts up to my waist. But the snow only lasted a short time....right after Christmas the snow had pretty much melted. A couple of weeks ago, we had another snowstorm....only about an inch, but that snow is still on the ground. Funny how the 16 inches and disappear so quickly and an inch can last forever. Oh the joys of the temperatures not getting over freezing.

Today was different. It got into the 4o's today.....no wind.....no clouds in the sky. The perfect day in Gettysburg....for winter anyway.

As I tromped the battlefield in the last few weeks, I noticed just how deep and rolling the terrain on the fields are. The snow really brings this out. The one place that I really noticed this more than any other part of the field is Culp's Hill. The saddle between the two hills that make up Culp's Hill doesn't seem so steep or so deep on a normal day of the year. It stands out during a snow fall. Also, the new tree cutting on the western edge of Culp's Hill really stands out when we've had a snowfall. The ground is deep and the ravine where the men of the 12th Corps hid while trying to regroup for the next wave of attacks against the Confederates really stands out. For the first time, I could really see the ravine that was mentioned throughout the official reports and letters and such.

I'm really glad to be back and I promise to be posting more often.

Hello again

2009-12-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-04T01:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-29T23:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-26T21:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-21T23:20:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

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.

Speech at the Hancock Equestrian dedication

2009-11-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

I just found this excerpt of the speech that Henry Bingham gave at the dedication of the Hancock Equestrian Statue at Gettysburg. I found this very interesting. Please read it!

"What are the lessons of this field of blood, valor, and death? Do they teach us much or little? 'A brave man knows no malice, but at once forgets in peace, the injuries of war, and gives his direst foe a friend's embrace.'

"While, as a citizen and a soldier, recalling what was done at Gettysburg for the preservation of the Union, I may venture to hope that the time is coming. If it has not already arrived, when we shall celebrate this field as a festival of peace, rather than a festival of war. I doubt if there be a d0zen intelligent men among those who followed Lee from those Cashtown Hills, or charges with Pickett over these clover-blossoming fields, who, with the knowledge open to whoever will read and think , and our recent experiences in self-government, would revive the Lost Cause, with all therein implied. It was a delusion, foolish, frenzied, impossible. The cannon shot alone could bring the true awakening. And none in our citizenship breathe more freely than those who passed through the dreadful delusion.

"The peace thus attained, and as attained, was good for the North as well as for the South. As a soldier, who in a humble way was a part of that struggle, I should feel that even that victory was barren which did not bring with it reconciliation. We bore from this field the olive branch as the unfading emblem of fraternity, rather than the laurel, with the suggestions of strife. We bear the olive branch today, and in its proffer, as well as in a loyal acceptance of that proffer by our Southern friends, we have, I am proud to believe, the consummation of an undying and invincible Union.

"We should remember that this was a war of the people: that the soldiers who came upon this field were but an armed expression of the loyalty which remained at home. Gettysburg was a people's battle. This skill of the schoolman and the training consequent upon military experience were not without their effect. But, taken all in all, it was the American man fighting the American man.

"There was reason in the provocation to war, reason and wisdom in peace. We were one at the beginning; we are one at the end, and with underlying, intervening bonds of sympathy, which not even battle could sever, but which grew in strength and grace every day. No American can regard Gettysburg with sorrow or shame. Gettysburg was the victory of knowledge over ignorance, of humanity over tyranny, of wisdom as against folly, of the schoolhouse superseding and suppressing the auction block and the shackles of the slave, of patriotism conquering rebellion, of truth opposed to falsehood. It was Lincoln taking hands with Washington to save the Republic, which our first President had founded. Upon this field caste fell, freedom arose, never to fall again and American valor found its warrant to be respected over the world.

"Stricken with heavy wounds, the mighty shade of our comrade in arms 'of stainless name, of unblotted record, of immortal memory,' our Hancock passes in review. This illustrious commander of a chivalrous army fitly represents the chivalry of the war. This is the man whom today we came to honor. And thus he passes in solemn midnight review.

"The clang and din of battle here give place to the soothing voices of the night. The furrows once torn with suffering and death now yield to the ripening grain. The fear of imminent doom no longer darkens the fireside. The Gettysburg of the Secession war, fast melting into history, will become the Marathon of a new generation. The silent host passes on to be lost in the shadows and the gloom. The shades of Gettysburg march in review before even a mightier shade than that of Napoleon. This sublime presence, before whom the shadows pass, this, their beloved, immortal Lincoln, who returns their salute with a most gracious, sad smile, likewise shed his blood, and from his heart and brain came the inspiration which impelled them to victory. Lincoln was with them in sorrow and pain; he is with them now, even in this mighty review, sharing with them the joy of silence and peace, bequeathing the lesson of his life and his death. As this silent pageant is suffused into impartial, infolding night, we pray that should the hour come to the present as it came to the past generation, our people may emulate the self-sacrificing and devotion to which this field bears everlasting tribute."

New York Times,
June 6, 1896

Lincoln and Washington at Ball's Bluff...HUH????

2009-11-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

How could I possibly tie both Washington AND Lincoln to Ball's Bluff when neither one was actually at the battle? But I can do it.

First Washington: Did you know that the name "Ball" is George Washington's mothers maiden name. The property in and around Ball's Bluff is the ancestral home of her family and the Bluff takes its name from the family.

Now Lincoln: There was a little boy, born in England and moved to Philadelphia when he was 4. From there, he moved to Springfield, Ill. As an adult, this little boy decided to become a lawyer. As a lawyer, he came to know many of the lawyer's in and around the Springfield area. One of his friends was Abraham Lincoln. The little boy became U. S. Senator Edward D. Baker. The friendship between Lincoln and Baker was so close, that the Lincolns named their second son Edward Baker Lincoln.....also known as Eddie. Eddie died young....but the namesake was already there.

Now, about Edward Baker. There are a few things that you should know about him. 1) He moved to Oregon later on in his life. In Oregon, he ran for and became U.S. Senator (I always say that he pulled a "Hillary"...moved to where he KNEW he could become senator). 2) When the Civil War broke out, he decided to organize a brigade of men from California....to bring the west coast into the Civil War. However, there were not enough people living in California to form a brigade (he couldn't even raise a regiment)....so he ended up recruiting men from Philadelphia to form his "California Brigade". 3) Baker was killed at Ball's Bluff....the only acting Senator in U.S. history to ever get killed during a war. 4) After Baker's Death, the California Brigade became known as the "Philadelphia Brigade".....and they fought at the Angle in Gettysburg.

And so, as Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story. When you really start investigating these battles, suddenly you realize how small this country really is.....just because it's 3000 miles from coast to coast doesn't mean that you can't connect things. When you realize how small this country really is, that's when it hits you that it really was brother fighting brother. It's a shame that as much as they hated each other, they also were exactly alike and more alike than they ever realized. I just hope that in today's society, we can get past our physical and cultural differences to realize that we are still....exactly alike.

Walking through the Wheatfield

2009-11-03T02:03:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful fall morning here in southeast Pennsylvania. It was a little on the cool side....but by having a jacket on, it was just perfect. So, I decided that if I just got done studying the Wheatfield, it was time to take a long, slow walk through it. So that's just what I did. Now, mind you, I have walked those fields dozens of times. Today was a little different.

First, I parked my car near the wayside marker on Sickles Avenue and then walked up to the Winslow's Battery monument. I stood and took a long hard look at the monument. Sometimes you really have to take a long, hard look in order to really see it. And that is just what I did. I really didn't see anything new on the monument, but I had a chance to relook at an old friend. I stood and stared off toward the stonewall where the 17th Maine took their stand. These men were just so brave. I then stood at the breech end of one of the cannons and looked towards Rose Woods....seeing what the men of that battery saw. I don't know how they could stand in such an open field and shoot like that.

I then headed off to the row of monuments that denote where Cross's brigade was situated. I imagined the men shooting non-stop until they ran out of ammunition. That must have been some really intense fighting for those 15 minutes or so. And pictured Brooke arriving with his men. By the time I was done looking at those monuments, I was on Ayres Avenue.

It was time to walk up towards the loop that is a great overlook of Little Round Top. All around that loop are markers telling the story of how Burbank and Day brought their men into the fray. It tells the story of Crawford coming in at the end. Hearing the story straight from the mouths of the participants in more heartrending than anything a modern historian could relay to me. These are the men who fought and died here!

I walked around the loop and took a good look at a monument to the Bucktails. And a good long look at the monument to the 5th New Hampshire. I like the monument to the 5th New Hampshire. It's odd....in a different sort of way. A large boulder sits on top of a few other boulders. That's the monument. Nothing extravagant....just very different. And I really like it. But even more than that....between the layers of boulders, are plaques naming the names of the dead and wounded from their fight on July 2, 1863. When I look at those names, in my mind I put faces to them. No, I have no idea who these men were, but I do know that they were here and they fought valiantly and they died here.

I walked down through the intersection and headed back to my car. The whole walk couldn't have been more than a half mile total....but I was out there for 1 1/2 hours....just looking, reading, and imaging. Tomorrow, I'm heading out to check out the Confederates who fought in the Wheatfield. I still have Union monuments to check out....those can be done another day. Tomorrow it time to understand the Confederate point of view. Maybe one day, I'll have this battle down, so that I can fully understand what happened....until then I just have to be content to look and read.

Lieutenant Church Howe, 15th Massachusetts

2009-11-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a bit of reading on the Battle of Ball's Bluff. Sometimes, a person plays a role in a battle but unless they are a major name in the battle, they sometimes get overlooked. Lieutenant Church Howe is like this. But when you stop and really look into his life, you realize just how important he was throughout his life, not just in the Civil War. Church Howe is quite an interesting man. Let me tell you a little about him:

He was born in Princeton, Massachusetts on December 13, 1839 to Albert Carlton and Mary Jane (Carr) Howe.

In 1861 he enrolled in the army with the 15th Massachusetts Infantry. Initially he was the quartermaster for the regiment.

He fought in the battle at Ball's Bluff. Here is a little bit taken from the Worcester Spy:

Fifteenth Regiment - We learn that, under a flag of truce carried by Quartermaster Howe of the 15th, Thomas Taylor of Co. B. and J. Moffit of Co. E., together with a private of the California regiment, were returned on Jan. 4th, by the rebel authorities at Leesburg, all three severely wounded at the affair at Ball's Bluff. There was no pledge required of them that they would not

serve against the confederate states, but it is doubtful when, if ever, they will be able to.

Also, this was included in a letter home by Henry Clay Ward:

Quartermaster Howe found Willie Grout's body down near Chain Bridge, opposit Washington he had been picked up and buried four days ago. Howe had him dug up and could only recognize him by the marks on his clothing and letters in his pockets. He had him put in a coffin and sent home. Will probably be some relief to his father to get his body.

One thing to keep in mind here: Willie Grout had a song written about him. Well, not him personally, but about his circumstances. You might be aware of it: "The Vacant Chair".

The February 9, 1863 issue of the Worcester Daily Spy says this:

First Lieutenant Church Howe of Worcester to be captain, January 8, 1863.

Unfortunately, shortly after this, Capt. Howe was forced to retire from the army due to illness. But life wasn't over for this man. On June 16, 1863 he married Augusta C. Bottomly. Then in 1866, he was appointed (by President Johnson) Collector of Internal Revenue for 8th Massachusetts district.

Eventually, he moved to Nemaha County, Nebraska. And from there, he was appointed U. S. Consul to Palermo, Italy; Sheffield, England; Antwerp, Belgium; Montreal, Canada; and finally Manchester, England.

He died on October 7, 1915. He may be forgotten to some, but to me he is a hero!

Why I have new faith in GNMP

2009-11-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine (and you know who you are) and myself adopted a position on the battlefield. We did this a few years ago and twice a year (spring and fall) we go to our position and clean it up. Our job includes clearing the path and then the actual area around our monument. I love doing this. For so many years, the park at Gettysburg has given us so much and this is just our little way of giving back to the park.

Well, today was the day that we cleaned our position. It had rained for many days prior to our clean up and the ground was more swampy than anything. But we did our best and made the path as close to walkable as possible. But we came across something that really upset us.

First, let me explain that the Park has a new coordinator for the Adopt A Position program. This was the first time that we met him and after what happened today, I hope he is with the program for a very, very long time! My friend, her husband, and myself met at the appointed time, but the park was about 15 minutes late getting there. We were a little annoyed until we found out why. They wanted to spend a little time with each of the AAP participants....getting to know them and see the monuments and just understanding what we do in general. I like that. He really cares about who we are and what we do. So they were late, because they were with another group prior to us....I wasn't so annoyed any more.

Well, we all walked down to our position. My friend's husband went down to the monument with the park personnel while my friend and I started at the beginning of the path. Next thing we know, we can see them throwing HUGE branches off into the woods. What was going on? So off we went. What we saw is what REALLY made me mad. There are power lines in the area and the electric company went through the area clearing trees from the lines.....and the monument was completely surrounded by huge branches....no, not branches, HUGE limbs of trees. We were all soooooo shocked by what we saw. There was no way that we were going to get that monument cleaned up.

