Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College

Harpers Ferry

2011-10-08T10:11:00.003-04:00

By: Dennie Spence

After much contemplation, largely due to laziness, I have finally sat down to write the first of many blogs pertaining to the time spent in Gettysburg’s Civil War Era Studies program. It has been some three odd weeks now since the first of our fieldtrips to various Civil War battlefields. Our first trip was certainly a mix of emotions ranging from a bit of real concern to a fear of boredom. When we loaded on the bus in the early morning hours we seemed on the whole to be in a jovial, albeit sleepy mood. I must readily confess that for me, it seemed a bit like the emotions felt when a child walks into kindergarten for the first time. I was a bit concerned over how the tour would be conducted, how much was to be expected of us and to what degree would we be expected to retain any information that was given unto us.

As the bus pulled into the park, I was met with a certain comfort. This was not my first time in the park and indeed would certainly not be my last as both I and my fellow southerner Phillip Brown are interns at the park. Perhaps this was part of the nagging concern over the question of possible boredom at the park. However, we soon were met by Dennis Frye, and this quickly alleviated some of the anxiety. We would begin our tour with a trip to the lower town. Our morning was full of debates concerning who was this man John Brown who came to the very town we were now in, in October 1859. Mr. Frye would lead us through the story from the highs of excitement with the marines smashing in the door of the fire engine house to the very lows of one of the raider’s bodies being thrown to the hogs. We were met with questions such as why had this man John Brown attacked such a peaceful village. Was it only for the weapons? Could it be that he was one of America’s very first terrorists? Was this man, John Brown really such a martyr as we have made him to be, or is he simply a crazed fanatic? As our morning drew to an end, we all certainly had formed our own opinions of this man who made such an impact on such a beautiful community.

After dinner at the Anvil, we would resume our tour. However, now it was three years after John Brown and no longer focused on Lower Town. Now we would find ourselves standing atop Bolivar Heights imagining ourselves as both Colonel Dixon Miles and Robert E. Lee. We would have a raging debate over what we feel as though we might do in each man’s particular boots as it were. Many would feel that Miles should have done more even if it meant fighting on Camp Hill and in the streets of Lower town if it meant only one more day of engaging in delay, while others felt Col. Miles had done the best job possible with the men and orders given under his command. One thing we all would agree is that the night march executed by A.P. Hill was a thing of inspiring courage and fortitude and without a shadow of a doubt the nail that sealed the coffin for the siege of Harper’s Ferry.

In retrospect, I must say that none of my early morning anxiety was well founded. It was a more than average educational experience and never did it possess a moment of dullness throughout the day. My only concern is that I wish I could have stayed for just a while longer. I regretted in leaving that there was not enough time in the day to truly scale the cliffs and ravines as Hill’s men did, that we could not have marched over from the Kennedy farm, and that I could not see the views of the town as they would have so long ago atop Maryland and Loudin Heights. Even so, as our bus pulled in front of the Appleford, our beautiful home, I admit to a feeling of pride, shame, and accomplishment. The story of Harper’s Ferry then, and how it has impacted me now, is one of so many instances, emotions and people that one could never fully understand its beauty, both physical and historical.

"All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war." Abraham Lincoln, 2nd Inaugural Address, Concerning Slavery

2010-12-10T04:02:00.001-05:00

We took our last field trip on Friday. Early Friday morning, we all loaded the bus one final time, and headed off for a day in Washington, D.C. It was a busy day, but one full of memories we will never forget.

Our first stop was at Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery. As we topped the heights on which the house sits we began to understand Mary Custis Lee’s obsessive mourning for her childhood home; the view was breathtaking, a panoramic view of the Potomac River, a light mist curling around the banks, with the buzzing city on the other side the Capitol building just visible on the horizon was enough to bring us all to a complete standstill. We also toured the house itself where we were given a lesson in the trials of preservation and interpretation as we witnessed the reconstruction taking place within the house. Outside the house, we walked through the Civil War portions of the Arlington National Cemetery. Stopping at the original Tomb of the Unknown Soldier proved a powerful moment, reminding us of the anonymous deaths that marked the Civil War.

After Arlington House, we toured Ford’s Theatre. A new museum graces the ground floor of the still working theatre. The museum focuses not only on the assassination, but also on Lincoln’s presidency. It was probably one of the best museums I have had the privilege to walk through this semester. One of the most powerful moments arrived as we saw the box in which Booth shot Lincoln. Observing the seating, knowing that Lincoln spent his last moments in the box, reawakened the tragedy of the assassination that had dulled with so many retellings.

Our next stop took us to the Frederick Douglass House in Anacostia. Here we pelted our guide with questions concerning the memory of Frederick Douglass throughout history. The excellent preservation of the house itself was astounding to see, especially when compared to the condition of the Arlington House. Comparing the two made us wonder who is currently winning the war for memory, the Lost Cause adherents, or the Emancipationists?

Our next two stops shared certain parallels. First, we stopped at the Lincoln monument in Lincoln Park dedicated to emancipation. The kneeling slave at Lincoln’s feet sends a message of subjugation that is disconcerting to witness, especially immediately after a tour of the Frederick Douglass House. After the Lincoln monument, we proceeded to a little remembered monument, despite its massive size. The monument to Grant, towering in front of the Capitol building was originally meant to anchor the other end of the mall, directly across from the Lincoln Memorial. Unfortunately, in the battle for memory, Grant was forgotten in favor of Lost Cause heroes. His monument goes unnoticed for the most part today.

Our final stop was at the Lincoln Memorial. We arrived after dark, and as a result, the memorial was lit up with a bright white light. The moment was one filled with meaning for all of us as we stood in front of the giant statue of the Great Emancipator. It was a climactic moment for the semester as we sensed the greatness of the man depicted before us. As we left the Memorial, we left a bit of ourselves behind, a piece of memory to be visited in the years to come as we look back on this semester.

We returned home with a bit of sadness, realizing that we will never again return to the Appleford after a day of Civil War history. It has been a wonderful semester filled with laughter, learning, and family-like bonds of friendships. It will be heartbreaking to leave at the end of the semester, but we’ll return to our home institutions with new friendships and a deeper understanding of the war as a whole. Thank you Gettysburg College!

"What General Lee's feelings were I do not know." General Grant on Lee at Appomattox Courthouse

2010-12-02T17:00:00.002-05:00

Our last day in Richmond! We finished the military aspects of the Civil War today. As we ride home on the bus, it’s a little sad to acknowledge that our semester is drawing to a close. However, it was a wonderful day full of great interpretation.

We began our day with Jim Godburn at the High Bridge where Lee and the Confederate army retreated in April 1865 as they made their progress to Appomattox. The bridge was an impressive sight; the original pylons still stand in testament to the greatness of the bridge in the mid-1800s. Jim filled us in on the events that occurred during Lee’s retreat from Petersburg including the fall of Richmond and the Battle of Sailor’s Creek. As his presentation reached its conclusion I think we all felt a little excitement, knowing our next stop would bring us to Appomattox and Lee’s surrender.

At Appomattox, Mattea’s co-worker and friend, Bert Dunkerly gave us a tour of the town that saw Lee’s surrender. One of the most unreal moments came as we entered the McLean House whose parlor witnessed the final moments of the Confederacy. As we stood in the parlor where the surrender was signed on April 9, 1863 by Grant and Lee. I believe we all gave a small sigh, as we realized that the war was over. We have been so wrapped up in the Civil War this semester that we felt that something was coming to a close not only for the soldiers who had fought during the war, but for us as well.

Our last stop at Appomattox was on a lane at the far end of the park where the stacking of Confederate arms took place, marking the end of the Army of the Potomac. Here the infamous salute between Generals Gordon and Longstreet is said to have occurred, in some ways paving the road for the reconciliation that would in the years to come.

At the conclusion of our tour we loaded the bus once more for one last stop in Lexington. There we saw the tomb of Robert E. Lee at Washington and Lee College, in addition to the grave for Lee’s famed horse, Traveler. After Lee Washington, we stopped at the grave of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. The lemons scattering the ground in front of his grave stood testament to the amount of people who still remember Jackson as a heroic figure to be honored.

We finally arrived back at the Appleford at 10:30pm, exhausted and happy to be back with our Appleford family. The weeks to come will find us frantically finishing our papers and making our final field trip to Washington D.C. It’s been a great ride thus far, and we’re all excited to see how it will end.

"No quarter!" United States Colored Troops battle cry at the Crater

2010-12-02T16:56:00.001-05:00

What a great day! We woke up in Richmond and will be going to bed in Farmville. It was a whirlwind of a day, but amazing nonetheless!

We started our day in Hollywood Cemetery where we saw the final resting places of Confederate soldiers, George Pickett, Jefferson Davis, and Presidents Monroe and Tyler. In the Confederate section of the cemetery, we were interested by the sentiments expressed on the various headstones and monuments. The Lost Cause ideas propagated by some of the memorials reminded us that the war for the memory of the Civil War is still raging. One particular instance stands out as we look back on the day. While in the officer’s section, Caitlin found a piece of paper held against a marker for an unknown Confederate soldier. On it was written the war record for a soldier from Virginia who fought for the Confederacy. Underneath was scribbled “You are missed and not forgotten.” Such a message illustrates that the Civil War is still very much in the forefront of the minds of some of the American populace.

We continued our day at the Tredegar Ironworks. There, Dr. Norman taught us about the controversy surrounding the 2003 erection of the statue of Lincoln at Tredegar. He mentioned that protestors compared Lincoln to Attila the Hun as a conqueror in his captured country. Inside the visitor center, Dawn enjoyed seeing the full sized pontoon bridge on display on the first floor while Mattea and Caitlin wandered the Richmond exhibit on the third floor.

After a hurried lunch eaten on the run, we dashed to Petersburg for our tour with Ranger Emmanuel Dabney. Over the course of the afternoon, Emmanuel gave us a look into the lives of soldiers during the nine month siege of Petersburg. Abe in particular was excited about the earthworks within the park. In one section, the National Park Service recreated the types of fieldworks that would have been in place during the siege. The intricacies of the field works put us in mind of those that would be used during World War I.

One of the most sobering moments of the tour came at the Crater where Emmanuel interpreted the atrocities that took place during the battle on July 30, 1864. The amount and methods of violence against the United States Colored Troops during the battle were sickening. Emmanuel’s program was enlightening and gave us a closer look at one of the most atrocious moments of the 1864 campaign.

