Gettysburg Semester: Gettysburg (Day 2)

We had a perfect fall day to cover the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg: it wasn’t too cold and the sky was a clear blue. John Archer joined us again and we rolled out of the Appleford almost on time.

Our first stop was by the North Carolina monument on the Confederate lines. John used this position to lay out the Union and Confederate lines at the start of day two and gave us an overview of what happened in the course of the fighting. We began with the Union left and Sickles’ III Corps. We did a loop of the III Corps line starting at the Peach Orchard, then going to Little Round Top, and ending up in the middle by the Wheatfield.

At Little Round Top John focused on the Union line at the face of the hill (since the 20^th Maine is emphasized everywhere else) and we discussed the weak position of Sickles’ line in relation to the rest of the Union line. At the stony hill near the Wheatfield we were in the middle of Sickles’ line and heard about how the Union line began collapsing under the Confederates’ echelon attack. Then it was time for lunch at Pickett’s Buffet!

After lunch we headed to the center of the Union line on Cemetery Hill where Lee’s attack failed once it really started to work. We covered that briefly, and then moved to one of John’s favorite places-Culp’s Hill. We began on Benner’s Hill to see where the Confederate artillery was placed and where the infantry would make their attack from. Then we went to the other side of Rock Creek to the Union lines. John brought us to see one of the little known secrets of the battlefield- A.L. Coble from the 1^st NC came back after the battle and carved his name in a rock where he had been fighting. We had to climb a huge rock to see it and unfortunately my roommate, Amy, fell and injured her ankle. We continued with the battle for Culp’s Hill and progressed over Steven’s Knoll to Cemetery Hill.

After the bus scared us by turning its back up lights while five of us were still behind it (trying to help Amy hobble along) we crossed the road to finish up our tour with the battle for Cemetery Hill. Here another breakthrough occurred but was not supported and so Lee’s battle plans for July 2 failed. Then it was time to head back to the Appleford. We headed back to the bus but a low stone wall blocked our path. As Amy looked uneasily at the climb, Alex picked her up and started across the wall. Unfortunately he didn’t get very far as he slipped and fell (he was fine besides a few bruises). The afternoon ended as a “comedy of errors” with two more casualties of the Civil War.

Hopefully, our troops with have recovered by next week when we cover Day 3 and Pickett’s Charge!

-Katie Logothetis

Gettysburg Semester: Gettysburg (Day 1)

Although cold and cloudy we departed for the very long drive to our own backyard-Gettysburg!! Our guide, John Archer, met us at the Appleford and we drove out to start our tour on East Cemetery Hill. There John gave us an overview of the events leading up to the battle and oriented us to the terrain. East Cemetery Hill was the “fall-back” position of the Union, so it was important to keep it in mind when we were discussing the fight and retreat of the first day.

After East Cemetery Hill we drove a few miles out of town to where the first shot of the battle was fired. There we learned about Buford’s delaying tactics and Heth’s quest for “shoes”. Then we followed Buford’s planned retreat to Herr Ridge and McPherson Ridge where the infantry battle would be joined. We went to the railroad cut to see where Davis’ brigade had met with the I Corps and into Herbst Woods where Archer’s Brigade clashed with the Iron Brigade. John is a descendant of James J. Archer and so he told us the story of Archer’s capture in that assault. Once we were done there we traveled across the railroad cut to where the XI Corps came into action against Rodes’ Division. After going to Oak Hill and the Gettysburg Plains below, it was time for lunch.

After lunch we went to Barlow’s Knoll to cover the right flank of the XI Corps and begin the retreat through the town. Blocher’s Knoll (as it was then called) was the sight of a crushing defeat for the XI Corps. The I and XI Corps crumbled around the same time, so we headed back to Herbst Woods to cover the retreat of the Iron Brigade. John led us through the woods following the path of the 24^th Michigan and we continued to follow them back to Seminary Ridge. Then we went to the site of Kuhn’s Brickyard where a fierce fight took place to cover the retreat of the XI Corps. The Brickyard is inconspicuous, surrounded by houses, but it stands out for the large mural of the battle painted on the side of the building. It was so commanding that we posed in battle positions in front of it. For some strange reason those on the Confederate side outnumbered those on the Union. I stood on the Union side, but not very bravely since I realistically portrayed how I would be in battle: cowering behind someone else (there has to be one coward in a unit and I guess I’m it).