So the park personnel went up to our cars and called Law Enforcement. L.E. showed up and we showed them what happened. That's when we noticed that the monument itself had been damaged. There were huge chunks of granite broken off the top of it....like branches fell on it and broke pieces off. It was quite obvious that the electric company did this. There were a total of six of us down there....getting madder and madder. Because the electric lines run through the park, they sort of have right of way, but the park should have been notified that this was going to happened. They didn't know. They didn't clean up their mess at all. There's no way that we can clean it up...they don't allow us to use chain saws. They damaged a monument and STILL didn't tell the park.

The Coordinator of the AAP program was visibly upset. He told us that these men died here and that they need to be remembered and not treated like this. As mad as I was about this, I was shocked to hear him say this. This is a man who TRULY understands what these monuments are all about. After talking to him for about half an hour, I walked away from our day thinking "this park is in good hands".

So often I see and hear some of the park employees treating the park as a "job". This gentleman sees it as a labor of love. He understands. After I got home, I realized that even though we need to keep a close eye on what is happening in the park, there are some park personnel who truly care and they have it all under control. I, for one, am extremely happy.

We are going to be getting updates about the clean up down there and I will let you know just what is happening. The gentleman in charge of the upkeep of the monuments is going to take a look at it in the next couple of days. Then we should have a better understanding of what all is going to happen down there. I hope that the electric company (who is going to be contacted) has the decency to clean up their mess. This is truly a tragedy for the veterans who placed that monument there for generations to remember their fallen comrades.

But despite all this, I feel so much better about the future of the park. We truly are in good hands.

Hancock Visits Gettysburg

2009-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

While playing around on the New Times website, I came across a couple of articles about General Winfield Scott Hancock's visit to Gettysburg in November of 1885. I copied them below. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind as you read these (which are fascinating by the way): a) His visit was Nov, 1885...he died Feb 9, 1886. b) It says that Wright's Brigade came "nearly to the battlefield line"....Wright claims to have broken that line. c) They don't call it "Pickett's Charge" but "Longstreet's attack". d) They went up the Round Top Observation tower. I'll have to check to see just when that was built. I wish I could have found an article about their third day visit....but none was located. I just really find all this fascinating! Read on and see if you are just as intrigued as I am!

Gettysburg, Penna. Nov 18
Gen. W. S. Hancock arrived here this evening accompanied by Gen. Francis A. Walker, Cols. J. P. Nicholson, George A. Bernard, J. B. Bachelder, Majs. W. W. D. Miller, E. W. Coffin, W. H. Lambert, Capts. J. V. Weir, and Paul Roemer, of the United States Army; Dr. F. E. Goodmand, and others. The arrival of the train was greeted with an artillery salute by Post 9, G. A. R. and General Hancock was received with great cheering, and escorted to the hotel. This evening, the General was serenaded by the Grand Army band, after which he held a reception in the parlors of the hotel. The party will visit the battlefield tomorrow, and endeavor to locate accurately the position of the different corps on the field.

Gettysburg, Penna, Nov. 19th
Although the weather was inclement, General Hancock, attended by General Walker, of his staff, historian of the Second Corps; Col. Wilson, Maj. Miller, Col. Bachelder, Government historian of the battlefield; Col. Nicholson, Recorder of the Grand Commandary, Loyal Legion, and others, visited the battlefield today. General Hancock paid particular attention to the positions of the left centre, where he commanded, identifying every point of interest. He pointed out where Willard's brigade met Barksdale of the afternoon of the Second day; where the First Minnesota charged Wilcox, of Alabama; where Wright's Georgians charged across the Emmitsburg Road nearly to the battlefield line on Cemetery Ridge, where Stannard's Vermont brigade saved Weir's battery; explained the position of Webb's Philadelphia brigade on the Third Day, and the nature of the Longstreet attack; pointed out the spot where the 19th Massachusetts and 42ns New York regiments lay, and where Col. Devereux, of the Nineteenth, asked permission to go to Webb's assistance and led the party to the positions of Stannard's brigade, whence they moved out attacking Pickett's flank. At each halt Colonel Bachelder, by request, gave a description of that particular part of the engagement. At the Wheat field Col. Wilson gave a detailed account of the engagement of Caldwell's Division, Second Corps. Other points were visited and noted, closing with the wide view from Round Top Observatory. Most of the party left for home tonight. General Hancock and Colonel Bachelder remain to visit tomorrow the position of the field in which the General was particularly engaged.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall for this tour. I would have given all my worldly goods (except maybe my books...but even that is up for debate) just to have tagged along and listened to what General Hancock was telling them. I envy every single person who was fortunate enough to have participated in the ultimate of tours.

Pettigrew's Charge at Gettysburg

2009-10-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

Many people have issues with the name "Pickett's Charge" because there were more divisions involved that just Pickett's....Pettigrew and Trimble also had divisions involved. Here, Birkett D. Fry, temporary commander of Archer's Brigade, tells his side of the "Pickett, Pettigrew, Trimble Charge", "Longstreet's Assault", or "Pickett's Charge". After reading this, YOU can decide WHOSE charge it was!

This is Birkett Fry's report. It was found in the Southern Historical Society Papers (Vol. 7, pg. 91-93). Enjoy!

In the numerous accounts of the battle of Gettysburg heretofore published, the writers have generally referred to the last effort made by the Confederate troops as "Pickett's Charge," and in almost every instance have conveyed the idea that no troops but Pickett's division took an active part in that fierce and tremendous struggle. Disclaiming any intention to detract in the least from the glory won on that day by the gallant Virginia division, or its heroic commander, who had then been for more than twenty years one of my most valued friends, I may be permitted to say that some injustice has been done to the division commanded by General Pettigrew.

As colonel of the Thirteenth Alabama infantry, I was attached to Archer's brigade of Heth's division. That brigade opened the battle on the morning of July 1st, and during the fighting which immediately ensued General Heth was wounded, and the command of the division devolved upon Brigadier-General Pettigrew. General Archer was captured, and i succeeded him in command of the brigade.

During the forenoon of the 3rd, while our division was resting in line behind the ridge and skirt of woods which masked us from the enemy, Generals Lee, Longstreet and A. P. Hill rode up, and, dismounting, seated themselves on the trunk of a fallen tree some fifty or sixty paces from where I sat on my horse at the right of our division. After an apparently careful examination of a
map, and a consultation of some length, they remounted and rode away. Staff officers and couriers began to move briskly about, and a few minutes after General Pettigrew rode up and informed me that after a heavy cannonade we would assault the position in our front, and added: "They will of course return the fire with all the guns they have; we must shelter the men as best we can, and make them lie down." At the same time he directed me to see General Pickett at once and have an understanding as to the dress in the advance. I rode to General Pickett, whose division was formed on the right of and in line with ours. He appeared to be in excellent spirits, and, after a cordial greeting and a pleasant reference to our having been together in work of that kind at Chapultepec, expressed great confidence in the ability of our troops to drive the enemy after they had been "demoralized by our artillery." General Garnett, who commanded his left brigade, having joined us, it was agreed that he would dress on my command. I immediately returned and informed General Pettigrew of this agreement. It was then understood that my command should be considered the center, and that in the assault both divisions should align themselves by it. Soon after the two divisions moved forward about a hundred paces, and the men lay down behind our line of batteries. The cannonade which followed has been often and justly described as the most terrible of the war. In it my command suffered a considerable loss. Several officers were killed and wounded, with a number of the rank and file. I received a painful wound on the right shoulder from a fragment of shell. After lying inactive under that deadly storm of hissing and exploding missiles, it seemed a relief to go forward to the desperate assault. At a signal from Pettigrew I called my command to attention. The men sprang up with cheerful alacrity, and the long line advance. "Stormed at with shot and shell," it moved steadily on, and even when grape, canister, and musket balls began to rain upon it the gaps were quickly closed and the alignment preserved. Strong as was the position of the enemy, it seemed that such determination could not fail. I heard Garnett give a command to his men which, amid the rattle of musketry, I could not distinguish. Seeing my look or gesture of inquiry, he called out, "I am dressing on you!" A few seconds after, he fell dead. A moment later - and after Captain Williams and Colonel George had been wounded by my side - a shot through the thigh prostrated me. I was so confident of victory that to some of my men who ran up to carry me off I shouted, "Go on; it will not last five minutes longer!" The men rushed forward into the smoke, which soon became so dense that I could see little of what was going on before me. But a moment later I heard General Pettigrew, behind me, calling to some of his staff to "rally them on the left." The roll of musketry was then incessant, and I believe that the Federal troops - probably blinded by the smoke - continued a rapid fire for some minutes after none but dead and wounded remained in their front. At length the firing ceased, and cheer after cheer from the enemy announced the failure of our attack. I was, of course, left a prisoner.

As evidence of how close was the fighting at that part of the line, I saw a Federal soldier with an ugly wound in his shoulder, which he told me he received from the spear on the end of one of my regimental colors; and I remembered having that morning observed and laughingly commented on the fact that the color-bearer of the Thirteenth Alabama had attached to his staff a formidable-looking lance head. All of the five regimental colors of my command reached the line of the enemy's works, and many of my men and officers were killed or wounded after passing over it. I believe the same was true of other brigades in General Pettigrew's command.

It is probable that Pickett's division, which up to that time had taken no part in the battle, was mainly relied upon for the final assault; but whatever may have been the first plan of attack, the division under Pettigrew went into it as part of the line of battle, and from the commencement of the advance to the closing death grapple, his right brigade was the directing one. General Pettigrew, who I know was that day in the thickest of the fire, was killed in a skirmish a few days later. No more earnest and gallant officer served in the Confederate Army.

B. D. Fry
Montgomery, Alabama, December 14th, 1878.

Liberty Hollinger

2009-10-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

In the course of studying the Civil War, one must always take into account what happened to the civilians. Now, some battles took place far away from towns....only the local farmers were inconvienced by the battle (for the most part), and some took place in and around towns. One in particular that I can think of is Fredericksburg. But what happened in Gettysburg, is that the battle started outside of town, ended outside of town, and trampled the town in the process. So, studying the civilian accounts of the battle is almost (if not more) as important as the participants themselves. Liberty Hollinger was a teenaged girl who happened to live on the eastern side of Gettysburg and her account has always fascinated me.

Liberty lived near the intersection of York Road and Hanover Road. Today a Sunoco gas station sits where her house sat in 1863. The battle didn't really come to her home because the battle stayed on the western, southern and center of town but it did effect her is a way that I have always found interesting.

The fighting for the first day of the battle of Gettysburg was fought hard. The Union troops fought to hold the Confederates from gaining access to the town, but were unable to do that. First the 11th Corps and then the 1st Corps started a frenzied retreat through the town...ending on Cemetery Hill where Winfield Scott Hancock and Oliver Otis Howard were able to regain their footing. During the course of that retreat, men got separated from their regiments, regiments got separated from their brigades, and sometimes, brigades couldn't find their divisions. It was chaos all through the town.

Somehow, some men from the 6th Wisconsin found themselves on the eastern edge of town. These men found themselves at the Hollinger home. Liberty and her sister Julia and their mother were home trying to figure out what to do. The battle had come way too close to their home and they were, understandably, scared. So they called out to these men from the 6th Wisconsin, asking them what they should do. The men suggested that they stay where they were, but told them to go to their cellar. In the meantime, their mother was completely stressed and scared and ended up fainting. So these soldiers carried their mother to the cellar and then headed back upstairs for her rocking chair for her to sit in. After getting Mrs. Hollinger settled in the cellar, the men told Liberty and her sister that they needed to leave because they were afraid that they might be captured.

The girls were horrified when they realized that they had put these men's lives in danger. They thanked the soldiers as the men ran for East Cemetery Hill. “We could not help thinking with fear of the two kind officers who had delayed their departure in order to give us help and advice," Liberty said years later. They were thrilled when they found out after the battle that the two men had survived the battle. The names of these two brave soldiers who helped the Hollinger family were: Captain Lloyd Harris and Lieutenant John Beely.

Despite all the confusion, all the danger of the day, these two men took time out of their retreat to help a family who had no idea what to do or how to do it. They put their lives on the line to help. In my mind, these two men are true heroes.

The Wheatfield Part 3

2009-10-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Romeyn B. Ayres and Hannibal Day arrived with their brigades of U.S. Regulars (these were men who were in the regular army...and not in the volunteer army). They advanced across the Valley of Death (also known as Plum Run Valley) and entered the Wheatfield from the eastern border, which was lined with trees.

As the U.S. Regulars approached the Wheatfield, they were under immense fire from the sharpshooters in Devil's Den. The LARGE boulders of Devil's Den made it a great place where they could hide under cover while shooting at the enemy.

In the meantime, the Confederates came over Stony Hill and through Rose Woods to take over the Wheatfield. The U. S. Regulars then retreated back up to Little Round Top.

Well, General Samuel W. Crawford wasn't going to let it end this way. So he grabbed some of his own men plus a few stray men and regiments (my great great grandfathers regiment was one of these....the 98th Pennsylvania) and they left the northern end of Little Round Top and took the same route as Day and Ayres.