Tomorrow we’ll start our day with a tour of the High Bridge and then it’s off to Appomattox to revisit the final moments of the war, and then home to the Appleford. For now, it’s time for bed to prepare for another exciting day in Virginia.

"Ah! these are my brave Texans. I know you, and I know that you can and will keep those people back!" Robert E. Lee at the Wilderness

2010-12-02T16:53:00.001-05:00

This morning found us on the road to Richmond as our studies enter the third year of the war. We’ll be spending the weekend in Virginia to follow the events of 1864 and 1865. Today, we started with the beginnings of the Overland Campaign at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House with our guide, Jake Struhelka.

In the Wilderness, we started at Saunder’s Field where some of the first fighting took place on May 5. One of the most interesting moments during this stop came as we walked the field, following in the steps of the 140^th New York that took 50% casualties within the woods around Saunder’s Field. As we picked through the woods, the difficulties faced by each army as they attempted to maneuver became apparent. The dense undergrowth slowed us and we didn’t have to worry about being shot by enemy fire. The intact Confederate earthworks were interesting and provided tangible evidence of the ferocity of the fighting at the Wilderness.

This afternoon we continued our tour of the Overland Campaign at Spotsylvania Court House. Personally, my favorite moment of the day took place when we studied Upton’s attack on the Mule Shoe. For the first time, we encountered a moment in which the Union army broke through a reinforced Confederate line. The attack was made without Upton’s hand picked men firing a shot on the Confederates as they charged. The bravery and determination required for such an attack was astounding. The intensity of the fighting in this area was also apparent just a few hundred yards away from the Mule Shoe at the bloody angle. The remnants of Confederate and Union earthworks stand a mere six feet apart, the trenches serving as an eerie reminder of the horrors of World War I trench warfare.

We finished the day at the Massaponex Church in Fredericksburg that was used as headquarters for both armies at various points during the campaign. A famous O’Sullivan photo of Union commanders was taken from the top of the church in May 1863. The inside of the church retains several original architectural structures. However, the most interesting part of the church is on the walls in the balcony. Union and Confederate soldiers covered the walls with penciled messages of hope, pride, and revenge. While the church whitewashed over the messages following the war, parts of the graffiti have been uncovered providing yet another insight into the hearts and minds of Civil War soldiers.

After investigating the Massaponex Church, we loaded the bus and made the final leg of the journey to Richmond to settle in for the night. Tomorrow we’ll continue our battlefield experiences in Petersburg, and see the sights of Richmond including Monument Avenue and the Hollywood Cemetery. Until then, it’s time for a little rest and recuperation before continuing our own Richmond Campaign.

"Well, it is all over now. The battle is lost, and many of us are prisoners, many are dead, many wounded, bleeding and dying." George Pickett

2010-12-02T16:50:00.001-05:00

Today John Heiser and Scott Hartwig gave us our last tour of Gettysburg. It was an exciting chance to get to know the town we’ve lived in for a semester a little bit better. The morning began with a tour of the town from John Heiser, historian at Gettysburg National Military Park. We walked with him from the Appleford up to the train station that saw President Lincoln arrive in November 1863, for the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. It was powerful to stand in the same place where Lincoln stepped off the train while he most likely thought about the address he would give the next day. As we toured the town, John pointed out the old GAR post and the various buildings that had been used as hospitals during the battle. His tour gave us a whole new look on the town we thought we knew so well. Throughout the morning I marveled at how we are surrounded by our nation’s history while studying at Gettysburg.

John also took us on a tour of the myriad of barns that still stand on the battlefield. As he pointed out the features that marked each barn, John impressed upon us the importance of good research as a part of historic preservation. At several barns, most notably the Snyder farm, John gave us examples of preservation efforts that had gone horribly wrong even though the preservationists involved had the best of intentions. It gave us an interesting glimpse into the world of historic preservation.

We ate lunch at the famous Pickett’s Buffet which was an experience all to itself! As soon as lunch was over, we hiked across the road to Brian’s Barn to meet historian Scott Hartwig for a tour of Pickett’s Charge. The tour was a look at both the military and memory issues that tie our nation to the event that occurred on the third day of Gettysburg. Scott walked us out to the Virginia monument, approximately where the charge began and walked us all the way back in the same route the Confederate soldiers took on July 3. These soldiers belonged not only to Pickett’s Division, but to the divisions of Pettigrew and Trimble as well. While marching down the same path as they did almost 150 years ago showed us how difficult that march would have been for the soldiers. I was amazed that they could stay in straight battle lines in order to perform various maneuvers against the enemy.

We finished the tour at the Bloody Angle where we tried to imagine the close quarters fighting that took place on both sides of the wall. Scott urged us to look at the monuments dedicated to those regiments at the Bloody Angle and consider what such monuments symbolized and what they meant to convey to visitors to the area. Through the High Water Mark monument to the 72^nd Pennsylvania monument, we saw again the importance of memory when studying the Civil War.

It was a cold day, but a fascinating one that left us a little forlorn that we’d finished the battle of Gettysburg. But next week it’s off to Richmond for a weekend which will surely be full of great memories with wonderful friends! On to Richmond!

"It did not seem possible to withstand another shock like this now coming on. Our loss had been severe." Joshua Chamberlain

2010-12-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

Today we continued our tour of Gettysburg by following the second day’s events with our guide John Archer. Throughout the day, John focused on the human element of the battle that can sometimes get buried under the specifics of troop movements and regimental numbers.

The most poignant moment arose as we stood in a portion of the Wheatfield. John showed us a Gardener photo that had been taken in the same area about a week after the battle. Standing in the same spot where those men had died sobered us all as we looked about the peaceful scene surrounding us. I know I at least wondered what the families of those who had died would have felt upon receiving the news of the loss of their loved one. I could not imagine the pain of receiving word that my brother, father, or friend had fallen at Gettysburg. Even more horrifying would have been seeing photographs of their dead bodies littered across a pasture like an animal without anyone to witness his last moments.

Another interesting moment came during our afternoon on Culp’s Hill. Amazingly enough, some of the breastworks used by Union soldiers during their defense of Culp’s Hill on the second day are still intact. Their use of traverse lines was intriguing and serves as another tie to the modern warfare of World War I. John once again brought the human element to the forefront as he described the fighting that took place between Union and Confederate Maryland troops. The emotional trauma that would have been added by fighting men from the same state must have been tremendous on those soldiers. Interestingly, the only Confederate monument on the field is a Maryland monument on Culp’s Hill on the Union battle lines. John noted that behind the monument in the woods was a Confederate burial site. Although the bodies were re-interred elsewhere, the dip in the ground is still visible from the path.

Our second day at Gettysburg ended once more on East Cemetery Hill as we discussed the use of artillery on the second day. At the conclusion of our tour, we returned to the Appleford with a more in-depth understanding of the second day’s battle. Next week we will finish our tour of Gettysburg with a look at the town itself and Pickett’s Charge.

"They came forward with a rush, and how our men did yell, 'Come on, Johnny, come on!'" -Lt. Col. Rufus R. Dawes, 6th Wisconson, The Iron Brigade

2010-10-21T23:06:00.001-04:00

After following the campaigns of the Civil War throughout Virginia and Maryland, we have finally arrived at what some consider a turning point in the war: Gettysburg. We spent the day examining the field over which the first day’s battle took place. We met our guide, John Archer, on East Cemetery Hill and began the day.

The tour began at a rarely visited marker that holds greater significance than its small size would suggest. West of town on the Chambersburg Pike stands a marker to Marcellus Jones who fired the first shot of the Battle of Gettysburg on the morning of July 1, 1863. John pointed out that the marker is probably accurate in its positioning, and we looked down the road, trying to imagine the feelings of Union soldiers as they saw Confederates marching down the Chambersburg Pike toward Gettysburg.

Throughout the morning, we investigated the positions held by Buford’s, and later, Reynolds’ men on July 1^st. John took us through the woods to trace the movements of the famed Iron Brigade as they fought near Willoughby Run where Confederate Brigadier General James Archer was captured by Union troops. Incidentally, John Archer is related to this Confederate prisoner, providing us with a closer connection to the battle.

The death that occurred on the field that day provided a central theme to the tour. Near the railroad cut, John reminded us that not all of the bodies buried after the battle were found in the years immediately after the war. From time to time in the past century, bodies of Civil War soldiers have been discovered on the field due to heavy rains or construction efforts. Only a few years ago, in the late 1990’s a skeleton was found in the dirt walls alongside the railroad cut. After close study, it was determined that the skeleton belonged to a Confederate soldier who could only be identified as such only by the few buttons still on his person.

Another instance of the horrors of war awaited us after lunch near Oak Hill. Brigadier General Alfred Iverson watched in despair as his North Carolinians were mowed down by a surprise Union attack on their unsuspecting left. The men fell in heaps, the wounded unable to escape for fear of being shot. After the battle, the dead were buried in a mass grave where they had fallen. In the years following the war, a grape vineyard was grown over the ground, and its owners insisted that the grapes there grew larger than those elsewhere in the area due to the morbid fertility of the land.

Before ending our day at the Union held Cemetery Hill, John took us into town. He reminded us that the battle was also fought on the streets of Gettysburg itself. He pointed out the difficulties of such street fighting, and the challenges that Ewell faced on the evening of July 1. Although many criticize Ewell for not pressing his attack on the evening of the 1^st, Archer argued that such an attack would not only have been impracticable, but also devastating to his forces. With that in mind, we ended our tour of the first day with the Union soldiers on East Cemetery Hill warily watching the campfires of the Confederates appearing across the ridges they had held earlier that morning.

Next time, we’ll begin once more on East Cemetery Hill to join the armies in their second day of hard fighting at Gettysburg.

"Death, wounds, and appalling destruction everywhere." -Lt. Frederick L. Hitchcock, 132nd PA Infantry

2010-10-18T17:33:00.006-04:00

Our day began at dawn. Well, maybe not dawn, but 7:00 am felt pretty early on Friday. The drive to Fredericksburg, Virginia was probably one of the quietest we’ve had so far. But as we unloaded the bus, we were all excitement as we were honored to meet our guide for Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, staff historian Donald Pfanz.