Our last stop was near (but not on) Cemetery Hill to discuss the decision of Ewell to not continue the attack on the Union position once they had regrouped on Cemetery Hill. Next week we continue the Gettysburg saga with the second day of the battle.

-Katie Logothetis

Gettysburg Semester: Winchester

It was another beautiful fall day as we headed out to the Shenandoah Valley to study the Valley Campaigns of 1862 and 1864. The Shenandoah was an important area in the Civil War since the Confederate Army could use it as an attack route on Harpers Ferry, the north, and Washington DC. Two campaigns were fought in the Valley: the campaign under Stonewall Jackson in 1862 was a Confederate victory and the one in 1864 under Jubal Early was a Confederate defeat.

We picked up Dennis Fry at Harpers Ferry and then continued on into the valley. The first three stops we made were on the side of the road: the first at the site of Mosby's Berryville Wagon Train Raid, the second at Beemer's Woods, and the third just before the Berryville Canyon. The battlefields of the Valley have not been well preserved. None of the sites are part of the National Parks System. Dennis Fry, with the Civil War Preservation Trust, worked hard to save pieces of the battles at Winchester and Cedar Creek. Dennis took us on a trail through the preserved part of the Battle of Third Winchester to give us a look at that battle which had occurred during the 1864 campaign. It was beautiful walking through the fields and woods around Red Bull Run, but the houses and highways visible around the property were a sad reminder of how much had not been preserved. We then drove to the location of the two battles of Kernstown (one in 1862 and one in 1864). The land around the Pritchard Farm and Sandy Ridge has been preserved by the Kernstown Battlefield Association, a local organization.

After a wonderful lunch at the historic Wayside Inn we headed out to Fisher's Hill to learn about the battle of Winchester in 1864. Dennis had also been part of the purchase and preservation of this site. We climbed the Confederate positions on Fisher's Hill to study the terrain and movements of both armies. There was a trail but we did a lot of "off-roading", and I have never seen so many crickets in my life! It was getting late so we made one final stop at Belle Grove Plantation to discuss the Battle of Cedar Creek. Part of our focus was turned towards the quarry that mars part of the landscape nearby.

As we made our way back to Harpers Ferry to drop off and say good-by to Dennis, I realized that this tour had educated us in more than just battles and troop movements. It was a reminder of how much history is threatened and how easily it can be lost.

Next time we start my favorite battlefield of all.......Gettysburg!

-Katie Logothetis

Gettysburg Semester: Antietam

The first week of October found us traveling to Sharpsburg, Maryland where the bloodiest one day battle in America was fought. 23,000 men were killed, wounded, or captured on this field in September 1862 making it one of the greatest battles in American history. The Maryland Campaign and the battle of Antietam were very influential actions in the war; a lot depended on who would win this contest.

We left early with Cathy Bain as a fearless leader since Dr. Guelzo was feeling "under the weather". Dennis Frye met us at the visitor center and we began our tour on the ground that Lee held during the battle. The morning was spent analyzing McClellan and Lee's actions and options in the overarching campaign and in the positions along the Antietam Creek. Dennis challenged us to think beyond what most historians write about McClellan and think in "real-time" history with only the knowledge that they had at the time on the field.

After lunch we began analyzing the battle itself. Crucial to Dennis' considerations of McClellan were the actions of General Burnside at the Lower bridge. Dennis brought us "off-roading" up in the hills overlooking the Antietam Creek on the Union side so we could analyze Burnside's position. By "off-roading" I mean we hiked through fields of knee high grass, made our way through a heavily vegetated ravine, and were attacked by crickets (or at least I was)! We definitely got a unique view of the battlefield and the tactics and strategy involved in planning an offensive. After we had finished at "Burnside's Bridge" we headed off to the center of the Confederate lines: "Bloody Lane". Here we did a time honored Gettysburg Semester tradition: "The Bloat". We reenacted the famous picture of Confederate dead in the sunken road taken by Alexander Gardner, assistant to Matthew Brady. Then we went to the cornfield to finish up our tour. Dennis actually took us into the cornfield which was very intimidating for someone who is only 5'2"!

Next week we will be traveling in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley to study Jackson's Valley Campaign.

-Katie Logothetis