Through this attack, Crawford was able to push the Confederates out of the Wheatfield and back behind the Stony Hill. He realized that his troops were exhausted so he pulled them back to the woods on the eastern edge of the Wheatfield. Darkness then arrived. The Wheatfield remained "no-mans land" for the remainder of the battle.

Casualties:
Confederate -- 1394
Union -------- 3215

This fighting was extremely intense. Its been called a whirlpool of fighting and that is a good description because of the back and forth pull of who was in charge of that field. Overall, it seems almost ironic that despite the fighting, the Wheatfield ended up in no ones hands.

Wheatfield Part 2

2009-10-25T23:38:00.000-07:00

When General Hancock saw General Sickles Third Corps heading for the Peach Orchard, he went to his reserve Division, under John C. Caldwell, and told them to prepare to go help the Third Corps. So they got themselves prepared to go help.

Off Caldwell's men went. There were 4 brigades: Zook, Brooke, Kelly, and Cross. Brooke's brigade was held in reserve while the other three went straight into the Wheatfield. Zook and Kelly (the Irish Brigade) drove the Confederates off of the Stony Hill while Cross cleared the Wheatfield of Confederates. But within 15 minutes, Cross's men ran out of ammunition. So they had to fall back....but in came Brooke's men.

The Confederates fell back to the edge of Rose Woods (southern edge of the Wheatfield). The Federal army was able to capture dozens of prisoners and then advance back to the stonewall. But then the Peach Orchard completely fell apart and now Confederate reinforcements were on the way. Brooke went to Caldwell asking for help but Caldwell was already looking for help. And there was nothing that Brooke could do but fall back.

The Confederates were back in control of the Wheatfield (for the second time).

I've actually had a friend who claims to know "all things" Gettysburg, tell me that the monuments to Brooke's men in the Wheatfield are wrong. That none of these men were actually in or around the Wheatfield. That's the most rediculous thing I have ever heard. Brooke WAS in and around the Wheatfield. That's how the Union regained control of it the second time.

Another thing to keep in mind, during this time two of the four brigade commanders were killed: Zook and Cross. So, in losing their commanders, sometimes the control of the brigade gets a little out of wack. This happened to half of this division and might explain why they were able to fall back so much easier than they normally would have. They fought hard....but there was chaos also.

These are just some things to keep in mind while touring the Wheatfield while in Gettysburg.

Cold Mountain

2009-10-24T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I broke down and got this movie from Netflix (the greatest invention since the car!). I saw it when it came out about 6 years ago....and I wasn't impressed. But I decided to watch it a second time. I have new knowledge of the time period, the Civil War, and life in general...so I was hoping to gain new insight into this movie. And I did.

First, I'm no prude, but some of the scenes in the movie were a bit "over the top" for me. I don't appreciate all that nudity...if it doesn't really enhance the movie. I'm not sure, maybe the movie was cleaned up a bit for DVD but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I remember. Still some nudity, but not anywhere near as bad as I remember.

The scenes of the Crater are more intense than I remember. I think that since I understand the Civil War so much more than I did a few years ago, the intensity of the battle scenes horrified me. Not that they shouldn't. War is horrific. Seeing the dead and dying lying on the field....even if they were just pretending....made me feel so horrible. I found tears streaming down my face before I realized what was happening. Then I started thinking about the fighting at Gettysburg and I got even more upset. These poor men who fought.

But living the Civilian experience is what really went through me. I never really understood just what these people experienced. Even when the war wasn't in their backyard, they were still hit head on by the war. The men were gone and the women had to keep the farms going. These were tough women....but they didn't have the strength to keep a big farm running. And somehow, through desperation, they did what they had to do in order to survive. I admire these women more than I can ever describe. How did they do it?

After watching the movie this morning, I decided that it isn't nearly as bad as I remember it being. It's funny how sometimes you have to watch a movie a few times in order to fully understand it. This was definitely one of those movies. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the Civil War...because this will show just what kind of suffering took place...both on the battlefield and on the home front.

The Wheatfield Part 1

2009-10-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

I've been spending some time studying deeply the fighting in the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. This fighting is known as "a whirlpool"...and for good reason. The Wheatfield changed hands at least 6 times in the 2 hour fighting. One thing that I have learned in my intense studying of this fighting, is that it can be divided up into 3 parts. Here, I'm going to talk about each section individually.

First, the Wheatfield was owned by George and Dorothy Rose who lived outside of Philadelphia. The land was being farmed by George's brother, John. This Wheatfield was a 28 acre section of the Rose Farm.

On July 2nd, 1863, Joseph Sherfy's Peach Orchard was taken over by Daniel Sickles in a move that has been debated for years as to whether it was a good move or not. Dan Sickles' Third Corps was beaten back by McLaws Confederate Division...made up of the Brigades of Kershaw, Barksdale, Wofford, and Semmes. As the Peach Orchard was in front of the Wheatfield, the Confederates pushed through it and headed straight for the Wheatfield.

In the Wheatfield, there were already some men moving into position to protect the left wing of the Union army. Some of these men were Regis deTrobriand's brigade was already on the Stony Hill (the border on the west) and Winslow's Battery (Battery D, 1st New York Light Artillery). The 17th Maine (of deTrobriand's Brigade) was situated behind the stone wall (south border of the Wheatfield). George T. Anderson's brigade attacked through Rose Woods coming at the Union army (mostly the 17th Maine) from the south. Somehow the 17th Maine was able to hold the stonewall.

While the fighting on the southern edge of the Wheatfield was going on, deTrobriand's other three regiments were on the Stony Hill. General James Barnes' division (actually 2 brigades) came to help hold the western end of the Wheatfield. They stationed themselves on the Stony Hill and waited for the Confederates to approach.

The 17th Maine was getting hit, hard, by the Confederates coming at them from the south. So they had to fall back....but not before Winslow's Battery came to the rescue. They started by shooting solid shot into the trees. They had to shoot well above the heads of the 17th Maine because they were directly in front of them. By shooting into the trees, they were able to knock down large pieces of branches and trunks, causing almost as much harm as shooting case shot at the men.

Finally the 17th Maine fell back and Winslow and his men were able to start shooting shell and case shot. They cut the fuses to go off 1 - 1 1/2 seconds after they were fired. But Anderson's men couldn't leave the woods. So instead of coming straight at the Union army, they went around to the side so that they could start picking off some of the artillerymen. Winslow and his men was on the high ground in the Wheatfield and were dangerously exposed so they were forced to retreat to safer ground.

Suddenly the men on the Stony Hill withdrew under pressure from the men of Anderson's Brigade and Kershaw's Brigade coming from the west. Some of Kershaw's men approached the Stony Hill while the right-most regiments continued into Rose Woods.

Barnes felt that he couldn't hold the Stony Hill any more and retreated back to Wheatfield Road (the northern border of the wheatfield). This was when the 17th Maine and deTRobriand's other men had to fall back. Without help, there was nothing they could do. Because of Barnes' men falling back and the fall back of the other regiments, the Stony Hill fell into Confederate hands.

All this took place in the course of under 1 hour. And all this set the stage for part two.

Eschelman's Battery

2009-10-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here is what is on the marker to Eschelman's Battery in Gettysburg:

C.S.A.

Army of Northern Virginia

Longstreet's Corps Artillery Reserve

Eschelman's Battalion

The Washington Louisiana Artillery

Miller's Squires, Richardson's, and Norcom's Batteries

Eight Napoleons and Two Twelve pounder howitzers

July 3. Arrived on the field before daylight and was engaged all day. Captured 1 three inch rifle.

July 4. At 9 am ordered to Cashtown to reinforce the Cavalry escorting the wagon train.

Losses. Killed 3, wounded 26, missing 16. Total: 45

Horses Killed and disabled 37. Guns disabled 3.

The marker is probably in the wrong location as the Battery was set up between the Smith house (Klingel) and the Rogers house on Emmitsburg Road.

It also says that they captured a three inch ordnance rifle but what it doesn't say is that the gun was found abandoned by the Battalion. Thompson's Battery left the gun behind when it moved back and was found by the Confederates.

But the thing that this battalion is probably best known for is that Miller's Battery was the battery who shot off the signal shots for the commencement of the Cannonade prior to Pickett's Charge. They were supposed to fire off 2 shots simultaneously but the one gun had a slight problem and the guns went off with a pause between the shots. Either way, it was the signal to begin the cannonade....the largest cannonade on North American soil.

I can't help but wonder if there are any statistics on the men in the batteries. How many of these men either went deaf during the war, or lost their hearing in years after the war? I wonder if anyone out there ever checked this out? It would be interesting to find out.

Jesse James and the Civil War

2009-10-18T00:35:00.000-07:00

The other day I had the opportunity to watch a documentary on Jesse James. Having had no prior information on this notorious criminal, I thought this would be something that would help me understand the beginnings of our country. What I learned really kind of blew me away.

I did not know that Jesse James was in the Civil War. He was a Confederate guerrilla who's base of operations were the deep woods of Missouri. Throughout his lawless days, he used the tactics that he learned from the Civil War and applied them to robbing banks, trains, stage coaches and whatever else he decided that he needed to rob.

The James gang included his brother Frank, the Younger brothers, and some other fellows that he knew from his guerrilla days. This is probably why his robberies were so successful for him...using the tactics that they had learned...but the civilians that happened to be on the right side of the law during these escapades didn't know these tactics and ended up the victims of some of these horrible crimes.

Frank James didn't really want to be a part of this gang but was pulled in by his younger brother. At the end of all this lawlessness, Frank turned himself in, was acquitted in court and spent the rest of his days as a farmer in Tennessee. Jesse's life turned out quite different.

Before I talk a little more about Jesse, I think we should take a look at their parents. Their dad died when Jesse was quite small and his mom, Zerelda remarried. This documentary didn't talk too much about their stepfather, so I'm not sure what happened to him. But their mom was just as bad as her sons. When one of Allan Pinkerton's detectives showed up at the farm where she lived (and her sons were staying), the detective ended up dead, with a note attached to him stating that this is what would happen if they kept snooping around the farm. No one really knows who shot the detective, but it could have been any of them. Zerelda had as bad a reputation as her sons.

The Younger brothers were killed during a robbery and the gang sort of fell apart. After a few years, Jesse married his cousin...had two kids (a boy and a girl)....changed his name and tried to live a normal life. BUT he couldn't. The criminal world was calling. So, he rounded up a new gang and restarted his life of crime. His children never knew their real last name.

One day, Jesse was starting to pack up so that he could head out on another crime spree. It was a really warm day and he had to take off his coat. But he didn't want his neighbors to wonder why he was loaded up with guns, so he took his guns off (something that he NEVER did). He placed the guns on his bed. For some reason, he was on a ladder in his bedroom and one of his men walked in, saw the guns on the bed, Jesse on a ladder (with his back to the door), and the man had his opportunity. He pull out his gun, cocked it, and shot Jesse James right through the back of his head.

After the death of Jesse James, his reputation went from cold-blooded killer to national icon. He became larger than life. What wasn't being said was how he went around just killing people, robbing them, causing damage to the lives of these innocent people. He wasn't some sort of strange hero....he was a murderer who needed to be caught and executed. Sometimes you need to kill in order to save lives. I truly believe that even if he had been placed in jail, he would have gotten out. He had the means and the help.

If I hadn't watched this documentary, I never would have put a connection between the horrible things that Jesse James was known for and the Civil War. The War changed people...and not always for the best. This was one of those times that the War changed someone for the worse. But who knows, based on the way his mom was, maybe he would have ended up like this anyway.

Lost Bodies

2009-10-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about the boys who fought both on the North and South. These guys were just normal everyday people just like the rest of us. They had families, jobs, responsibilities. But they did something that I don't know if I could do....they went off to war. And some of these guys never returned.

Most of these men and boys returned home....in coffins....but some have remained where they fell. And some of these guys are just now being found.

About thirteen years ago, a Confederate soldier was unearthed in Gettysburg. Just last October a New York soldier was discovered in Antietam. And now I read that a body was located in Franklin, Tennessee. Only this time, they have no idea which side he was on.

Every time I hear about a soldier's body being found, there is also a report about a funeral for him. Gettysburg buried him with military honors at Gettysburg National Cemetery. Antietam had him reinterred in New York....right where he belongs....but not without a ceremony in Antietam and then again in New York. Franklin had a grand funeral for him, but it wasn't just for him....it was for all the soldiers. I'm so glad that these boys, regardless of which side they were on, are receiving the proper burials that they deserve.

Going off to war today is a little different than it was 150 years ago. The chances of being killed in a war today are quite a bit slimmer than they were during the Civil War, although those chances still exist...and the weaponry is quite different. But these men stood, literally, in front of these muskets, rifles, and cannons and, more or less, dared them to shoot them. And many did get shot....and many died. I could not do it. I am too much of a wimp to allow myself to be put in a situation like that. These men were anything but wimps. Even the shirkers were still braver than I could ever be.