We began our tour at the breathtakingly picturesque Chatham, the headquarters of Edwin Sumner and a hospital for the wounded during the Battle of Fredericksburg. The front of the house overlooks the scenic Rappahannock, the river dividing the Union and Confederate armies in November and December 1862. As Donald explained Burnside’s struggles throughout the campaign and his attempts to cross the river, we studied the difficult nature of the terrain encountered by the Union troops. The troubles faced by Union soldiers seemed almost insurmountable, adding to the drama of the battle. It was difficult to imagine the amount of suffering that took place on the beautiful grounds of Chatham as it was covered with the wounded and dying during the battle.

Throughout the course of the morning, we traveled across both sides of the Confederate line. We started on the Confederate right, where Jackson and his men held the line against the assaults of Meade’s men. However, at the famous Marye’s Heights on the Confederate left the futility of the battle made itself known. Standing behind the stonewall defended by Confederate troops, it was difficult to imagine a better defensive position. On Marye’s Heights, we also saw the memorial to young Confederate Sergeant Richard Kirkland, better known as the Angel of Marye’s Heights. After the intense fighting of the Heights had slightly died off, Kirkland requested permission to take water to the wounded Union soldiers who cried out in pain and fear across the wall. After he was refused permission on account of the danger involved, Kirkland took it upon himself to cross the wall. Once the Union soldiers saw what he was doing, the intermittent firing stopped and a cheer went up among the Union soldiers. Sergeant Kirkland lost his life at Chickamauga the next year.

The second half of our day was spent on the Chancellorsville battlefield, the site of what some call Lee’s greatest victory. The battlefield terrain here also proved difficult to maneuver. The overgrown Wilderness area, where another campaign would take place in 1864, posed serious problems to soldiers fighting there, and seeing the ground first hand made these difficulties evident.

Through the afternoon, we followed General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s final days. We stopped at the clearing where Jackson and Lee had their famed final meeting, and the wooded area where Jackson was shot by his own men in the confusion of twilight. Here, we found ourselves once more face to face with the memorialization of Jackson. In 1880, a group of men placed an unmarked boulder to honor Jackson’s memory near the site of his injury. Later, another more formal memorial was placed to honor Jackson. Both monuments indicate the level of ardor reserved for Jackson within the Southern mythology.

We spent a beautiful day on the battlefields of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville thanks to the interpretive skills of our guide Donald Pfanz. Before heading back to the Appleford we stopped to eat at Perkins, complete with a full discussion of the sights of the day. After a long bus ride home, we arrived back in Gettysburg at 10:30pm, ready for some rest and relaxation. The rest was greatly needed to get us ready for a battle near and dear to each of us: Gettysburg.

“After a long debate, it was decided to retire and fall back towards Sharpsburg.” -John Bell Hood

2010-09-30T23:09:00.004-04:00

The mist hung ominously in the air as we drove cautiously toward the Maryland border. We traveled south once more to tour the Antietam battlefield and learn more about the bloodiest single day in American history.

Fortunately, the mist burned off by the time we reached the battlefield where we would spend the day studying the terrain under the tutelage of our guide Dennis Frye. Throughout the day it was interesting to note the dramatic changes in terrain after only a few dozen steps. The reality of these terrain changes helped us more fully comprehend and appreciate the difficulties faced by soldiers on both sides during the battle. Dennis encouraged us to “let the ground speak to us,” to give us a more active role in understanding the battle.

For me, the most meaningful part of the tour came in the late afternoon as we walked down the Sunken Road, hauntingly referred to as Bloody Lane. Standing at the bottom of the lane forced home the realities of the difficulties faced by Confederate soldiers on September 17, 1862. When positioned in the deepest section of the road, it is impossible to see over one of the embankments, over the other only with great difficulty. The lane would have been a good defense but only as long as the Confederates could hold off advancing troops, after which point it easily became a death trap. Dennis also led us to the section of the road depicted in Alexander Gardner’s famous picture of the Confederate dead awaiting burial. It was a sobering moment as our feet crunched over the rough road where so many men spent their final moments of life.

The horror present in Bloody Lane and the rest of the Antietam battlefield still maintains a hold on the American imagination and memory. We saw an example of this hold as we made our way down the Sunken Road. On our right, under the shade of a tree rested a makeshift memorial left by some well-meaning tourist. A stuffed pink teddy bear sat at the base of the tree with a typed note reading “In Remembrance of all that died here.” The homemade memorial reminded us that the Civil War still holds a sacred, almost mythological place in American memory.

It was an eye-opening tour that took us to gorily famous areas of the battlefield. The Cornfield (absent of any corn), the Dunker (or Dunkard) Church, Bloody Lane, and Burnside’s Bridge: we saw them all in the course of the day. We marveled at the beauty of the field while trying to wrap our minds around the utter destruction and carnage that had marked Antietam following the battle.

We finished the day with a stop at Nutter’s Ice Cream Parlor in Sharpsburg as we slowly brought ourselves back to the 21^st century. The ride home was filled with discussion of the motives behind many of the attacks during the battle of Antietam, and the barely contained excitement for the showers we would take once we arrived back at the Appleford. It had been a hot day, but one that we will surely remember for years to come. Next, we continue our battlefield journey to Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, Virginia where Lee made some of his most daring maneuvers during the War.

"A little hill can make a big difference." -Jim Burgess, Manassas National Battlefield Park

2010-09-25T12:03:00.004-04:00

With an encouraging, “On to Richmond!” from Dr. Norman, we loaded the van at 7:30 a.m., headed for Manassas, Virginia. Our guide, Jim Burgess, met us at the Visitor Center and started our tour at Blackburn’s Ford where the first skirmish at Manassas took place. After a short stop and a quick look at the remains of the original road used by the Confederacy during the battle, we made our way to the famous Stone Bridge.

While most of the original bridge was destroyed in 1862 by the Confederates, the retaining wall of the bridge remains today. At that spot on July 21, 1861, Confederate Colonel Nathan “Shanks” Evans held his position against Tyler’s Union troops before learning of the attack on the unprotected Confederate left. Evans, the unsung hero of the battle, turned his forces and secured the left with a single brigade while facing the two divisions of Hunter and Heinztleman. Crossing the Stone Bridge gave us a sense of what types of obstacles faced the Union troops that morning.

However, my favorite moment of the tour came after lunch as we trekked through the woods to Sudley Springs Ford where Heintzleman and Hunter crossed into Confederate territory. At this point in the tour, Burgess allowed us to cross the ford just as the Union soldiers had done in 1862. Four of us eagerly made the attempt, envisioning the challenges of crossing the ford weighed down by military gear and weaponry. We then proceeded down the creek bed to continue the historical experience.

As we toured, Burgess retold several stories associated with the battle. Two stories in particular resonated throughout the rest of the day. The first concerned the fate of Major Sullivan Ballou, whose letter to his wife Sarah was made famous by Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary. Ballou was killed in action at Manassas and buried near the battlefield. Nearly a year later, Ballou’s grave was exhumed by Georgians who then burned Ballou’s remains in revenge for the losses they had suffered at the hands of the Rhode Islanders during First Manassas. This vindictive desecration left a sick feeling in my stomach as I remembered the loving words Ballou had written to his wife only a week prior to his death. The anecdote served to impress upon us the horrors and atrocities that emanated from the war, a reminder of the terrible powers of human beings to inflict pain on one another.

However, the day also contained stories of hope within the midst of war’s hell. We trudged past a pile of rocks that marked the former spot of the Benson family home on Christian Hill. During the battle, the Bensons found it their Christian duty to assist the wounded Union soldiers down the hill from their home, despite the fact that they themselves were loyal to the Confederacy. While giving aid, they found Union soldier James Rice who had been left for dead. The Bensons took the soldier to their own home and nursed him back to health. After the war, Rice returned to the Benson home, offering to repay their kindness through a monetary gift. The Bensons refused, claiming they had only done their duty. At Rice’s insistence, the Bensons relented by telling Rice that their church needed to be rebuilt and the congregation didn’t yet have the $1,000 necessary for the endeavor. Rice then went to his home state of Massachusetts and through a tireless effort raised over $1,100 for the Benson’s church. This story, when set next to the tragic Ballou incident, revealed that while some of the most deplorable aspects of human nature can come to the surface during war, the noblest aspects can also find space to grow.

The day ended on Henry Hill where the final phase of the battle was fought in the late afternoon on July 21. Today, a monument to Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson presides over the field. The monument itself does not resemble the ragged, thin General Jackson, but rather a steroid addicted Herculean figure upon an overly muscled horse. The monument is a prime example of the way memory has influenced the preservation of the Civil War. Today, Jackson is seen as an almost god-like hero to be worshipped, instead of the eccentric VMI professor who inspired hatred among his own students. It was a fascinating end to an interesting day.

We drove back to the Appleford that evening feeling as though we had just taken the first step in an incredible journey to follow the path of the Civil War that tore our nation apart. We will continue our journey next week to the battlefield that saw the bloodiest single day in American history: Antietam, Maryland.

"In firing his gun, John Brown has merely told what time of day it is. It is high noon." -William Lloyd Garrison

2010-09-18T16:37:00.011-04:00

With bleary eyes and intermittent yawns, we loaded the Gettysburg Sprinter with Dr. Norman at eight a.m., settling in for the short ride to our first battlefield of the semester. We drove past the now familiar fields of Gettysburg towards Maryland with excitement dulled only slightly by the early hour. We would begin our day at the near end of the war in 1864 at Monocacy Junction. We would finish it at Harper’s Ferry where some argue, the opening shots of the Civil War were fired.

We made our first stop of the day at Monocacy, Maryland to meet with our guide Gail Stephens. Her passion for the battlefield and those who fought in the area on July 9, 1864, was evident as she led us across the fields opposite the Best House. She proceeded to explain Confederate Jubal Early’s plan to destroy the Baltimore Ohio Railroad at Monocacy in order to threaten Washington D.C. by cutting it off from the Western Front. Union Major General Lew Wallace determined to hold his position at Monocacy to keep Early and the Confederates from marching on Washington.

After touring the railway junction held by Lieutenant Davis and the Maryland and Vermont attachments, we made our way to the Thomas Farm where most of the fighting took place. The experience of standing on the same terrain as the legends Early and Wallace was truly moving. Because of Wallace’s stand at Monocacy, the Confederates lost an important day to move on Washington, ultimately leading to Early’s retreat to the Shenandoah Valley on the 12th of July. Wallace may have lost the battle, but he saved Washington that day.

Interestingly enough, the Thomas Farm is still standing as it did during the battle. Gail informed us that the Park Service is currently working on restoring the Thomas Farm in order to enhance the visitor experience at Monocacy. Visiting after the restoration is complete will be fascinating.

As we returned to the Visitor Center, we passed the Best House where, in September 1862, cigars wrapped in Lee’s plans for Antietam were found by Union soldiers and sent to D.H. Hill. This fact reminded us that the Civil War wasn’t merely a barrage of single episodic battles, but rather a continuous drama with overlapping events and places.

We left Gail Stephens and the end of the war for Dennis Frye and the beginning of the war at Harper’s Ferry around noon. After a delicious lunch in Bolivar Heights, we made our way down to Harper’s Ferry to retrace John Brown’s steps during his raid in October 1859. We stood overlooking three states (West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland) as Dennis challenged our previous assumptions about Brown and his motives for his raid. His narrative style created an experience unlike any other as we set ourselves in John Brown’s world to understand his motives and hopes for the future of slavery and America. We sat in the Engine House as Dennis recounted the tense moments leading up to Brown’s capture and the end of the raid. The silence of the room following the retelling left us all with the eerie feeling of touching an event that had happened over 150 years ago.

The ride home was filled with excited discussion interspersed with “Take Me Home Country Road” as we crossed back into Virginia and Maryland. We returned to the Appleford with a deeper knowledge of the battle at Monocacy, and a deeper appreciation of John Brown’s actions in 1859. We’ve made it through the opening scene of the war at Harper’s Ferry; it’s time to see the first action in Manassas Junction, Virginia. On to Manassas!

"I consider it an honor to tell the stories of men like my great-great grandfather who fought on this hallowed ground...." -Andy Blair

2010-02-23T14:25:00.008-05:00

One of the most thrilling and exciting experiences that I have had in my life, was the opportunity to be a part of The Gettysburg Semester program at Gettysburg College. Through the many rewards that this experience offered me, perhaps one of the greatest was being able to work at Antietam National Battlefield. I knew that when offered an opportunity to take part in an internship; my first choice was to help out the wonderful Rangers and Volunteers who help to maintain this pristine battlefield and its history. It was my hope as I went into the program, to help preserve the stories and legacies of the men who fought at the Battle of Antietam, like my great-great grandfather Sgt. Neill T. Arnold of Company H in the 46^th North Carolina Regiment. The over twenty-three thousand soldiers, who were killed, wounded, or missing from both sides, following the Battle of Antietam is just staggering. As well as the work done by both men and women from the surrounding communities who following the battle, took care of the wounded and buried the fallen soldiers, it is important that their legacy should also be remembered. I learned a great deal about the Battle of Antietam from my experience working there, through talking with the Rangers and other Volunteers, I came to a greater understanding of what the Battle of Antietam means to our national history and I consider it an honor to tell the stories of men like my great-great grandfather who fought on this hallowed ground.

This experience of working at Antietam National Battlefield was one of the true joys of being a part of the Gettysburg Semester. I had the great privilege of living on the Gettysburg National Battlefield everyday for several months, and then being able to go and work at Antietam National Battlefield almost every weekend and sometimes during the regular week made the experience that much more rewarding. I usually worked every Sunday afternoon, and would make my trip down to Sharpsburg around mid-day following church at the Prince of Peace Episcopal Church in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I found the drive beautiful and relaxing, especially being able to drive through the Catoctin National Forrest, and in particular I was lucky to see the beautiful mountains and scenery covered in blankets of snow, which is something a young man from Tennessee is not always fortunate to see. My days usually consisted of working behind the Visitor Center Desk, helping the everyday visitors from across the United States and around the World with their visit to Antietam. I would point out the best ways to tour the Battlefield in however much time the visitor had, reminding them to make sure and see the Dunker Church, the Cornfield, the Sunken Road, and Burnside’s Bridge. I would go over the park map, a brief history of the battle, and show them the museum, as well as when the next documentary would be starting or when there was a Ranger led program. I was also able to travel out on the battlefield and take part in the Battlefield Ambassadors program. Which most volunteers have the opportunity to do as a way to help the visitor know a little more about a particular area of the battlefield and the action that occurred there on September 17, 1862. In my case that included the West Woods, where my great-great grandfather and the 46^th North Carolina Regiment fought.

Some other rewarding experiences were being able to help the visitors with any questions that they might have, and if they had an ancestor who fought at the Battle of Antietam, then I was able to provide for them a history of their ancestor’s unit, and show them where on the battlefield they fought, one-hundred and forty-seven years ago. I also enjoyed meeting all of the visitors, especially young children and would help them to become Junior Rangers. One of the greatest parts about working with the visitors, was you never knew who you were going to meet or see, from visitors across the United States and the world, to Ed Bearss and James McPherson, two leading Civil War Historians. I was rewarded each and every day that I was at Antietam National Battlefield, and in particular, I was fortunate to be a small part of two great events that occur at the battlefield each year. One being the Annual Battle Anniversary led Ranger program, which occurs each year on September 17, and begins early in the morning at seven o’clock in the Cornfield and ends in the late afternoon at the National Cemetery. It was truly a rewarding day and one that I got to share with my fellow companions from the Gettysburg Semester, as we walked all across the battlefield re-tracing the events that occurred on those fields one-hundred and forty-seven years ago. Another great experience, was being able to help with the Annual Remembrance Day Illumination, which occurs usually the first weekend of December as hundreds of volunteers from across the country come to place over twenty-three thousand luminaries across the battlefield to remember the brave soldiers of both the Union and Confederacy who were killed, wounded, or missing during the epic Battle of Antietam. That particular day was one in which snow kept falling throughout the day, as the volunteers worked hard to set out all of the luminaries, and even though the snow prevented some of them from being lighted, the symbol of sacrifice that they represented will never be forgotten.

All in all, my time spent as a member of the Gettysburg Semester Program, was truly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I learned so much from Dr. Guelzo, as well as all of the staff in the Civil War Era Studies Department and History Department at Gettysburg College that I will be able to carry the knowledge that I have gained from them for the rest of my life. I also had the fortune of meeting some wonderful new friends as part of the Gettysburg Semester, especially the eight of us semester students from around the country, Mrs. Cathy Bain, Mr. John Rudy and all of the other Gettysburg students and staff who I had the fortune of meeting. My time at the battlefield was one of the true highlights of my semester at Gettysburg College, and I cannot thank enough the extraordinary staff of Rangers and Volunteers at Antietam National Battlefield, who I had the privilege of coming into contact with and learning a great deal from. The experience of working at the battlefield was something that I will keep close to me forever and I hope that I was able in a small way to bring the stories of the men who fought there and what they went through to life, for our democracy was never more tested in one day than at the Battle of Antietam.

"Although this project was tedious... it has been incredibly rewarding and honed my skills of analytical research" - Annie Powers

2010-02-09T11:27:00.002-05:00

Over the course of this semester, I worked in the Gettysburg National Military Park with John Heiser. I began in my first few weeks with cataloguing back-issues of Gettysburg Magazine, primarily those from 2006. Very quickly, however, John gave me a new – and more exciting – responsibility: researching Union and Confederate staff officers at the Battle of Gettysburg. Using the Official Records, rosters, books, and other references materials from the park, I compiled a list of each Union and Confederate staff officer at Gettysburg with information about their position there and the units to which they had originally belonged.

Although this project was tedious and involved a meticulous eye, it has been incredibly rewarding and honed my skills of analytical research. Before coming to Gettysburg for the semester, I had little experience with research in the field of military history, so working at the Park library has allowed me to dive into it headfirst – and really learn how to tackle and interpret available sources. I can safely say that the research I did at the Park will help me with any future encounters I may have with military history research, and it certainly allowed me to broaden my horizons. (I’ve never been much for military history, but digging into the lives of some of these men has definitely been a treat.) It may sound a bit dull, but I really did enjoy the experience (and even got to sit in on some Park staff meetings!) – and would recommend it to absolutely anyone interested in Civil War history.

"...a great opportunity for me to gain valuable experience directly related to my career goals." - Jacob Dinkelaker

2010-02-02T15:12:00.002-05:00

As part of the Gettysburg Semester, I had the opportunity to do many great things while I was living in Gettysburg. These “experiences” included the Friday battlefield trips, a visit to Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum (A Gettysburg institution since 1975), exploring all areas of the battlefield, and the best of all, interning at Gettysburg National Military Park in interpretation. Working in interpretation this fall was a change of pace from working in Museum Services, as I had previously done.

During the summer, I was fortunate to be able to work under Greg Goodell and Paul Shevchuk as a seasonal for Museum Services, a job that I was made aware of thanks to Cathy Bain and the Civil War Era Studies office at Gettysburg College. While working in the museum, one of my first projects was re-housing many of the artifacts that were previously on display in the old Gettysburg Visitor Center. These artifacts had been packed away for the move to the new Visitor center; it was part of my duties to unpack them, and help Paul Shevchuck assign them new locations in the collection storage. The other seasonals and I also started several other projects. We processed hundreds of photos from the 125^th Anniversary events to present day photos taken by maintenance personnel, documenting what they were working on. We assigned each picture a number continuing the record keeping done by previous employees, and housed the pictures in archival folders and boxes for protection. Another project we tackled was reorganizing the relic collection by discoverer.

Although I had a great time working in Museum Services, I realized that it was not something I wanted to pursue as a career. Working with so much of our country’s history, I found myself wanting to share it with the public, and share with people my passion for history. I was able to do that in the fall, switching departments at the park, when I began my internship in interpretation under Scott Hartwig, supervisory historian. I had several responsibilities as part of my internship. One of my primary duties was staffing the visitor center information desk. Here I answered visitor’s questions, and provided information on how to explore the park and see the sights. I also developed and presented two interpretive programs on different areas of the park. My first program was on the Soldier’s National Cemetery, and the soldiers buried there. I tried to focus my program on the memory of the soldiers, and preservation of the park itself. My second program was on Day 3, specifically on Pickett’s Charge. For my program, I started with Meade’s headquarters, and developed the program to talk about the charge and ended with the horrific results of the attack. My direct supervisor, Angie Atkinson, was a big help as a sounding board for ideas for my programs, in addition to being full of advice on all things concerning the National Park Service and employment with them.