I will never look down at any soldier, Union or Confederate, who fought. These men are my heroes....every single one of them (even the guys I don't like....like Dan Sickles....are still my heroes). I'm so glad that the National Parks are getting involved in the reinterment of these men and that they are allowing us, the civilians, to get a glimpse of what and who these men were.

Like I said before, these guys are my heroes and I'm so glad that we can be apart of honoring them for what they did!

Civil War Fiction

2009-10-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Occasionally I find that reading nonfiction books on the Civil War a little "heavy". I LOVE Civil War books. I read them constantly, but every once in a while, I need to read something....light....some world that I can fall into just to forget the things that cause my day to day life to become unbearable at times.

A friend of mine gave me some books the other day and in the pile of books was a book called "Jacob's Ladder" by Donald McCaig. Well, I looked at the pile of books that I'm reading (I always have at least 4 books going at once....and I've learned to read different genres when reading all these books....reading two biographies at once can become EXTREMELY confusing) and I just couldn't pick up any of those books. I needed a break. Not a big break....just a break. So I grabbed this novel and started to read.

At first, I found it boring. I don't normally read fiction and I have a difficult time getting into some of these books....I don't know the characters....or the locations. So, trying to figure out who was who and what was what made me a little confused. When you read a Civil War book, you know who the main characters are. When you read a Civil War book, you know the locations. Non-fiction, especially on a subject that you enjoy, can be easy to slip into because you know what is about to happen....its like an old friend....you just don't know the details. So I started reading this book. AND I haven't been able to put it down.

This book is the story of a couple of slaves who get married. One is in love with the other, but the other doesn't love this person back. The wife is sold away. But it doesn't stop there, it also tells the story of the slave owners. The reasons for needing the slaves, the reasons that slavery was important in the south. I would never think that Slavery, in any form, is ok....but this book almost makes it sound like it is necessary. My mind will never change about the slavery issue....it's wrong on all levels. But I almost feel sympathy towards the owners.

I'm only about 1/2 way through the book so I can't get into details on what happens...because I don't know. But I find myself sympathizing with quite a few characters in this book...even the "bad guys". Now, as I said, I don't normally read fiction books...only because I have to learn as much about the Civil War as I possibly can in the next 14 months (the Guide test is in Dec. 2010), but once in a while a fiction book is fun to read....and gives me a lot to think about. This happens to be one of them. If you read it, enjoy it. If you don't, then think about possibly reading it.

Battle of Iuka Part 2

2009-10-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

On September 18, 1862, Major General Edward Ord (USA) arrives and starts skirmishing with the Confederates within six miles of town. This mostly occurs in the evening/overnight. Ord demands that Major General Sterling Price (CSA) surrender but he flat out refuses.

Major General William S. Rosecrans (USA) is ordered up to help Ord with the Confederates but he has more miles to cover and muddy roads to cross so its taking him a little bit longer to reach Iuka, Mississippi. U.S. Grant wants the fighting to start simultaneously but doesn't know exactly when Rosecrans is going to arrive so he tells Ord not to start fighting until he hears that Rosecrans has started. They were a few miles apart, coming from opposite directions, so there should be no problem in hearing the fighting start.

In the meantime, Major General Earl Van Dorn (CSA) suggests that Price and their two armies should meet in Rienzi. By joining forces, they can then attack the Union forces in the area. So Price prepares to march on September 19.

But Rosecrans, who was supposed to arrive via two different roads, arrives on the Jacinto Road and runs into pickets which he is able to push back. When they were within two miles of town, they were attacked by Little's Division (CSA) on Mill Road...right at the intersection of the Jacinto Road. The fighting started and continued well until dark.

Due to a wind coming in from the north, Ord never heard the battle. Thus, he never got involved in the fighting. General Grant didn't even know the battle took place until it was over. Grant then prepared his men to continue the fighting the next day. But when daylight broke, they discovered that the Confederates had withdrawn. It was a Union victory.

Casualties: Union - 790
Confederate - 1516

This is a battle that you hear little about. In trying to determine what is a major battle and what is a minor battle, I have come to the conclusion that if I read about a particular battle several times and am very aware of it...then its going to be considered a major battle. If I have never heard of or am not very aware of a particular battle, then I will consider it a minor battle. This isn't very scientific, but this is the way that I have to distinguish the two. As such, this battle (in my mind at least) is a major battle.

After the fighting at Iuka subsided, Grant sent Rosecrans out to chase the Confederates but after several miles they just gave up. This all leads up to the events that will eventually become the Second Battle of Corinth.

Battle of Iuka Part 1

2009-10-11T23:32:00.000-07:00

In my continuing chase to understand every major battle of the Civil War, I've decided to do another mini-study....this time on the Battle of Iuka, Mississippi. This first part is about the events leading up to the battle. Part 2 will be the battle itself.

On September 14, 1862, Colonel Robert C. Murphy snuck into Iuka, MS before sunrise in order to set fire to some supply depots. Iuka was a Union supply depot for the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Murphy and his men were stationed in Corinth, about 20 miles east of Iuka.

When the Confederates, who happened to be in Iuka at the time, saw the fires, they quickly put the flames out and then rescued whatever supplies they could get. It seems that they were able to get a pretty good haul from the Union army.

General Ulysses S. Grant was furious. He arrested Col. Murphy and had him court-martialed.

In the meantime, Major General Sterling Price (CSA) waited in Iuka for Major General Earl Van Dorn and his Army of Western Tennessee. The plan was that they were going to combine forces and attack Grant's communications in western Tennessee. If Grant did what they thought he was going to do, they planned to overtake him and eventually destroy the army.

What they didn't plan on, was that Grant didn't wait for Van Dorn's army to arrive. He sent Major General Edward Ord to Iuka following the Memphis and Charleston Railroad from the northwest. Then he sent Major General William S. Rosecrans into Iuka from the southwest....following the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. This meant that Van Dorn was completely cut off and couldn't get to Price.

The battle was on!

In order to put this battle into context with the rest of the Civil War, notice the date: Sept. 14, 1862 (when all this started)...this is the exact date of the Battle for South Mountain. Three days later would be the Battle of Antietam. The Battle of Iuka will actually take place on Sept. 19, 1862. By looking at what else was happening in the Civil War, we can get a better feel for just how strong the armies were, how they were thinking, how experienced they were, and how much longer they had to go. This helps in studying the Civil War and understanding why events happened in the way that they did.

Death....where is thy sting?

2009-10-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

The deaths of the soldiers is something that, unless we have actually experienced it ourselves, is something that we can never completely understand. These are men who had families but gave their lives for their country.....something only a hero would do. When I start thinking about it, it becomes more than my poor mind can handle.

After the Battle of Gettysburg (and I only use this as an example because these sorts of things occurred after EVERY battle in the Civil War) the civilians were more or less left to clean up the mess. Contacting the loved ones of these heroes was something that frequently was done by the civilians. Here is a letter that I found that shows just what a "typical" letter to a family member was like. This letter is talking about having the remains shipped home.

Mr. C. B. Burns
My dear Sir

The remains of your brother was sent to the express office yesterday. I saw them disinterred the day before -- I found a grave (marked with his name) alone, back of the barn on the Walter [Weible] place, the front teeth as you described Sound. The clothing was so decayed that I could not recognize them. The buttons were not brass guilt as you described but military. The neck tie being silk was not fully rotted. So also a small military flag which I suppose he had pocketed as a trophy as also his shoulder straps all of which I have -- & they are subject to your order. I have not at present the liesure to prepare pack & send them to you. The board that stood at the head of his grave is in the box & whoever marked it will be able to recognize it -- trusting I have satisfactorily attended to the trust. I have the pleasure of being very

Respectfully yours,
J.W.C. O'Neal

Thoughts on the ghosts

2009-10-09T23:50:00.000-07:00

First...I need to make sure that everyone knows that what I am about to write, is neither for nor against the Ghost Tours. They are what they are. There isn't much nightlife in Gettysburg and this gives the tourists something to do. So, please, before shooting off "hate emails" to me, please read what I have to say. And then if you have issues with what I have to say, then you may email me....in a respectful manner only, please.

I live in Gettysburg. I LOVE Gettysburg. I love everything about this place....the battlefield, the town, the atmosphere, and sometimes, the tourists. We have many, many small businesses that seem to be flourishing, despite the economy. One of those businesses is the Ghost Tours. We have no less than 13 different companies offering these tours....some on the streets, some in the alleys, some in local buildings, but all offering the experience to see and hear about the ghosts in Gettysburg.

I won't get into whether or not ghosts exist. That is something that only YOU can decide. The stories that you hear can be quite entertaining....some MAY be true. Most, unfortunately, are not. For instance, I live next door to a business that regularly has ghost tours stopping at their establishment. The building was here at the time of the battle. My house was NOT. My house was built around 1900...until then, the lot was empty. One night I was listening to one of the tour leaders pointing up to my house and telling the tourists that during the battle, Confederate sharpshooters were in my house shooting at the Union troops across the street. Huh? In what? A ghost house? Ok...so I'm a little entertained now. Then the leader proceeded to tell the people that at certain times in the evening if you look, you can see someone walking around in one of the windows. Well, YEAH! I LIVE there. So, please in case you go on these tours wanting to believe everything, not all the stories are completely true.

The one issue that I have with this whole ghost tour phenomena is that the men who fought here and died here have become a business. Folks are making money on the tragedy of what occurred in this town. Now, with this I would also have to say that the souvenir shops are in the same category....but in a different way....they aren't feeding off the souls of the departed.

Gettysburg is and has been a tourist town since the battle in 1863. That's 146 years of people coming from all over the country...and the world, to see and experience what the soldiers saw and experienced. Yes, these folks need food, drink, places to stay, reminders of their stay, photo opportunities and entertainment. I would NEVER take any of that away from them. We need this in order to keep Gettysburg a viable town. My issues are with the exploiting of these men. So, if and when you come to Gettysburg, PLEASE....go to our restaurants, stay in our hotels, visit our museums, go on a ghost tour....but PLEASE remember to take a moment to think of the men....the REAL men who fought and died here. Take time to remember the horrors they experienced....the pain they felt. Walk through the Cemetery and thank them. Not every man who fought here haunts Gettysburg....but please, let them haunt your mind. If you listen, you can hear them calling to you to remember.

January 9, 1861

2009-10-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

A few months before the Civil War "officially" began, there was a bit of a skirmish in South Carolina....or should I say, off the coast of South Carolina...in Charleston Harbor.

The Star of the West was a civilian ship that was dispatched on Jan. 5, 1861 to carry supplies to Major Robert Anderson at Fort Sumter. The ship was dispatched by President James Buchanan.

While on the way to the fort, the ship was fired upon by batteries on Morris Island and Fort Moutrie. Neither Major Anderson nor the commander of the ship fired back and the ship eventually withdrew out of Charleston Harbor.

On April 18, 1861 the ship was finally captured by the General Earl Van Dorn (CSA) in the Gulf of Mexico. The Confederates changed its name to St. Phillip. It served as a hospital ship until Admiral David Farragut captured New Orleans.

But the ship continued. It carried gold, silver, and currency to Vicksburg. Eventually, the ship was sunk (purposely) near Greenwood, MS in order to block the way for the Federal flotilla coming up the Tallahatchie River.

Its amazing the "little" things that you come across when researching "bigger" events. The Star of the West, although I've known of it, turns out to have played a bigger role in the Civil War than I thought. This is the "Little Ship that Could".

When the war was finally over, the owners of the ship requested repayment from the United States Government for their ship and they were one of the more fortunate ones, they received $175,000.

Morning Light

2009-10-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

I look forward to this time of the year because the Gettysburg battlefield opens at 6am...but the sun doesn't come up until 6:45ish. What this means, is that I am on the field in the complete darkness...and can watch the sun rise above the fields.

The best thing about hitting the fields in the early morning, is that there is no one around. Last week I was parked at the top of Devil's Den....right near the sharpshooter's den....and was up there for over an hour and never saw another car, nor another person. I like the solitude of the battlefield in the early morning.

As I stand on the field in complete darkness, I can hear the birds singing (is it just me or are the birds louder right before sunrise???) and calling back and forth to one another. I hear the woodpeckers pecking away at a branch on a tree. I can hear wildlife moving back and forth through the weeds. And its just me....listening. While I stand out on the fields in the darkness, I imagine myself as a soldier....what were they thinking, what were they doing, how were they feeling...before the sun rises and starts a new day....a new day of fighting and death?

I truly don't know if I could do the things that these guys did. They put their lives on the line every single day. Could I do that? Could I stand out in the open, marching across a field, shooting another human? These are the thoughts that cross my mind as I stand waiting for the sun to rise. Fortunately, its really cold this morning and I need to keep moving in order to keep my body warm. So I concentrate on that instead of meditating on the soldiers.

Suddenly I look to the east, and I see the sky starting to lighten. The sun isn't awake yet....but it's trying. I sit and listen....waiting....still, no other people around. I love this time of the day! I wait....and wait....and wait and suddenly a little bit of sun appears. As I wait, more and more of the sun rises above the horizon. Its now time for the world to awaken. I hear more cars out on Emmitsburg Road....still nothing in the park. More and more critters are stirring and moving around. I see a rabbit run across the road. The birds are still calling to one another. And the day is starting.