I had a great time during my internship, working for the National Park Service in interpretation. I really enjoyed working at Gettysburg National Military Park, and it is something that I am pursuing as a career. My internship this fall was a great opportunity for me to gain valuable experience directly related to my career goals, one of which is to obtain a job as a park ranger. My internship was probably the most rewarding experience I had during the semester, and it has helped me immensely as I continue my journey learning not only about history and the civil war, but historical interpretation as well.

"At the Society, I learned many of the most important responsibilities of a public historian." -Zachery Fry

2010-01-26T15:01:00.003-05:00

An internship at the Adams County Historical Society, located in historic Schmucker Hall on the Lutheran Theological Seminary Campus, was always the most attractive opportunity for me when considering a work experience in The Gettysburg Semester. The Society boasts a relatively new Battle of Gettysburg Research Room, which is a remarkable resource for any stage of research on the campaign. The staff at the Society is impeccably knowledgeable and helpful, particularly Director Wayne Motts and Collections Manager Benjamin Neely. These gentlemen and others on the staff and volunteer force were always willing to help in their own well-informed ways.

At the Society, I learned many of the most important responsibilities of a public historian. My main interest during the internship lay with the Battle of Gettysburg and Union soldiers during the Civil War. My first project, therefore, was to scan and make searchable thousands of newspaper articles concerning the battle, the veterans, and the battlefield of Gettysburg from about 1880 to 1970. In doing this I learned countless fascinating details about the battle and enjoyed a staggering array of facts and anecdotes about the field of Gettysburg. One of the most engaging articles included a map from the men of the 1st Massachusetts Infantry, Brig. Gen. Joseph Carr’s brigade, detailing where every soldier in the regiment fell in the fields east of the Emmitsburg Road on July 2, 1863. This gave me a new appreciation for the battlefield which I might not otherwise have gained but through working at the Society. It was during this process of uploading newspaper articles that fellow Ohioan Wayne Motts took me on a fascinating tour of the George Spangler Farm, the Eleventh Corps field hospital where Brig. Gen. Lewis Armistead died.

My second project, which claimed the bulk of the semester, was to create finding aids for the numerous boxes of files pertaining to Corporal Skelly Post 9 of the Grand Army of the Republic in Gettysburg. Thus I became familiar with all the Union veterans who lived in Adams County through seeing their applications and names on the ledger books. Particularly rewarding was seeing the applications of two Medal of Honor recipients – John F. Chase of the 5th Maine Battery and Daniel P. Reigle of the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. The most fascinating of all the G.A.R. records were the Post Historian’s Interviews, a collection of documents inquiring of local veterans about their experiences in the war; these included standard service information, but also more personal questions pertaining to the veterans’ most vivid memories and who their closest comrades were. These documents will be absolutely invaluable to anyone researching ancestors or local Civil War history.

Schmucker Hall is a uniquely historic building in Gettysburg, operating during and after the battle as an observation post for both armies, a signal station, and one of the largest permanent hospitals in the area. Working in the meeting room on the first floor, I discovered halfway through the semester that the door I had been sitting near for so many weeks was actually the same one through which the battered men of the 151st Pennsylvania carried Lt. Col. George McFarland after that officer had been seriously wounded in the chaotic fighting in front of the Seminary on July 1, 1863. Perhaps the pinnacle of experiencing this history came on my last day at the Society when Ben Neely rewarded my diligent work with a rare ascent to the cupola to observe the town and the battlefield.

The Adams County Historical Society provided me with the experience that should come with any internship during The Gettysburg Semester, but it also gave me many fond personal memories of my time spent in Gettysburg. From the fascinating newspaper clippings, to the personal stories in the G.A.R. records, to Thursday evenings in the Battle of Gettysburg Research Room with good semester friends and stellar research company, the internship was an experience of which I shall always be particularly proud.

"Moments like this made me realize that I was making a difference." -Samantha Smith

2010-01-19T11:39:00.004-05:00

"Upon arrival to the Gettysburg Semester, I was not scheduled to be an intern at the Gettysburg National Military Park. However, I soon decided that it would be advantageous and became one of three interns working with Paul Shevchuk, the Museum Specialist and Greg Goodell, the Chief of Museum Services.

"The first day proved intimidating. I found myself consumed by thousands of artifacts in the archival room, and all of these historical "beings" contained stories for me to hear. The intimidation did not last long because my goal as an intern was to help and preserve the past for future generations. Preservation became my fuel for action and education. Cataloging relics proved to be intriguing, for my eyes became accustomed to the sight of artillery shell but not the sight of poker chips or padlocks. These relics were great pieces of conversation.

"Curious about the numerous arrow heads I found, I asked Paul for more details. He explained to me the history behind the object and how it pertained to the archival collection at the Gettysburg National Military Park. Moments like this made me realize that I was making a difference. The arrowhead aided in the explanation of history due to my curiosity. As an intern, I aided in the preservation of this object’s history and allowed for future generations to be curious. Although, I must say I was constantly surprised my own curiosity, as it occurred when I least expected it.

"One day while working with the photographs, I came across a picture of the seasonal staff from 1970. I am not quite sure what made me instantly fall in love with the snapshot, but I did nonetheless. I felt like I was a part of something greater than myself. Almost 40 years ago, individuals like me where doing what I was doing at the moment- history. I was preserving it and they were too, and in 2009, I was preserving their actions of preservation. History, like that photograph is timeless, and my internship allowed me to preserve their immortal existence (both the photograph and history).

"I am ever thankful for my experience, too often I have underestimated the stories objects have to tell, but because of my archival internship, that mistake will never be made again."

-Samantha Smith, Gettysburg Semester 2009

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Muster Out

2009-12-16T16:15:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, after all us of burned the midnight oil to finish our seminar papers, we scrambled over to Rob Gibson's studio to get a Civil War era group picture taken (see below!). He briefly reviewed the history of photography and showed us the techniques he used -- and even let us play around with his camera, which was super neat. We then got dressed up and posed; staying still for fifteen seconds is, believe it or not, harder than it looks! That evening, after I took a long afternoon nap, we all went to Herr's Tavern for a final dinner together. We read Civil War poetry, enjoyed the yummy (but admittedly leisurely) meal, and said our last goodbyes to Dr. Guelzo.

Now that I'm officially finished with all of my work for the semester, it's beginning to feel like the end. It's a bit astonishing that the semester is over already; as I write this, my darling roommate is packing up her things, and it all feels a bit surreal. I will not deny that I am excited to head home and celebrate the holidays with my loved ones in a warmer climate, but I am sad that this experience is coming to a close. (It's going to be REALLY strange not talking Civil War with the people I live with all the time.) I've met many kindred spirits here and will miss them dearly, and with the good and bad, I am thankful to have spent the time here that I did. To everyone: best of luck on your adventures. Thank you to everyone who has helped me, and all of us, on this journey. It's been great!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Washington, D.C.

2009-12-08T10:00:00.006-05:00

This Friday, we embarked on our final Gettysburg Semester field trip – to Washington, D. C. I hadn’t been to Washington since early high school, and have desperately missed being in a city, so I really looked forward to it.

We began the day in Lafayette Square in front of the White House, where Dr. Guelzo explained how the area appeared during Lincoln’s administration. As he discussed Stanton in the Treasury Department and Lincoln’s frequent visits to Seward’s house nearby, we saw a helicopter depart from the White House and some apparently important visitors arrive. Exciting!

We then made our way to Ford’s Theater, where we spent some time in their downstairs museum. There, they had some interesting artifacts, including the gun John Wilkes Booth used to assassinate Lincoln and the suit the president was wearing when Booth did so. We then left the museum itself and made our way upstairs to peek into the Presidential Box, in which Lincoln sat when Booth shot him. After listening to a brief ranger program, we crossed the street and went through the Peterson House, where we were able to see the rooms in which Mary Lincoln awaited news about her husband, Secretary of War Stanton briefly ran the nation, and Lincoln ultimately died.

After lunch at the Hard Rock Café, we concluded the day with a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. Looking across the mall from the Lincoln Memorial was certainly an apt way to end the trip – and the last of the semester.

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Richmond Trip, Day Three / Appomattox Court House

2009-11-17T09:35:00.003-05:00

On the final day of our Richmond trip, we made our way down to Appomattox Court House. Fortunately, the day was beautiful, and we were able to enjoy the park in the sunshine!

We began in the visitor’s center with a brief ranger talk and orientation video. Afterward, we stood outside the old courthouse and Dr. Guelzo discussed the maneuvers of Lee’s army subsequent to the fall of Petersburg. He explained that chiefly, Lee sought to access the supplies first at Amelia Court House, and, failing that, at Appomattox Court House. However, Sheridan captured those at Appomattox before Lee could arrive – and after realizing that the Union cavalry was supported by infantry units, he surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia. We then made our way to the McLean House to see the room in which Grant and Lee negotiated the surrender. We concluded the morning with a discussion of the parole and final march of the Army of Northern Virginia.

After a very pleasant lunch at a cozy bed and breakfast, we made our way back to Gettysburg. Although we faced more than a few bumps along the way (metaphorically and literally, given the unpaved road we somehow managed to find ourselves on), we made it back over the Mason Dixon line in one piece. After Thanksgiving, on to Washington, D. C.!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Richmond Trip, Day Two / Cold Harbor and Petersburg

2009-11-16T23:01:00.004-05:00

After sleeping in, at least a little bit, we began our second day of the Richmond trip with Cold Harbor – led by Dr. Guelzo himself. He opened with an explanation of the utter exhaustion that the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia alike suffered by late May of 1864. After discussing Grant’s frustration with geography during the Overland campaign, we moved on to the Sixth Corps position on June 1. Dr. Guelzo then described the contribution of the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery, of Upton’s brigade, in the Union attack. We then saw several lines of entrenchments – labeled as Confederate, but Dr. Guelzo disagreed. We continued walking through the battlefield as Dr. Guelzo explained the bloodshed of the June 3 battle and the decision of men to disobey orders to attack – indicating the measure of casualties and the terror experienced by the Army of the Potomac. We concluded the morning with a photograph at the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery monument - and an impromptu discussion of the balloon corps.

After lunch, we met Randy Watkins at the Petersburg. We began by becoming acquainted with the siege of Petersburg with the National Park’s video on the subject. We then went outside with Mr. Watkins and did artillery practice – probably the most fun, in Dr. Guelzo’s own words, that we’ll have all semester! (To be fair, he isn’t wrong.) We then made our way to Ft. Stedman and discussed the action there – and Mr. Watkins explained that this was the last real offensive made by the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. We concluded at the Crater, where Mr. Watkins had us figure out the tricky ventilation system in the tunnel and described the battle there as a good plan, poorly executed. Sunday, on to Appomattox Court House, and then back home to Gettysburg.

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Richmond Trip, Day One / The Wilderness and Spotsylvania

2009-11-15T19:59:00.002-05:00

We began our trip to Richmond by heading down to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania – close to the Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville battlefields we visited several weeks ago. We met with our intrepid guide, Don Pfanz, and braved the cold and rain as we began the morning. (Appropriate, at least!)

We started the tour with a discussion of Grant’s motivations and intentions in the Overland Campaign, in particular, the potential use of combined forces. We then discussed the nature of the Wilderness battlefield as extremely difficult to maneuver through and thus terrifying for the men fighting throught it. We then went to Ellwood, where, most notably, Stonewall Jackson’s arm. We moved on next to Saunders Field, where we discussed the action there and – perhaps one of the most disturbing aspects of the Wilderness – the fires that broke out and consumed the dead and wounded. We finished the morning with stops at the Tapp Field and Chewning Farm, where Mr. Pfanz explained the actions of Texas Brigade and Lee’s rather legendary attempt to lead them into the fray.

After lunch at the Spotsylvania Courthouse Café, we proceeded to a brief tour of the battle at Spotsylvania. We began by discussing the so-called “Mule Shoe salient” and Colonel Upton’s assault there. The most sobering stop on our visit was that at the Bloody Angle, where we discussed the action there that was perhaps the hardest and bloodiest fighting of the entire Civil War. Thereafter, Mr. Pfanz explained the end of the battle and foreshadowed our visit the next day at Cold Harbor. We finished the day with a stop at the Massaponax Church, where a famous photograph was taken of Grant holding a council of war outside on the church’s pews. Saturday, on to Cold Harbor and Petersburg!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Gettysburg, Town and Pickett's Charge

2009-11-09T06:52:00.002-05:00

The cold morning of November 6, we met John Heiser on the front porch of the Appleford. John runs the library at the Gettysburg National Military Park, and I’ve been interning with him this semester – so it was nice to see a familiar face as one of our tour guides! We began by going through the history of Gettysburg the town prior to, during, and just subsequent to the battle. First, we went to the train station, and John explained that Gettysburg was a fairly bustling frontier town center by July 1863. As we walked through town, we discussed the various buildings with individuals present during or significant to the battle – and John impressed upon us how utterly and thoroughly July 1863 impacted the citizens of Gettysburg.

After John acquainted us with the history of the town we’ve been living in for the past few months, we made our way to the battlefield itself in order to discuss the farms and homes there. These included the McPherson Farm, the Snyder Farm, the Bushman Farm, and the Trostle Farm. Personally, I found the Bushman Farm to be particularly interesting, as there is a barn on the property that may date from as early as the late 1790s!

After lunch, we met Scott Hartwig, the chief historian at the GNMP, for a discussion of Pickett’s Charge and the final day at Gettysburg. He began by explaining Lee’s motivations for Pickett’s Charge and Meade’s reasons for staying in the defensive position he held on the evening of July 2. We then discussed Cushing’s Battery and the position of the 69th Pennsylvania and their efforts to repulse the Confederate attack. After that, we walked down toward the Virginia monument and made our way back, walking the route of Pickett’s Charge. We stopped several times along the way to discuss the preliminary artillery bombardment, the order of the Confederate advance, and accounts from the men involved. We concluded the walk with a discussion of the Union victory at Gettysburg and its implications, and got back on the bus just as the sun set. Next weekend, on to Richmond!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Gettysburg, Day Two

2009-11-02T11:58:00.003-05:00

This week, we were lucky to be joined by John Rudy and Cathy Bain, who have helped us immensely over the course of the semester with everything from getting this blog running to helping us with more personal problems. After they joined us at the Appleford, we met up with John Archer at Seminary Ridge.

We began our day with a discussion of the advantages of Meade’s interior lines and possession of strategic positions on the morning of July 2 in contrast with Lee’s longer line and the troubles he had with communication and reinforcement as a result. Mr. Archer then explained the infamous Longstreet at Gettysburg issue as well as the problems with and consequences of Sickles’ decision to alter his line of battle. We then made our way to the Peach Orchard, where we learned about the salient and the bloody action there. (I should mention here that both Cathy and Dr. Guelzo gave me blankets at this point because I can’t handle any cold whatsoever, for which I truly thank them!) We were also treated to the beginning of a debate between John Archer and Dr. Guelzo that would amusingly span the day – did Wright’s brigade break through the Philadelphia Brigade’s position on Cemetery Ridge?

After the Peach Orchard, John Archer discussed the Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, and spent little time talking about Little Round Top. (We’ve all read The Killer Angels. And seen Gettysburg.) We then made our way to the Trostle Farm, where Sickles suffered a leg wound that would lead to amputation – and allegedly enjoyed a cigar while he was carried away from the field. In another perhaps tasteless Gettysburg Semester tradition, we imitated Sickles’ loss of leg while Dr. Guelzo reenacted the general’s reaction to the injury by smoking a cigar.

As soon as we finished a delicious but coma-inducing lunch at the Pike, we went to Benner’s Hill and Mr. Archer explained the artillery battle that raged between the batteries there and those under Colonel Wainwright. We then made our way to Culp’s Hill, where we compared several photographs taken after the battle fromWilliam Frassanito’s books to the sites we were seeing. We also discussed the harsh and bloody fighting here – and were given the evidence by looking at a small burial pit near the 2nd Maryland monument. Our final stop was Cemetery Hill, and once again, Mr. Archer and Dr. Guelzo explained the importance of that position in the battle. Next week, we will return to Gettysburg for a tour of the Third Day and the town of Gettysburg itself with Scott Hartwig and John Heiser.

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Gettysburg, Day One

2009-10-26T11:58:00.007-04:00

Last Friday, we slept in and stayed home for a tour of the First Day at Gettysburg! Although we’ve all been to the battlefield before – certainly since being here, including a few walks with our own Zack Fry – I was excited to begin the Gettysburg Semester’s three-week exploration of the battle. We met our guide, John Archer, at East Cemetery Hill, which he and Dr. Guelzo explained was the reason for fighting at Gettysburg. We were able to understand this looking around, for the plateau commands a view of the entire surrounding area.

Making our way to the location of the alleged location of the “first shot” fired during the battle, John Archer explained the reasons for Lee’s invasion and impressed upon us that the fighting at Gettysburg was not planned. We then made our way to McPherson’s Ridge, where Mr. Archer described Buford’s holding action and Reynolds’ arrival. We followed a path through the woods to Willoughby Run, where we discussed the Iron Brigade’s flanking maneuvers against Archer’s men. (Not to mention enjoyed the lovely fall colors while we were surrounded by trees and falling leaves!)

We then continued to the unfinished railroad cut, where Mr. Archer explained the fighting of the 6th Wisconsin, the 14th Brooklyn, and the 95th New York there. (My darling roommate even sported a 14th Brooklyn kepi!) We then went to Oak Ridge and Oak Hill, where we discussed the bloody action between Iverson’s and Robinson’s men – and Jacob Dinkelaker made some hilarious tasteless jokes about Sally Ann, the 11th Pennsylvania’s mascot dog. We also talked about issues of battlefield preservation and tourism at Gettysburg, including Gettysburg College’s destruction of the other railroad cut.

After eating at the Appleford, we made our way to Barlow’s Knoll, and Mr. Archer explained the composition of the Eleventh Corps and their fighting against and retreat from Gordon on July 1. Afterward, we made our way back to the woods, discussing the First Corps retreat and walking the 24th Michigan’s fighting retreat from the 26th South Carolina. We concluded the day on Seminary Ridge with an explanation of the Union retreat through town, their last stand at Seminary Ridge, and their ultimate withdrawal to Cemetery Hill. Just as Mr. Archer finished his discussion about the criticism of Ewell for not taking Cemetery Hill, it began to rain and we headed back into the bus. This week, we’re staying here again for Gettysburg, Day Two!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville

2009-10-19T06:37:00.004-04:00

On Friday, October 16, we left Gettysburg for Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, bundled up against the cold and rain. Upon arrival, we soon discovered that these battlefields are a testament to those throughout the country that suffer from encroaching development and lack of preservation. Nevertheless, our guide, Greg Mertz, was able to make his tour incredibly meaningful. He provided us with incredibly interesting documents about each of our regiments, which we read aloud at intervals over the course of the day. I think we all greatly appreciated Mr. Mertz’s efforts for us in this respect – for my part, the letters and diaries he gave me really drove home the soldier’s experience at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.

In the morning, we toured Fredericksburg. Our first stop was along the Rappahannock, where we discussed the Federal troops’ crossing of the river and the heated action in the town. We then headed toward Marye’s Heights, where despite development, we were able to truly understand the horrifying futility of the Union attacks there. Discussing the casualties many of our regiments suffered was chilling. We finished the tour of Fredericksburg with a visit to Prospect Hill and went over Franklin’s attack and the Confederate position there.

After lunch and the obligatory bookstore visit, we moved on to Chancellorsville. After Mr. Mertz detailed Lee’s plans for the upcoming battle, we went to the area of Howard’s XI Corps position. Here, Jackson launched an attack against the unprepared corps, which was forced into a hasty retreat. We then made our way to the Chancellorsville Visitor’s Center and the approximate spot where Jackson was mortally wounded in the battle. Thereafter, we rode toward Hazel Grove and walked toward Fairview, surveying Sickles’ position there and the consequences of the Union abandonment of it. We concluded our tour with a visit to the Salem Church and a brief talk about the action there – and Mr. Mertz pointed out the position of my regiment, the 2nd Rhode Island, as “near the Taco Bell.” (Certainly unfortunate evidence of a lack of battlefield preservation.)

After a long, rainy drive back home, most of us finished the day with dinner with Dr. Guelzo at Tommy’s and continued to discuss the Civil War over pizza – a lovely end to the day, if I do say so myself! Next week, we’re staying in Gettysburg to discuss the first day. (And let’s all hope for better weather, shall we?)