One of the most amazing things to see in the early morning light is how the sun illuminates the monuments. There's something about the sun right after it rises that causes things on the monuments to shine that you wouldn't see at any other time of the day. The redness of the light and the position of the sun, makes the bas relief pictures on the monuments jump to life. Pictures of these pictures are almost in 3-D. Its an amazing thing to see.

As I walk along, taking pictures and listening to the sounds, I think about the battle. I try to picture the soldiers....the smoke....the sounds. It's hard for me to imagine it because I have never experienced it, but I get a picture in my head...and its not pretty.

Suddenly, a car appears and its heading towards me. It's at this point that I know the spell has been broken and I need to head out. Even if the car stops right where it is and I don't see the people, the spell is broken. Someone has invaded my space...and its time to go. BUT I'll be back....the next morning.

Captain Chase Philbrick

2009-10-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

This man happens to be the reason the Battle of Ball's Bluff even took place. Not that HE did anything wrong, but it was the start of a chain of events that just kept snowballing....leading straight to the battle itself. It was an overwhelming Confederate victory and the end result was the forming of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. All this for a little mistake.

It all started on October 20, 1861. There had been a lot of troop movement on both sides of the Potomac River....nothing serious, just a lot of movement. Keep in mind, this was three months after the 1st Battle of Manassas. The majority of the troops had never been in a war...nor a battle....before and these events were all new to them.

So, around midnight on the 20th....going into the 21st....Chase Philbrick and about 20 men were sent across the Potomac River to see just what was happening in Leesburg. Were the Confederates there or not? So, the men got to the other side of the River (after crossing Harrison's Island) and took the cow path up the side of the bluff. They walked across the field and followed the cart path to the top of a hill (today, it is in the area where the housing development ends and the park begins).

When they reached the top of the hill, they used the moon light to look down into Leesburg to see if there were campfires, movement, etc. They stood and looked. Suddenly they saw tents....quite a few of them....off in the distance. But there was no movement, no campfires, nothing to make them believe that they were being used. So, Captain Philbrick took his men, they recrossed the river and the Island and told what they had seen.

The next morning, as the sun came up, a group of 100+ men, recrossed the river and the island, followed the same path that the Philbrick group had followed and recrossed the field via the cart path. When they got to the top of the hill, they looked towards where Philbrick and his men saw the abandoned tents (which they were sent to raid) and realized that what the men saw in the moonlight were actually trees.

So, disappointed, the men went back to the bluff and waited while one man recrossed the river and the island, and report what they had found. Now, at this point, I should mention that if the entire group had recrossed the river, this reconnaissance mission would be a footnote in the annals of history....something that very few, if any, would ever remember. But they didn't cross it....they stayed.

While they were waiting for word on what to do, the Union troops had a little run in with some Confederates out on patrol. And to make a long story short, the Battle of Ball's Bluff had begun. This is a lesson that we all can learn from, when we do something (even if it seems to be something really small...like not crossing a river) the results can effect us for the rest of our lives. Many, many men were killed and wounded during this battle....all because they mistook some trees for a tent.

Arthur James Lyon Fremantle

2009-10-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

One of the books that any Gettysburg aficionado must read is Arthur Fremantle's book "Three Months in the Southern States". This is a great behind the scenes look at the Confederacy from someone who was a neutral observer to the war.

Arthur Fremantle was born in 1835 and worked his way up the ladder to become a Lt. Col. in Her Majesty's Coldstream Guards. In March, 1863 he was able to take a leave of absence and travel to America to observe the war.

Throughout his book, he tells of the struggles that he encountered crossing the Texas desert, trying to reach the Mississippi River before the Union took control and he wouldn't be able to cross, and trying to reach General Lee's army....his ultimate goal.

During his travels, he ran across people, such as, John B. McGruder, Joseph E. Johnston, Edmund Kirby Smith, Braxton Bragg, and so many more. He also heard about the victory at Chancellorsville and also the wounding and eventual death of Stonewall Jackson.

It wasn't until June 27, 1863....4 days before the battle of Gettysburg that he finally met General James Longstreet. During his time spent with Longstreet, he was able to have long conversations with him about the war, battle strategies, and such. Col. Fremantle was able to observe the fighting on all three days of the battle but missed the charge itself on July 3. He was trying to get to the Seminary Cupola when the cannonade started and by the time he got back, the charge was done and overwith.

On July 7, Fremantle left Longstreet and with a note of neutrality, headed for New York City. On July 14, he noticed a lot of tensions in the streets....which progressively got worse....He had made it in time for the draft riots.

Finally on July 15, he left New York City for his long trip home to England.

Fremantle is one of those people (who, like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain), became a "household" name after Michael Shaara's novel, "The Killer Angels". The book made him look a great deal more important to the cause than what he was, but he did have long discussions with Longstreet about the war and such. What most people don't seem to realize is that "The Killer Angels" is a book of fiction (this is why its located in the fiction section of the bookstore)....so we need to realize that these characters are built up to move the story along. Learn about the REAL Fremantle....read his book!

National Parks

2009-10-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

I have been watching Ken Burns' documentary series on the National Parks on PBS this week. This movie has been extremely educational. To say that I've learned a lot would be an understatement. The history of the National Park system is something that I have known very little about....until now.

Although, so far, nothing has been said about the National Military Parks, National Historic Sites, National Monuments, etc, this documentary really does explain the beginnings of some of our Civil War battlefields which have been put under the heading of the National Parks.

When "The Civil War" (one of Ken Burns' most famous films) came out, many historians were highly upset because of the amount of inaccuracies in the film. Yes, there were some, that even I, an amateur historian could pick out. But the overall good that that film did to promote our nations past was better than the bad points. Is "The National Parks" film inaccurate, also? I have no idea....I don't know enough about the history, but what I can say is that this film will renew an interest in our nations resources.

Although, so far the series is dealing only with the "natural" National Parks (Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc) we can carry over the feelings behind the beginnings of these parks into our very own Civil War Parks. The reason all of these parks were created was to preserve what was there. How do we explain to our children and grandchildren that the Grand Canyon was demolished to create another "city"...how do we tell our children and grandchildren about the geysers at Yellowstone that were plowed over to put in a mall....how do we explain to our children and grandchildren about a war that literally tore our nation apart? We need to see the ground. This is why we need our national parks.

I have to thank Ken Burns for bringing to the forefront our nations heritage. He has singlehandedly turned the quest for knowledge of our past into a serious adventure. Throughout every single one of his films (whether its an hour or 12 hours) he has brought to light the stories that have made our nation what it is. He has told the little known stories of our past so that now these stories are well-known. I, for one, am very thankful for the films that he has made.

Please take a day or two to sit down and watch at least one episode of this fantastic series. You may find yourself addicted to it, as I have. Through watching this series, I feel as if I have made some new friends from the past....friends that I do not want to ever lose touch with!

The Aftermath of Cold Harbor

2009-09-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

The end of the fighting at Cold Harbor is just as confusing as the battle itself. Sharpshooters and artillery were still struggling here and there after the battle. The two opposing sides sat and stared at each other until June 12. Which leads me to a question: If Grant's goal was to hold the crossroads at Old Cold Harbor "at all hazards" and after the battle, Grants STILL had the crossroads....did he really lost this battle?

After the battle on June 3, thousands of Federal wounded lay between the lines. Because of sharpshooting, the Union army was not able to get out to get their wounded. These men lay out there for 9 days.....needing water, food, shade, medical attention, etc. MANY of these men died. Grant had actually asked Lee for a 2 hour truce so that they could retrieve their wounded (3 days later) but they couldn't reach a compromise so that was never attempted.

Finally on June 12, after dark, Grant led his men away. They were able to move to the east and swing around the Confederate lines and eventually cross the James River. But now the Confederates have a problem: Its a race to see who can reach Richmond first. If Richmond falls...so does the Confederacy. Remember, this is the beginning of the end of the war.

According to the National Park Service, the casualties were like this: Union - 13,000 Confederates - 2,500. The numbers greatly change depending on who you read. The Union casualty numbers would be about half that if they had been allowed to retrieve their wounded.

This loss caused an anti-war sentiment to spread throughout the north. People wanted this war OVER. But it also caused the morale of the Union troops to be lowered. And there weren't that many of the Union troops left any more.

One additional note: The Cold Harbor Tavern (Burnett's Tavern) was used as a Union hospital after the battle.

I've enjoyed learning about this battle. I've heard so much about it and yet never really bothered to study it....to understand what happened....to understand the implications of the battle....to see how it fit into the whole scheme of the war. Now that I have studied it, I understand so much more of what happened, how it happened, who was involved, how it effected the outcome of the war, etc. This has been a truly huge eye-opener for me and I look forward to studying more battles and understanding them also!

June 3, 1864

2009-09-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

At 4:30 in the morning, 3 Union Corps advanced on the Confederates at a tiny crossroads in Old Cold Harbor. Based on how the Confederates had entrenched themselves the day before, the Union was going to have to fight harder than they had ever fought before. Unfortunately, heavy artillery fire from the Confederates caused more casualties than they expected.

Major General Winfield Scott Hancock's II Corps was the only corps to make any sort of advance. They were able to break through Major General John C. Breckinridge's line. After fighting in hand-to-hand combat, the Union forces were able to take the earthworks. But nearby Confederate artillery attacked the Federals and the earthworks were turned into a death trap. Breckinridge's reserves counterattacked the Union forces (being led by Brigadier General Francis Barlow) and they were driven off. Gibbon's Division became disoriented when they got into some swampy ground and could not advance.

Major General Horatio Wright's VI Corps didn't try to advance once the Confederate artillery started firing on them.

Major General William F. "Baldy" Smith's XVIII Corps was channeled into 2 ravines and when they emerged, the Confederate artillery basically mowed them down.

Major General Gouverneur K. Warren's V Corps didn't want to advance at all.

Major General Ambrose Burnside's IX Corps overran skirmishers on the Confederate front and thinking that they had just hit the first earthworks, they stopped to regroup and decided to continue the assault later in the morning. What they didn't realize was that the men they had just forced back were not at the earthworks but were just skirmishers out looking for the enemy.

At 7 am Meade ordered all 3 Corps to assault at once and not pay any attention to what was happening on their flanks. Hancock advised against this assault. Smith refused to advance again. Wright increased his rifle fire but didn't move.

By 12:30 pm, Grant admitted that his army was done. There would be no more fighting.

Union casualties were somewhere between 3,000 and 7,000 (depending on the source) and the Confederate casualties were 1,500 at the most.

This was quite a lopsided defeat for the Union army....an army that seemed to have been on an upswing since General Grant took over the armies. This entire battle could have been handled better, with better leadership. Unfortunately, it seemed that the leadership fell apart on all levels. The only person who seemed to have done any good on the Union side was Hancock....but even then, he was still defeated soundly.

The next post will be about the aftermath of this battle. There were quite a few incidences that occurred following this battle.

June 2, 1864

2009-09-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

To continue with my mini-study of the Battle of Cold Harbor, I'm moving onto the third day of fighting. This is the part of the battle that just completely blows my mind and makes me believe that both Generals Meade and Grant were nuts (or incompetent) and General Lee was a genius. Here's what happened that day:

General Grant and Major General Meade decide that they are going to attack General Lee's right flank....with the previous days fighting on the right, they figured that this would be the weakest part of the link. OK...this could be. So, they call General Winfield Scott Hancock's II Corps to leave Totopotomoy Creek and head over to Old Cold Harbor. Then they tell Major General Gouverneur K. Warren and Major General Ambrose Burnside to attack Lee's left flank in the morning "at all hazards". The plan sounds good so far. The implementation doesn't go so good, though.

Hancock's men ended up marching all night and were completely worn out by the time they got into position. So Grant postponed the attack until 5:30 pm to allow the men to rest. Then the attack got postponed AGAIN until 4:30 am on June 3.

Neither Gens. Grant or Meade gave any specific orders on how to attack Lee....it was left up to the Corps commanders on how to implement the attack....and there was little if any communication between the Corps commanders.

Also, NO senior commander had reconnoitered the enemy's position. So they had no idea where the enemy really was.

In the meantime, while the Union army was trying to do SOMETHING, General Lee decides that now is the time to prepare for attack and he put his men to work making entrenchments.

Maj General John C. Breckinridge was able to drive a small force of Union troops off Turkey Hill which dominated the southern end of the battlefield. It seems that this was the only fighting that took place on this day.

Back to Lee....his men were so busy making breastworks, etc, that they ended up with a 7 mile line. The left flank of his line was on Totopotomoy Creek and the right flank was on the Chickahominy River....which made a flanking attack impossible.

They had barricades made of earth and logs. The artillery was set up in such a way that every avenue of approach would be covered with converging fire. And the breastworks were zigzag lines within lines. A reporter who was walking around the battlefield after the battle described it this way: "Intricate, zig-zagged lines within lines, lines protecting flanks of lines, lines built to enfilade an opposing line, ... [It was] a maze and labyrinth of works within works."