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Antietam

2009-10-12T07:45:00.005-04:00

During the second week of October, we departed early and made our way to Antietam. We were greeted by unseasonably warm weather – a welcome change from our previous trips! This was the first battlefield that we’d visited that I’d seen prior to the Gettysburg Semester, so I was excited to see and experience it again.

We were very fortunate to have Dennis Frye as our guide for the second time, particularly because so much of his personal and family history has ties to the Battle of Antietam. After becoming acquainted with the topography of the area, we went to the Pry House, McClellan’s headquarters during the battle. Here, Mr. Frye challenged us to consider the battle in terms of contemporary practicality rather than focus heavily on reports – which, especially in McClellan’s case, are not always trustworthy.

We then made our way to the Cornfield and the West Woods, where Dennis Frye took us to an area where, as he described, the terrain truly changed the course of American history. We learned that the action at the West Woods was the (extremely bloody) turning point in the battle, as it put McClellan on the defensive for the remainder of the day.

After leaving the West Woods, we headed to the Sunken Road (or “Bloody Lane”), where Mr. Frye argued that contrary to popular belief, French’s division did not get lost – rather, their arrival there was entirely intentional given the realities of terrain and position. Before leaving, we participated in a Gettysburg Semester tradition: reenacting “the bloat” from Alexander Gardner’s famous photographs of the Bloody Lane after the battle. (Insensitive, yes, but tradition IS tradition!) We then got ourselves up and climbed the stairs to the top of the observation tower, where Mr. Frye told us a moving story about the discovery of several soldiers from the Irish Brigade who were partially buried on the battlefield.

Our final stop was Burnside’s Bridge, where Mr. Frye maintained that Burnside’s actions were brilliant, rather than foolish, at Antietam. After a group picture (sans Dr. Guelzo) on the bridge, we went to Nutter’s ice cream – the perfect complement to a long, hot, and incredibly enjoyable day on the battlefield! As we drove back to the Visitor’s Center, Dennis Frye explained the end of the battle and Lee’s withdrawal on the 18th of September. Overall, a great trip – on to Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville next week!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Manassas

2009-09-28T07:07:00.004-04:00

At the end of our third week of classes, we made our way to Manassas. Dr. Guelzo couldn’t join us, but we managed to arrive in one piece somehow. And, despite early signs of inclement weather, we were fortunate enough to avoid rain!

After joining our leader and guide Jim Burgess, we toured a variety of sites related to the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (Manassas), including Blackburn’s Ford, Signal Hill, the so-called “Liberia House” used as headquarters by Beauregard, and the Ben Lomond House (where were learned about everything from a French-hating presidential pet to forensic blood analysis technique).

After lunch, Jim Burgess took us through the phases of the 1st Battle of Bull Run, beginning with the Stone Bridge. We then walked up to the area demarcated as Farm Ford, and Jim Burgess explained that its real location is likely a couple hundred yards farther up. (I thought his presentation of this was a really interesting example of historical detective work. Really fun!) After looping around the trail back to the Stone Bridge, we hopped on the bus to Sudley Church, which Hunter’s division passed on the way to its attempted flank attack on the left of McDowell’s line. We then drove to Matthews Hill, where Burnside’s and Porter’s brigades engaged with the outnumbered Col. Evans. (And where the 2nd Rhode Island fought alone for the better part of a half hour and was able to push back the Confederates!) After that, we stopped (and posed) at the Stone House, used as a field hospital during the battle.

Our final stop was Henry House Hill, where we were all greatly distracted by the overwhelmingly disproportionate monument to Stonewall Jackson. (The muscles of his wildly inaccurate horse seem to blend with those of his wildly inaccurate legs and torso. Something is clearly very strange here.) In any case, we heard from Jim Burgess about the action and ultimate Confederate victory at Henry House Hill – and the physical and psychological aftermath of the First Battle of Bull Run for both sides. As the clouds began to break, we departed Manassas in high spirits – and began to look forward to Antietam in two weeks!

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Special Collections

2009-09-21T09:32:00.002-04:00

This past week, in lieu of another battlefield trip, we were introduced to the Gettysburg College Special Collections. Director Karen Drickamer kindly gave us a detailed description of the procedure necessary to do research in the Special Collections and presented to us a sampling of the items available therein. Among reference materials for both the College and the battle, there were many very interesting pieces, including two Civil War diaries and a book in which a solder had written his name while in the hospital at Pennsylvania Hall.

Although brief, the visit offered a glimpse at the wealth of research materials available to us as Gettysburg College students – and I’m extremely excited to work in the Special Collections over the course of the semester!

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Visit the Gettysburg College Special Collections website to see the myriad resources available to researchers. The GettDigital collection offers many resources to the public online as well.

Gettysburg Semester 2009 - Harpers Ferry

2009-09-14T16:17:00.008-04:00

Last Friday, September 11, we woke up early and made our way toward Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. It was a rather gloomy, rainy day, but that didn’t dampen our excitement! (Although my roommate and I both forgot coats. Lesson learned!)

After meeting Dennis Frye at the Vistor’s Center, we went to the Lower Town area, most famous for John Brown’s “raid” in October of 1859. Before we went through the town itself, however, Dennis Frye introduced us to the reasons for which Harpers Ferry developed as it did. Of particular importance is the Shenandoah River, which made the town an excellent location for the establishment of mills. We saw one in particular that served as a hospital during the Civil War.

We then walked through the town, most of which was destroyed due to the Civil War and continual flooding. Dennis Frye walked us through the layout of Harpers Ferry as it would have looked when John Brown arrived there. Most interesting was his emphasis on John Brown’s original intentions for the “launch” of his war against slavery. We moved through the areas of particular importance to John Brown, such as the armory and the arsenal, and ended our walk at the old firehouse. Dennis Frye’s animated demonstration of the last moments before John Brown was apprehended there were both entertaining and powerful.

After a much needed lunch-break huddled in the van, we set out for Bolivar Heights to discuss the Battle at Harpers Ferry in September of 1862 during the Maryland Campaign. Dennis Frye thoroughly covered the issues of topography and terrain at Harpers Ferry, explaining the strategic importance of Maryland Heights, Loudon Heights, and Bolivar Heights. He then took us to the Confederate position at Schoolhouse Ridge, where we simulated marching in line – much more difficult than I had imagined! Finally, we went to the area where A.P. Hill’s flanking maneuver forced the Union to surrender and got a gorgeous view of the Potomac River. Exhausted, wet, but completely content, we made our way back to the bus. I, for one, spent the ride back home humming “Take Me Home Country Roads” and looking forward to our trip to Manassas!

Welcome our 2009 Blogger: Annie Powers

2009-09-09T23:59:00.008-04:00

The school year has once again begun, and it is time now for our Gettysburg Semester students to begin their sojourns around Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and more. The Civil War Era Studies Department is pleased to introduce Annie Powers, our 2009 Blogger. Annie hales from the University of California at Berkeley, and is one of two students we have this year who've made the trek to Gettysburg from the "Golden State." Annie will be writing about her weekly travels with Dr. Guelzo and her fellow students. Look for her first update from the field (Harpers Ferry, WV) next Monday.

Below is Annie's first submission, a recap of her first experiences at Gettysburg College and with the Gettysburg Semester during the Orientation Week. Without further ado, here's the news from our students:

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Orientation Week

Gettysburg. A small, historic-minded town with a population of about 7,500 and a college with 2,600 students. After living in the San Francisco Bay Area and attending the University of California at Berkeley, a state university with nearly 26,000 undergraduates, I didn’t quite know what to expect. But when I arrived at the Appleford, our residence for the semester, and the idea of studying the Civil War in Gettysburg began to sink in, I realized (as trite as this will sound) that this place would quickly become home.

When I arrived at the Appleford, I all but collapsed onto my bed after getting almost no sleep on a red-eye flight from California into D.C. Thankfully, Dr. Guelzo, Cathy Bain, and a bunch of other students helped me haul my heavy luggage upstairs and got me acquainted with the house. Admittedly, those first few hours were blurred by my exhaustion, but I was delighted to finally be in Gettysburg.

After dealing with logistical issues and bonding with my darling roommate Sam, Dr. Guelzo treated us to dinner at the Dobbin House. It was super delicious and, as Jacob Dinkelaker described it, “olde-timey.” When we returned to the Appleford, most people played a game of Monopoly, but personally, I was fast asleep by 10:00 pm.

The next day, we were given a tour of Pickett’s Charge by Dan Welch, a Gettysburg Semester student from 2005. I was both impressed by his walk and excited about the opportunities that studying here at Gettysburg College clearly offers us.

Later that evening, we participated in the First Year Walk, a tradition in which first-years follow the path that Pennsylvania College students and faculty took in 1863 to see the dedication of the National Cemetery. All of us Gettysburg Semester students were at the front of the crowd, unmistakable in our blindingly orange T-Shirts. (We were even featured on the College website!) Upon arrival, we listened to the Gettysburg Address read by former NAACP president Bruce Gordon. There is something so powerfully eloquent about the Gettysburg Address that captivates me no matter how many times I have read it or heard it spoken. Dr. Guelzo then treated us to Kilwin’s Ice Cream, which had the best waffle cones I have ever tasted and will probably be the place where the majority of my money is spent this semester.

Over the weekend, we all tried to visit the battlefield in some way, going in groups or exploring the ground alone. This week, classes and internships are beginning, and I am extremely excited to see and experience absolutely everything uniquely Gettysburg over the next three months!

Gettysburg Semester: Muster Out

2008-12-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

We come now to the end of our Gettysburg Semester. Through the ups and downs, this has been a semester none of us will ever forget. We have formed new bonds, both with each other and with our passions for the subject that brought us together here. It seems like yesterday that we moved into the Appleford and began this journey. We have been flooded with knowledge, traveled the battlefields in the footsteps of history, and created memories that will never fade. We have performed the final act as a group and have been mustered out of active service. We now depart and go our separate ways to carry on the legacy of those who have gone before, with the hope that we may add our contributions to that legacy.

Gettysburg Semester: Washington, D.C.