Battle never actually took place this day....it was mostly preparations....but General Lee had the upper hand in getting ready and now its looking like the South is prepared to win this battle. But what will happen? Stay tuned for more on this exciting saga!

Fall is in the air

2009-09-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

I drove around Gettysburg National Military Park this morning and noticed that the trees were just starting to turn colors. This is one of my most favorite times of the year. We should be hitting peak season by the middle of October. As I drove through the Round Tops, Devil's Den and the Wheatfield, I could see bits and pieces of leaves that had already given in to the color changes necessary for fall. In between the green leaves of spring and summer, a yellow leaf here, a red leaf there. So the woods will be full of the other colors of fall.

There is one tree in particular at Evergreen Cemetery that seems to have the brightest red leaves that I have ever seen in my life. As I exit Culp's Hill, the tree is straight in front of me. The red stands out brilliantly against the extra blue of the sky (because the sky always seems to be extra blue in the fall). That tree has begun changing.

It's also gotten a bit cooler. The one thing I really like about fall is that the temperature is perfect during the day (warm...without being hot) and it gets cool at night (enough to require a sweater or jacket). This is a good way for us to acclimate ourselves into dragging our jackets with us where ever we go.....but not enough that we have to wear them....winter is following behind the fall and we will have to wear them then.

Another thing I noticed as I was in the park this morning, was that the squirrels and chipmunks are hard at work, gathering their food for the winter. These little creatures (no matter how much of a pain in the neck they are) are scurrying back and forth, gathering nuts, running for their nests, and repeating the process....over and over and over again. It's fun to watch them. But then I feel guilty for not doing the same thing. Maybe I should be home gathering my food for the winter?

The birds seem to be doing their things, also. I watched a Downy Woodpecker the other day as he pecked and pecked and pecked on a tree until he finally got a bug. I have no idea what sort of bug it was, but it was rather large. The woodpecker seemed quite pleased with his prize and flew off. Was he saving his food also? Or was he taking his find to his family? Or was he just going to find a private place to sit and eat? Oh, I wish I could follow these birds around and see.

Autumn in Gettysburg is an incredibly special time of the year and I recommend it to anyone.

June 1, 1864

2009-09-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

By this time in the battle at Cold Harbor, both sides were badly disorganized. Some of the Union divisions were sent to the wrong places, the Confederates didn't seem to know where they were supposed to be....just complete chaos on both sides.

Confederate Major General Richard H. Anderson led the attack. Union Brigadier General Wesley Merritt's men were attacked in their trenches by Colonel Lawrence Keitt (who was leading General Joseph Kershaw's men). During this fighting, Keitt was mortally wounded.

Major General Robert F. Hoke didn't join in this attack because he didn't think that he was supposed to join.

Finally at 9am, Major General Horatio G. Wright approached the crossroads of Old Cold Harbor but his men had just hiked 15 miles in 9 hours and were exhausted. General Ulysses S. Grant wanted Wright to join in the fighting but Wright insisted on letting his men rest. So they didn't fight at this time.

6:30 PM: Grant's attack finally begins. By dark (probably around 8 pm - they didn't have daylight savings time during the Civil War) the fighting dies down.

The Union had 2,200 casualties and they had captured 750 prisoners.

The fighting on this day almost seems to be a comedy of errors. Murphy's Law was in full effect here.....everything that could have gone wrong, most certainly did. What I find amazing about this whole day of fighting is that they had already been in the Civil War for 3 years....all the bugs should have been worked out and they should have been a well-oiled machine....yet it seems that with all the errors and miscommunication, it was something that you would expect from a 3 month regiment. What happened here????

May 31, 1864

2009-09-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

This was the first "official" day of the fighting at Cold Harbor. Major General Fitzhugh Lee was sent in to help reinforce the troops fighting under Brigadier General Matthew Butler. They were to secure the crossroads at Old Cold Harbor. This was easier said than done. Lets just keep in mind that Fitzhugh Lee was a nephew of General Robert E. Lee.

One of the problems that the Confederates faced in securing the crossroads was that Brigadier General Alfred T. A. Torbert was increasing pressure on the Confederates. So Robert E. Lee ordered Major General Richard H. Anderson to shift to the right from Totopotomoy Creek so that he could support the cavalry. Eventually, Major General Robert F. Hoke joined Butler and Lee at the crossroads.

At 4pm Torbert and parts of Brigadier General David Mc Gregg's cavalry were able to drive off the Confederates from the Old Cold Harbor crossroads. But Major General Philip Sheridan ordered Torbert to pull back to Old Church when he learned that Confederate reinforcements were being pulled to back Butler, Lee, and Hoke.

In the meantime, Major General Horatio G. Wright (USA) moved to Old Cold Harbor.

General Ulysses S. Grant was very much interested in the crossroads and ordered Sheridan to secure the crossroads "at all hazards" (which basically means - hold it regardless of what happens).

So at 1 am Torbert returned to the crossroads and that's when he learned that the Confederates never noticed that he had withdrawn his men.

This was the first day of the fighting at Cold Harbor. Only 14 more days of fighting to study!

Williams Avenue

2009-09-20T22:35:00.000-07:00

For the past month or so, Williams Avenue in Gettysburg has been closed. For those who aren't familiar with Williams Avenue, its on Culp's Hill....when you get to the statue of John White Geary, go straight instead of the heading to the right. Its just a little road....not more than a paved path. I never headed back there much....just trees to see but with it closed, I REALLY wanted to head back there. All I could see with the closing was that they were cutting down trees.

Today, the barricades were removed. So this was just an invitation for me to take a walk along the road. Seems that others had the same idea because I ran into at least 6 other people walking along the road....but only 1 car....a park service vehicle.

When you first walk onto the road, you notice a line of trees and then right behind it a huge clearing. This was one of the first things that they cut down. The tree clearing goes right up to a fence that designates private property. Its a huge open field now....and lots of boulders. I forget about how rocky this land is until something like this happens and suddenly I can see all the boulders. Lots and lots of boulders.

As I walked down the road, suddenly the field came right up to the road. As you looked back, you saw nothing but dirt and trees laying down. Now, if you are driving in your car, you won't notice this, but as a pedestrian you can see all the way to Pardee Field. I was able to take pictures of the Pardee Field Rock/Monument. Because this road is one-way, car traffic will never see this vantage point. I stood for awhile and just took in the scene that lay before me. Now, I have to read up more on Culp's Hill and see just what happened in this area.

One thing that I've always noticed while walking along Williams Avenue is the wildlife. The tree cutting has not done away with that. I was able to see many, many birds. If you stand for a few minutes and just look up into the trees, you are constantly seeing birds darting from one tree to another. And the sounds! I love the sounds of a quiet walk through the woods. Those sounds are still there.

I'm 100% behind the tree clearing and restoring of the land to the way it looked back in 1863. The park is doing some wonderful things to the battlefield and I love it! But this is one clearing that I'm not sure I understand. Most of the roadway is still in the trees. And the area that is getting cleared leads up to private property. Not much action took place in that area. So, I'm not sure I understand what the purpose of the clearing is, but I'll just assume the park knows what it is doing (but then you know what they say about assuming things).

Overall, my walk today was very productive. I really liked what I saw....its just too bad that the only people who will see that view will be those who actually get out of their cars.

R.I.P.

2009-09-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

This week was the anniversary of the battle at Antietam. September 17, 1862....to be exact. Although the anniversary of battles is a very solemn occasion, something took place in Antietam this week that was truly a heartrending occasion and I, personally, would like to thank the National Park Service for doing something truly good.

Now for a little background. About a year or so ago, while walking in The Cornfield at Antietam, a visitor located the remains of a soldier who had fought at Antietam. He was killed going into the Cornfield with so many other young men. What happens so often is that the dead are buried in shallow graves and some were left behind after the battle. In time, the remains will begin to surface. The remains were exhumed and an archaeologist had identified what he could of the remains. It seems that he was a young man (18-20 years old) from the state of New York. That is all that they were able to find out about him.

On Thursday, the anniversary of the battle, the park service had a memorial service for him at Antietam, then placed him in the rear of a hearse to be taken to New York for a proper burial in Saratoga National Cemetery.

I really wish I had attended this service. Unfortunately, because of "stuff" I wasn't able to make it down there, but I did get to see bits and pieces of the ceremony. One of the rangers at Antietam has a blog and I was able to follow it through his blog. Here is how to find his blog:

http://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2009/09/going-home.html. But more importantly (and if you look at only one thing, this is it!), he made a short film about the ceremony and here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9OefwyhR_E

PLEASE watch this. And make sure the tissues are close by....you will need them.

Rest In Peace, our unknown soldier. You have finally made it home!

Cold Harbor

2009-09-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

My next big trip is going to be to the Cold Harbor battlefield. I'm hoping that by the middle of October I will be heading down to Cold Harbor, VA, but that's kind of up in the air for now. I'll know the sooner I get to that date.

So, in advance of my trip, I've decided to read up on the battle. I need to get a good feel for the battle so that once I hit the battlefield, I'll just be taking in the battlefield and trying to understand what happened and how it occurred on that field.

First, some basic facts about the battle:
* occurred May 31 - June 12, 1864
* Also known as "2nd Cold Harbor"
* Commanders: Ulysses S. Grant/George G. Meade (USA) v. Robert E. Lee (CSA)
* Confederate victory
* 15,000 casualties - 13,000 Union/2,000 Confederate
* forces: 108,000 Union/62,000 Confederate

Sheridan's Cavalry attacked Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry on May 31. The Union force was able to force the Confederates beyond the crossroads in this town. But Robert E. Lee was determined to take this town. Seems that Grant was just as determined to take this town. Thus the battle ensued.

I'll be reading more about this battle to understand how the troops moved and what the terrain was like. Terrain is such a key in understanding a battle...any battle. So I'm going to have to start to read up on the rivers/creeks/hills/farms and whatever else may be in the area.

There is a driving tour that can be taken of the battlefield. I will definitely plan to hit this. There are only 6 stops (so it should be fairly easy to take in the battlefield). One thing that I would love to do, but don't know if I'll be able to, is to go into Richmond and see Hollywood Cemetery. Many of the Confederate dead from Gettysburg were interred here and this is a definite must-see on my list of places to go....but I'm not sure if I'll get in there or not.

As I study the battle, I'll be posting more and more about it.

Just some of the Civilians of Gettysburg

2009-09-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm fascinated by the civilians who lived in and around Gettysburg in 1863. Some became quite famous in the years since the battle, some not so famous, and some are names that are lost to history.

Tillie Pierce is quite possibly one of the most famous names you will come across. She was a 15 year old girl who witnessed the battle and the casualties first hand. About 25 years after the battle she wrote a book about what happened here. It's quite possibly the best first hand account of the battle written by a civilian. She didn't worry about grossing people out and didn't make things rosy....she told it the way it was and it wasn't pretty. Tillie and her family lived on Baltimore Street at the time of the battle.

Jacob Weikert lived on Taneytown Road, a few miles south of town...right at the base of Little Round Top. Although it seemed that the Weikert farm would be spared from the effects of the battle, it didn't. The farm was too close to the fighting at Little Round Top, Devil's Den, and the Wheatfield. The farm was used as a hospital for weeks after the battle.

Now what do these two, seemingly different people, have to do with one another? During the battle Tillie left her home with her next door neighbor, Henrietta Schriver, to head for Hettie's parents home....which were the Weikert's. Henrietta had a sister, Beckie, who was about the same age as Tillie. They left Baltimore Street thinking that the battle would stay in town....but it didn't and the battle followed Tillie and Henrietta and her children to the Weikert home.

Today, would we know anywhere near as much about the Weikert farm and the effects of the battle on the farm if it weren't for Tillie and her book? I often think about how some of these folks who were common, everyday people, struggling to live a normal life in a difficult time, and how they have become the "heroes" of the people who study them.

One day I was walking in the Evergreen Cemetery here in Gettysburg. The cemetery is the town cemetery and you can walk amongst the headstones and see name after name after name of people who were living in Gettysburg at the time of the battle. One day I stumbled across Albertus McCreary's headstone. This excited me because I had just read his account of the battle. Albertus was a young boy at the time of the battle and although his account wasn't published (it was published in the Gettysburg Magazine), he has made quite a name for himself. When I stopped and looked at Albertus' grave, I thought about this young man. If it hadn't been for the battle, this would be just another headstone, in another cemetery, in another small town. We wouldn't know WHO he was, WHAT he did, or anything about him. But because he took the time to write down what happened during those three days of the battle and the events afterwards, he isn't just "another unknown name".

I find it amazing how many accounts have been brought to light in recent years. Some accounts were turned into books, some were just diaries, some were newspaper articles, some were letters, but ALL were important. Without these accounts, would we really know what happened to the civilians without these accounts? Would we know exactly where the fighting occurred? Would we have any concept of what a horrible effect the battle had on the land? I, for one, can only thank the civilians for their accounts. I often feel that some of these people were not only the civilians who lived here, but they have also become my friends.

First Battle of Kernstown

2009-09-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to understand the Civil War from start to finish. There are a lot of aspects of the war that I just don't understand and completely don't get....but I'm working on it. One day I will completely understand the war....probably the day after I die. But until then, I study and read.

The First Battle of Kernstown is a battle that I am trying to understand right now. I pick a battle at a time and read and study up on it so that eventually I'll have read about them all.

At Kernstown, Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson fought against Colonel Nathan Kimball. There were 3600-3800 men under Jackson and 8500-9000 men under Kimball. Because of misinformation, Jackson believed that he outnumbered Kimball when in fact Kimball outnumbered him a good 2-1.

This battle was considered the only battle that Jackson ever lost. It was a combination loss as well as victory. Jackson's goal was to keep Kimball from joining General George B. McClellan in the Peninsula. So while he engaged Kimball and actually lost the battle, he was victorious in that he did in fact, keep Kimball away from McClellan.

This battle took place both north and south of town. The initial clash taking place on March 22, 1862 north of town and then Jackson gathering his forces that day and the next south of town.

The United States artillery (24 pieces) unlimbered on Pritchard's Hill and the Confederate artillery (27 pieces) under command of Turner Ashby unlimbered near the Opequon Church.

By the time the battle ended, the Confederates had lost 718 men to killed, wounded, missing, or captured and the Union had lost 590 men.

Although this was a Union victory, it was also a Union loss. If Kimball had been able to get to the Peninsula to help McClellan, there would have been added support for the Peninsula Campaign. McClellan claims that had he had reinforcements, he could have taken Richmond. Is this true? We will never know....just another "what-if" of the Civil War. But it is an interesting thing to contemplate.

26th NC color bearers at Gettysburg on July 1

2009-09-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

I have found the story of the color bearers of the 26th NC on July 1, 1863 very interesting. In a short period of time, they went through 14 men. Some were killed, some wounded, but all were heroes.

A color bearer is probably the toughest job in a regiment and its not for someone who is a wimp. The color bearer carried the regimental flag. This flag, although something for the men in the regiment to follow, was also a huge bulls eye for the enemy. The person carrying the flag was one of the first people that the enemy would shoot or at least shoot at, and this person usually was forgotten by history.

However, in the story of the 26th NC, the color bearers are a huge part of the story and the names of these men have not been lost to history.

Here are a list of the men and their companies (if I know it):

Color Sergeant Jeff Mansfield
Sergeant Hiram Johnson (G)
Private John Stamper (A)
Private G. W. Kelly (D)
Private Larkin Thomas (F)
Private John Vinson (G)
Private John Marley (G)
Captain Westwood McCreery
Lieutenant George Wilcox (H)
Colonel Henry King Burgwyn
Private Franklin Honeycutt (B)
Lieutenant Milton Blair (I)
Lieutenant Colonel John Lane
Captain Stephen Brewer (E)

I got most of this information from David Martins: Gettysburg July 1. Another book that I would recommend to those who are truly into the details of the battle. One thing to keep in mind about this book: he tells all the little details. When I've read it, I have often wondered if on the next page he was going to tell us the exact time that Pvt. John Smith of Co. A sneezed while crossing the field. Its that detailed. But when you want to know the details, this is the book to read.

Incidentally, the 26th kept its flag on July 1, 1863 but lost it on July 3, 1863 during Longstreet's Assault (Pickett's Charge).

These men were the real heroes in the Civil War

Fort Popham

2009-09-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

I love obscure things. The more obscure, the more I like it. That's why I spend so much time on the battlefield looking for little details. It's an illness....one that I really don't want to cure. I was messing around on the Internet the other day and came across a fort that was built during the Civil War in Maine. It's name is Fort Popham. I'm not sure how I even found this, but there it was and now I need to share the information that I found out about it.

The Colony of Popham was settled in 1607 when George Popham (the colony leader) and about 120 people on the ship "Gift of God" landed in in the area. This was an offshoot of the Plymouth (MA) colony.

Here is what I found on its Civil War history (from Wikipedia - no one else seems to have any info on it at all...except that it was a Civil War site):
Construction of Fort Popham was authorized in 1857, but did not begin until 1861. The fort was built from granite blocks quarried on nearby Fox Island and Dix Island. It had a 30-foot (9 m) - high wall facing the mouth of the Kennebec River and was built in a crescent shape, measuring approximately 500 feet (150 m) in circumference.
Fort Popham's armament consisted of 36 cannons arranged in two tiers of vaulted casements. The back side of Fort Popham was built with a low moated curtain containing a central gate and 20 musket ports.
In 1869 construction at Fort Popham stopped before the fortification was completed. The fort was garrisoned again after additional work was performed during the Spanish-American War and World War I.

What this site doesn't tell us is why the fort was built. One thing that I was able to gleen from looking at about 20 websites was that evidently there was a threat of the Confederates attacking from the north (St. Alban's, VT is a prime example) and this fort was in place just in case such a thing would happen. With the majority of the war being fought below the Mason-Dixon line, who would think to fortify the far northern sections of the North? The United States did.

Although nothing actually took place at Fort Popham, just knowing that the eastern seaboard was fortified up and down the coast, must have been something that the locals would have felt as being comforting. The war never made it to Maine, but at least Maine was ready.

Charles Yeatts

2009-09-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

About a year or so ago, while working at the Visitors Center in Gettysburg, a woman came up to me, map in hand, with questions about her great grandfather. The gentleman in question was a Charles Yeatts. Now, I don't claim to be an expert on the civilians of Gettysburg at the time of the battle, but I have read enough and looked at enough maps, to have a good feel for the names of a lot of the civilians of 1863. This was a name I had never heard of before.

So I took a look at the map that this woman had and was able to determine that his house was located on Table Rock Road....but where??? I wasn't sure. I didn't remember any old houses along that stretch of road....but that didn't mean anything. It's not like I drive that road everyday.

The next day, I got a really nice note from this lady telling me that she found the house and gave me a little background on it and the people who currently live there. From the sound of it, I think she actually went up to the house and talked to the current owners. She thanked me for the help. I was more than happy to help her in her quest. After all, that's what I do.

As time has gone on, I started to wonder "who exactly was Charles Yeatts (or Yeats)?" So I did some snooping around and this is what I found out:

He was born in 1829. Married Catherine Bream (any relation to the Breams of Breams Mill fame????). They had 7 children. He was a farmer and owned $2500 in real estate (probably the farm on Table Rock Road) and $1200 in personal property.

He was drafted into the Civil War. He enlisted and was mustered into service on Feb. 28, 1865 (pretty darn close to the end of the war). He was in the 91st PA Co. G. He was described as being 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a dark complexion, hazel eyes, and dark hair. He was discharged on May 20, 1965.

At some point after the war, he moved to Tyrone Township. He was a merchant of dry goods. So evidently he had a grocery store.

He died Aug 29, 1890 in Mechanicsburg, PA of Bright's Disease. It says that he was "engaged in the mercantile business" in Heidlersburg for many years. So he did, indeed, have a grocery store.

It's funny how one name or one house and lead you on a chase to find what you can about a person or place. That's what happened here. In my efforts to help a person locate their great grandfather, I found a new person who is more than just a name.....he was a real person, with a real life, with a real family. And here is what I was able to find out about this real person.

A.H. Stephens State Historic Park

2009-09-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

Although I have not specifically been to this location, I have been reading up on it. And I have learned quite a bit about this location and about Alexander Hamilton Stephens....the Vice President of the Confederate States of America.

This state park is located in Crawfordville, Georgia and has 1,189 acres. The focal point of this property is a home called "Liberty Hall" because any stranger who passed through was at "liberty to stay" at his home in a section (which the servants called) "Tramp Room".

In 1834, Alexander Stephens (also known as "Little Aleck") came to study law at Liberty Hall under the tutelage of Williamson Bird. When Bird died in 1845, Stephens bought the property. The first thing that he did was tear down the main building and build a house in the Victorian style. Today, this house is restored and open to the public.

He has a law library in the house which he used when teaching law to others. He also sent dozens of local men to college.

After the Civil War, Alexander Stephens was imprisoned and during this time, he wrote a 2-volume work called "A Constitutional View of the Late War Between the States". After he was released from prison, he was elected to the U.S. Senate as a Senator from Georgia, but Congress was still extremely bitter about the Civil War and he was not allowed his seat.

From 1872-1882, he served in the House of Representatives. And was Governor of Georgia until his death in 1883.

There is a Confederate Museum next to the main building. This museum houses military, political, and domestic artifacts from the Civil War era. Because this is a state park, there is a nominal fee to get in (2.75-4.00). But overall it sounds like this would be a pretty good place to visit.

I've never been a big fan of A. H. Stephens. I always considered him a little weasel. A nasty man who should never have gotten to the position that he was in....but after reading up on him, my views have changed. He taught others law....not an easy feat. And he also spent his own money to help send men to college. That would not be the characteristics of a "weasel" but of a man who truly cared about his fellow mankind.

Maybe Stephens wasn't the man I thought he was....and one day I will get to Georgia and spend some time walking in the halls of his home to get an even better feel of who this man really was.

Salem Church

2009-09-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

During one of my visits to the Chancellorsville Battlefield (although there are four battlefields within just a few miles of each other, I keep finding myself drawn to Chancellorsville) I took a little side trip over to the Salem Church. It seems that during the Battle of Chancellorsville, my great great grandfathers regiment started off fighting at Marye's Heights in Fredericksburg but ended up at the Salem Church (about 4 or 5 miles from Chancellorsville). So I had to go see where "Grandpa Peter" fought.

This is on the marker at the church:
Spotsylvania Baptists built this church in 1844 and named it Salem, a Biblical word meaning peace. Two decades later, Salem Church was engulfed by war. Initially the church had just 29 members, but by 1859 the number had risen to 77, 20 of whom were black. Black worshippers entered the church through a separate door - still visible to your left - that led to a separate gallery. White members entered through the main entrance, women to the left, men to the right.
The Civil War wreaked havoc on Salem Church. Members returning in 1866 found bloodstained floors, bullet-scarred walls, and more than 100 bodies buried on the grounds. Undeterred, they refurbished the property and resumed worship services here. In time the church's needs outgrew the building, and its members erected a new building next door. They donated the older structure to the National Park Service in 1961.

In today's society, having a separate entrance for the black members of the church is extremely sad....I'm sure it was sad back then also.....but it seems remarkable that in the late 1850's and early 1860's that a church in the south (although not the deep south) actually had a mixed congregation. But then, I'm not that up to date with church histories throughout the 19th century...so I could be way off on these thoughts.

One thing that I noticed about this church was that although it sits right on Rt. 3, its off by itself. You have to do some twisting and turning in order to get to the church and even then, its on a dead end road. I like this. Some of the best historic sites are "off the beaten path"....these are the ones that no one seems to really know about and you have it all to yourself.

The church is a 2 story brick building, but not very big....I can see why they would need to build a new church building....there just wasn't room for it to grow. To me, it doesn't look any different than a 2 story brick house...a large brick house....but a house, nonetheless.

I can see why they would name it Salem (peace) because as I stood there looking at this church, knowing a bit of the history, I still felt peaceful. Some battlefields give me that impression and some still feel like the battle is happening yet. It wasn't that way here at the Salem Church, there was a sadness to the building but very peaceful despite the traffic on Rt. 3.

I look forward to my next trip down that way because one of my stops will definitely be at the Salem Church.

Nicholas Codori

2009-09-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

While taking some family around the battlefield this afternoon, I spent some time talking about Pickett's Charge. Suddenly it occurred to me that Nicholas Codori was incredibly important in that Charge. Now, I've been studying the Civil War since I was 10 (only 10 years now....hahaha) but this idea never really occurred to me until today when I was looking at the battle through the eyes of my 10 year old brother. Hmmmm.

First, I'll give a little background on Nicholas and then explain why he played such an important role. He immigrated to the United States in 1828 with his brother George. Nicholas married Elizabeth Martin in 1835. And he died July 11, 1878. He lived at 44 York St in Gettysburg and was a local butcher. At some point (and I haven't been able to determine when) he purchased a farm on Emmitsburg Road which he used as a rental property. This is the property that plays an important role in the battle. This farm is on the eastern edge of Emmitsburg Road. The barn is very distinctive (although it is not the barn that was there at the time of the battle) in that it has three small cupola's on the top of the barn.

On July 3, 1863, the Confederate Army (mostly the men under Pickett) used the barn as an orientation device, with the ultimate goal being Cemetery Ridge. Pickett's Charge (of the Longstreet Assault...or the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge....or whatever name you would like to use.....I use Pickett's Charge only because that's what most people know it as) went right across the fields of his farm. And as far as we know, George Pickett watched the charge from the barn.

For all these years that I have been wandering the fields around his farm, I never really thought about how that farm impacted the Civil War. What if he had divided it up and had houses built on it? How would that have impacted the battle? What if he had left the trees grow up on the farm? How would that have impacted the battle? What if someone else had purchased the farm and dug up the fields in such a way as to make it impossible for the men to cross the fields? What if's. There are just so many unanswerable questions.

When Nicholas Codori died in 1878, he left behind a huge legacy....not just of himself, but of his property. To this day, we cannot study the battle without knowing and understanding who Nicholas was. Recently, I went to the St. Francis Xavier Church Cemetery on High Street in Gettysburg and located Nicholas' grave. I stopped by to thank him for allowing the men who struggled to use his property. I also thanked him for leaving behind a legacy that will probably never die.

Debunking myths

2009-09-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

I've worked at the Visitors Center at Gettysburg as both an employee and a volunteer and am always amazed at some of the questions that I am asked. Stories get started and somehow you wonder how they manage to keep going around because they are so outrageous. But other stories seem to have merit although they aren't real. The one myth that I'm thinking of started out this way.

So often I've been asked "Where was the shoe factory?" Huh? It seems that the story is that the battle was started over a search for shoes....precisely, they were looking for the shoes in a shoe factory. There was no shoe factory in Gettysburg. The Confederates did not come to town specifically to raid a shoe factory. They came looking for supplies....but there were none. Jubal Early had come through town just a couple of days before and took all the supplies.

How did this story start though? Harry Heth went to A.P. Hill asking for permission to come into Gettysburg looking for supplies. Hill gave Heth permission but told him not to start an engagement. Here's the strange thing: Heth took his men into Gettysburg with artillery leading the way....to "look" for supplies. Instead, they found Buford and his Cavalry....an engagement started and, as they say, the rest is history.

In his memoirs (which is a great book....VERY funny) Henry Heth states that he came into town looking for supplies, especially shoes. Heth had to cover his butt....because a general engagement was started....so to keep himself out of trouble, this was his story. Trouble is, Early had come through town....took up a "collection" from the townsfolk (a story all by itself) and then moved on. Didn't Heth or Hill know this? And if not, why not?

As the years progressed, the story took on a life of its own. People tend to leave out the "supplies" part and just leave in the "shoes" part. Gettysburg does not and never has had a shoe factory in town. The closest thing to a shoe factory were a few cobblers....but that is it....no large scale shoe manufacturing. This has become a well-known fact, yet the truth never spreads like a rumor. So, far fewer people know that this is not the truth and the number of people who know the myth. It's frustrating to those of us who know and understand the beginnings of the battle. People come to Gettysburg insisting that they know the "Truth" and when you try to explain to them that it isn't true, they get mad at YOU for being ignorant. I'm just hoping that they ask enough people and keep getting the same answers so that one day everyone will know the truth about the shoes in Gettysburg.

The Underground Railroad in North Carolina

2009-09-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, I spent a week wandering around the Outer Banks in search of History....any United States history that I could locate. Fortunately for me, the Outer Banks is full of it. One of the places that I had the opportunity to visit was Roanoke Island.

Roanoke Island is famous for the Lost Colony. Sir Francis Drake had set up a colony on this island and then had to go back to England. When he returned, the colony was gone....vanished....and the only thing left were the letters "CRO" carved into a tree. To this day, no one knows for sure what happened to this colony. But this island is famous for something else. This island had a Freedman's Colony on it. This is what the memorial to the Freedman's Colony says:

Front of Memorial
First Light of Freedom
Former slaves give thanks by the creek’s edgeat the site of the island - “If you can cross thecreek to Roanoke Island, you will find ‘safe haven’.”

Back of Memorial
1862-1867. A year after the Civil War began, Roanoke Island fell to Union Forces. Word spread throughout North Carolina that slaves could find "safe haven" on the Island. By the end of 1862, over a thousand runaway slaves, freed men, women and children found sanctuary here. This colony, a precursor to the Freedmen's Bureau, was to serve as a model for other colonies throughout the South. Once again this small island, site of the first English attempt at permanent settlement in the New World, became a land of historic beginnings.

The Freedmen's Colony encompassed unoccupied, unimproved lands from Manteo to the north and west shores, including some of the land today known as Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. A sawmill, hospital, a school for black female teachers, and homes were established. Able-bodied men were offered rations and and employment to build a new fort. They also enlisted to form the First and Second North Carolina Regiments. The colony could not remain self-supporting without men and became a refuge for three thousand women, children, aged and informed.

Upon the war's end, the federal government discontinued rations and supplies to colonists and returned land to original owners. Reminiscent of early English efforts, the Roanoke Island Freedmen's colony was abandoned in 1867. Many freed people remained and their descendants would become respected local residents. Others settled in communities Throughout the region and would become an integral part of eastern North Carolina culture.

Its funny how we don't think about the Southern states having anything to do with the history of freeing the slaves....yet North Carolina played a HUGE part. The Underground Railroad was a major part of the freeing of the slaves and to think that this particular piece of property, although not technically a part of the Underground Railroad, was still a vital force in this process. The United States government did a good thing when they started this colony.

Edwards Ferry Between Maryland and Virginia

2009-09-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Edward's Ferry was a ferry service that went across the Potomac River between Poolesville, Md and Leesburg, VA. During the Civil War, this ferry was extremely important because there were only a handful of ferry that crossed the river between Washington D.C. and Harper's Ferry, VA (or if after 1863, West Virginia).

Here is a list of some of the things that Edwards Ferry is known for:

a) some of the Union troops crossed here in order to be on hand for the Battle at Ball's Bluff (about 3 miles up river) however, none of these troops actually took part in the battle.

b) From Dec 1861 to March 1862, Thaddeus Lowe, USA (who was known for doing surveillance from hot air balloons) used Edwards Ferry as his base of operations.

c) June 25-27, 1863 - The Army of the Potomac (Union) used this crossing as a way to get to Gettysburg. They used 2 1,400 foot pontoon bridges in order to cross all their men.

d) August, 1863 - Elijah White's Cavalry (CSA) used this river crossing and in the process captured 16 Union soldiers and 35 horses and mules

e) July, 1864 - Jubal Early (CSA) used this crossing as he retreated from threatening Washington D.C. This was directly after the Battle of Monocacy. He destroyed a Union camp, canal lock, and several canal boats.

f) Feb 1865 - again the Confederates used this crossing in order to gain access back into Virginia.

It's amazing how one little piece of property could be used time and again. But when you stop and think about how rocky the Potomac River is, there are very few places that could be easily crossed. Edwards Ferry (along with Whites Ferry...upriver a few miles) were about the only places that could be forded....until you reached Harper's Ferry which actually had a bridge. Just a thought, but if these couple of ferry's hadn't existed, how would that have effected the war? Gettysburg wouldn't have happened....how would the Union have gotten there? Who knows where Lee would have ended up? Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York???? I think about these things and yet have no answers. I wonder what would have happened....????

Tennessee at Gettysburg

2009-08-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

The Tennessee monument at Gettysburg is one of my favorite monuments on the battlefield. I don't know why, but I really like the "feel" that I get for this particular monument. On the front are three Tennessee soldiers and this saying: "Valor and Courage were virtues of the three Tennessee Regiments." Also, the base is 16 feet long....Tennessee was the 16th state in the Union and the base is shaped like Tennessee. All....very cool.

On the back of the monument it says:

The Volunteer State

This memorial is dedicated to the memory of the men who served in the 1st (PACS), 7th, and 14th Tennessee Infantry Regiment Archer's Brigade Heth's Division 3rd Army Corps Army of Northern Virginia. They fought and died for their convictions, performing their duty as they understood it.

It then goes on to give some statistics about the casualties. But I have a few questions about this monument. I've tried to find answers but so far....nothing. 1st....What is a PACS? All I've been able to find out is that the 1st Tennessee was a provisional regiment. Well, that would explain the "P"...but what does the rest of it mean? 2nd...."performing their duty as they understood it"....huh? I realized that this monument is a more recent monument...placed on the field in the last 20 years or so....but what is this supposed to mean. Performing their duty as they understood it????? Duty was VERY important to the men of the Civil War era. They did what they had to do for their country. But to supplement that with "as they understood it" makes no sense. They did what they HAD to do....whether it was understood or not. But why was that added? It almost makes it sound like they were wrong but didn't realize that they were wrong. These men did what THEY felt was right....regardless of how people feel today. These 7 words are really bothering me. Maybe I'm reading more into it than I should....but it just doesn't sit well with me and I need to find some answers.

Regardless of what the monument says, I will always admire the three regiments of the state of Tennessee. They can be proud of who they were and what they did.

Winter Encampment 1863-4

2009-08-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

In studying the Civil War and the service of my Great Great Grandfather, Peter Stroup, I noticed that in 1863 a winter encampment was set up at Brandy Station. In June of 1863 the largest cavalry battle in the United States took place at Brandy Station....and this was the first engagement in the Gettysburg Campaign. But what about the winter encampment? It kind of reminds me of the winter encampment at Valley Forge. So I went straight to the wayside marker in Brandy Station, VA to find out just what happened. Here is what it says:

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 Maj. Gen. 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 seen." 126th New York Soldier.

One thing that bothers me about this whole thing (although the army had to have an encampment for the winter) but it says that it "disrupted the lives of local residents. Living here in Gettysburg and understanding what the civilians had to put up with....just for a three day battle, I can't imagine what it must have been like for the people who lived in Brandy Station. Was there enough water, food, wood, space? Were the residents forced to "help" feed the soldiers? How many homes might have been broken into and ransacked? These are all questions that I would love an answer to....but may not actually receive. This was a tough time for everyone involved. It's a shame we don't hear more about these poor civilians.

Meade's Pipe Creek Plan

2009-08-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has spent time studying the Battle Of Gettysburg, is well aware of the Pipe Creek Circular. This was the plan that George G. Meade had for the Union army. In essence, he planned to have the AoP fall make to the Pipe Creek (which is about 10 miles south of Gettysburg) and to use the natural defenses in the area for the battle. Unfortunately, for Meade, the plan never came into play.

I was in Middleburg, MD the other day and saw a wayside marker (so I had to stop and take some pictures of it). I transcribed what the marker said and thought I would share it here:

Meade's Pipe Creek Plan

On June 29, 1863, Union General George G. Meade ordered the Army of the Potomac to Pipe Creek to counter any move toward Washington or Baltimore by General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and to engage it in battle. Meade was uncertain of Lee's strength or location.

The Federal left flank rested here at Middleburg, the center at Union Mills and the right at Manchester. From Westminster, located 6 miles south of Pipe Creek, roads fanned out to every important point along Meade's line: through Middleburg; through Frizzellburg and Taneytown; through Union Mills and then forking with one leading to Littlestown and Gettysburg and the other to Hanover and to Manchester. Although Meade had studied the area on maps, on the ground he had only examined the western portion from Taneytown to Middleburg.

On July 1, General Henry J. Hunt, Meade's Chief of Artillery, reconnoitered the entire line, the only general officer to do so. He was very favorably impressed with its possibilities as an "offensive-defensive" position. Events that day at Gettysburg, however, would preclude it ever being used.

One thing that I noticed in this was that Westminster almost sounds like Gettysburg. The road network that led into Westminster is almost like the 11 major roads that led into Gettysburg. I thought that was an interesting point. I'm not a huge fan of Gen. Hunt's, but I did find that his being impressed with the line meant something to Meade and it sort of means something to me. Meade used his men for guidance and it seems that he was making some good decisions....too bad that circumstances seemed to get in his way. Well....that's what makes a good general....adjusting plans according to the circumstances.

Middleburg is a nice little town. I also drove quickly through New Windsor, MD that day. They have a little park in the center of town that had a wayside marker....but absolutely no parking. One of these days, I'm going to get back down there and read that marker. I would love to know what New Windsor had to do with the Civil War!

William's Avenue Tree Cutting

2009-08-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here in Gettysburg, the National Park Service is in the process of trying to restore the landscape to the way it was in 1863. In doing this, they are cutting down wood lots that weren't here at the time of the battle and replanting wood lots that were here. For those of us who are students of the battle, this has been an eye opening experience. It's bringing the battle ground back for us to study intensely.

The area that is being cut right now is along Williams' Avenue on Culp's Hill. From what I have been able to see, this has been a major cut. BUT the park has the area blocked off....not from just vehicular traffic, but also from foot traffic. So trying to get back there to see just what is happening is almost impossible.

I started to wonder why no one could be back there. Here are a few thoughts that I have had. 1) its dangerous. With trees falling down, I'm sure they want to make sure that no one gets caught under one of those large trees. 2) relic hunters. Relic Hunting is strictly prohibited in the park. With the trees being uprooted and the ground disturbed, I'm sure that relics are popping up all over the place. Culp's Hill was the scene of some of the most horrific fighting. I'm sure there are tons of relics out there.

This view will be great....except for one small problem. Private property between where the tree cuttings are taking place and the Baltimore Pike. All those trees in between are not coming down. So that leaves this question: What's the point? There are other areas that should be done....but aren't getting done. I'm not sure. But I do know that what has been done (as far as one can see) looks great and I can't wait for the roadway to open up so that I can see just what has been done.