2008-12-05T14:45:00.000-05:00

Today was our last field experience trip…to Washington DC! We started out in front of the White House and Lafayette Square to talk about Lincoln’s wartime Washington. Then we went to Fort Stevens to talk about the attack on Washington in 1864 by Jubal Early. Fort Stevens was one on many forts in the defenses of the capital and it was the only fort that was really attacked in the war. We know that Lincoln went out to watch the battle and it is reported that he climbed on top of the parapet until he was yelled at by one of the officers. Our last stop before lunch was the Lincoln Cottage at the Old Soldiers’ Home. This was the Lincolns’ summer home during his presidency and it was an important place for President Lincoln to formulate his ideas about the war. We were led through the house by a former Gettysburg Semester student and were some of the first people to see the new statue that was just put in a few weeks ago.

After a lunch at the Hard Rock Café, we went to Ford’s Theatre where Lincoln was shot. We couldn’t go inside the theatre because it was still being renovated, but we stood outside while Dr. Guelzo described the night he was shot. Then we went inside the Petersen House where Lincoln died. We saw the parlor where Mary Todd Lincoln spent much of her time that night, the back parlor where national officials held meetings, and the bad bedroom where Lincoln was brought until he died. Our last stop was Lincoln Memorial, a fitting end to our field experience trips.

Next week we will be saying good-bye to each other and Gettysburg at our mustering-out party.

Gettysburg Semester: Richmond Trip (Appomattox Court House)

2008-11-16T14:36:00.000-05:00

We headed out early for the final day of our Richmond weekend. Our only stop for the day was Appomattox Court House where Lee finally surrendered to Grant's Union forces. At the visitor center (located in the court house itself) we met our guide, Bert Dunkerly, who took us on a tour of the village. Many of the original buildings still stand and others are reconstructed. Unfortunately for us it had finally decided to feel like November and the wind was really cold. It didn't dampen our enthusiasm though.

Bert took us from one end of the village, where the battle was fought on April 9, to the other end, where Grant and Lee met a second time and also where the parade began in the surrender ceremony. In between we saw the McLean house where the surrender terms were drawn up and signed and the tavern where over 28,000 paroles were printed for the Confederate soldiers. When our tour was done we were let loose to explore the buildings and exhibits on our own. It was really awesome to be able to stand in the same room as Grant and Lee had stood. After lunch and a treat at Dairy Queen we boarded back into the van for the long ride back to Gettysburg.

The war may have ended for Generals Grant and Lee at Appomattox, but our journey is not over yet. After our break for Thanksgiving, we go to the nation's capital...Washington DC!

Gettysburg Semester: Richmond Trip (Cold Harbor & Petersburg)

2008-11-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

Our first battlefield on the second day of our Richmond trip was Cold Harbor where we were led by our own Dr. Allen C. Guelzo. We quickly shed our coats in the unseasonable warm weather and followed him on a very nice trail through the woods that covered the former battlefield. Unfortunately, only a very small area of the battlefield remains and that is covered in thick woods. So, while it was nice to walk through the woods, it was very hard to see the battlefield. A good portion of the trenches were preserved in that area, however, so that helped a lot. Dr. Guelzo took us through the battles on June 1 and June 3 that constituted the third thrust of Grant in his Overland Campaign. After walking the trail where the II and VI Union Corps attacked, we headed down a bit farther to where the XVIII Corps attacked. Our final stop was at the only monument on the battlefield, that of the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery which constituted the majority of the force attacking on June 1 and took heavy casualties.

After lunch we made our way to Petersburg to cover the final stop of the Overland Campaign. Here the two armies settled into a siege that lasted 9 months and 18 days and sounded the death knell for the Confederacy. At the visitor center we met up with our guide for the afternoon, Randy Watkins. The first thing he did was drill us on the 12-pounder Napoleon outside the visitor center door. We made a lot of mistakes the first time, but by the third try we were making progress! Then we headed to a reconstructed fortification where he drilled us with wooden muskets. It was confusing at first, but a lot of fun! That done we settled down to learn about the siege and its battles.

We went to three different forts along the Union line-Fort Stedman, Fort Wadsworth, and Fort Fisher where battles occurred at different times. The forts are only rows of grassy mounds now, but we could still get a sense of the life led during the siege. Probably the stop that we were all looking forward to most was the Crater. This is where the Union dug a 511-foot tunnel under the Confederate works, filled it with 8,000 pounds of gunpowder, and blew it up killing 318 Confederates and creating a huge crater in the ground. Even though we got stuck in a rainstorm at this stop we were excited to see the reconstructed entrance to the tunnel and then the Crater itself. It doesn't look like much now, just a big grassy depression, but it must have looked amazing when it first happened. Once darkness forced us off the field we said goodbye to Randy and headed off to dinner at the Brickhouse run in Petersburg.

Tomorrow is our last day of the three day tour and we are fittingly covering the last day of the eastern campaign.....Appomattox Court House.

Gettysburg Semester: Richmond Trip (Wilderness & Spotsylvania)

2008-11-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

We started off bright and early for our three day weekend trip to the Richmond area in Virginia. We left the Appleford at 7:00 for the two-and-a-half hour drive to our first stop at the Wilderness. I slept the entire way down so getting stuck in traffic for an hour didn't bother me at all. We picked up our guide for the day, Don Phanz, at Chancellorsville and headed off to the Wilderness.

We began at Elwood where Don introduced us to the Union side of the battle and we paid tribute to Stonewall Jackson (even though that was technically connected to the Battle of Chancellorsville) by visiting the place where his amputated arm is buried. We talked about Warren a great deal here since this was his Headquarters in the Wilderness, and after Don said that he liked limericks Dr. Guelzo tried his hand at creating one about Warren himself. Then we went to Saunder's Field were the Battle of the Wilderness began. There Don covered the Confederate side of the campaign and the beginning of the battle. We followed the Confederate lines from the Orange Turnpike to the Orange Plank Road were we visited the Chewning and Widow Tapp's Farms. Heading down the Orange Plank Road we followed the path of Longstreet's advance and saw where he was accidently wounded by his own men. After covering the other end of the battle at the intersection of the Brock Road we headed towards Spotsylvania Courthouse for lunch.

After lunch at the Courthouse Café we headed to the location of Sedgwick's death to begin the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse. He was killed on the approach to Laurel Hill where the battle would begin, the Confederates having beaten the Federals to Spotsylvania Courthouse. Laurel Hill would form half of the battlefield where several Union assaults would occur over the days of the battle. Then we went to the famous "Mule Shoe" salient in the Confederate lines. Don took us first to the center of the salient where the first Union assault was led by Upton through the Confederate lines. He gave us an overview of the attacks there on May 10th and 12th and then we went to "Bloody Angle" where Union and Confederate troops fought hand-to-hand for 20 hours on May 12th. We got to go down behind a line of reconstructed earthworks that were the beginnings of the lines of gentle mounds that line the field today.

Our last stop was at Massaponax Church were O'Sullivan's famous picture was taken of Grant and Meade with their subordinates. Then we headed south for dinner and some well deserved rest. Tomorrow we go to Cold Harbor and Petersburg!

Gettysburg Semester: Gettysburg (Day 3)

2008-11-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Ranger John Heiser met us at the Appleford to begin our third and final tour of Gettysburg (at least with the Semester-I know this won't be my last time!). We started out with a drive around the battlefield looking at the Culp Farm, the Bushman Farm, and the Trostle Farm to understand the toll the battle took on local farmers. Then we headed back into town to learn about the impact on the town and its citizens. He took us through streets and alleys to see the railroad station, the GAR post, and several churches that had been used as hospitals. The impact of civilians was told through stories, such as the story of Sally Mires, a 20-year old schoolteacher who worked with the wounded for several days in St. Francis Xavier Church even though the first time she entered she had broken down and had to leave.

After a tasty lunch at O'Rorke's and ice cream at Kilwin's we met up with our second guide, Ranger Scott Hartwig, who would lead us through Pickett's Charge. We started at the Union lines where Scott got us oriented to where the battle stood on the morning of July 3rd and who the troops were that would defend the ridge against the famous assault of Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble. Then we walked over to the Confederate side to get that perspective of the day's battle. There Scott told us about the problems with command and communication the Confederates faced that day and how the charge was decided on and organized. Then we walked the path of Pickett's Division back to the Union line. This was made all the more realistic by our own walking casualty. Amy gamely walked, or should I say hobbled, the two miles on her bad ankle. The dedication of the Confederate men that made the original assault lives on!

We ended the day near the Angle and the Copse of Trees where Armistead broke through the Union lines and was repelled. Here I presented on my 69th Pennsylvania boys who single-handedly pushed the Confederates back! Ok, maybe I exaggerate, but they were crucial in the fighting that took place there.

The Battle of Gettysburg would end with the ill-fated charge of the Confederates. Pickett's Charge was also the end of our three day tour of Gettysburg. Fortunately, it does not mark the end of our field experience trips and next week we are going to the Richmond area for a three day tour!!

Gettysburg Semester: Gettysburg (Day 2)

2008-10-31T17:04:00.000-04:00

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)

2008-10-24T15:24:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-10T15:06:00.000-04:00

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

2008-10-03T14:46:00.000-04:00

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

Gettysburg Semester: Manassas

2008-09-19T15:00:00.001-04:00

We finished off our third week of classes with a trip to the battlefield of First and Second Manassas/Bull Run. Two major battles were fought in the same area in 1861 and 1862, both ending in victories for the Confederacy. We arrived at the Visitor Center around 9:30 and met Jim Burgess who would be our ranger guide for the day. It was clear and warm, a perfect day for battlefielding and a welcome change from last week's rain.

We started off with the First Battle of Manassas. The First Battle of Manassas was the first major campaign of the war, fought in July of 1861, and the North was confident that they would win the engagement and end the rebellion quickly. Jim took us first to the Stone Bridge over Bull Run that was the sight of the first shots of the battle in a diversionary tactic by the Union. Then we went to the area that was the main battlefield for his engagement: Matthew's Hill and Henry House Hill. The main fighting began by Matthew's Hill and was pushed back to Henry Hill for the remainder of the battle. This is where Thomas Jonathan Jackson gained the nickname that would forever stick: "Stonewall" Jackson.

After lunch Jim took us out to the Brawner Farm to begin the Second Battle of Manassas. The amazing element in both battles is that they were fought on such small areas of land. We only had to make only a few stops to see the majority of the battlefield. The Brawner Farm was the flank of the Confederate lines and also where the famed Iron Brigade earned its name. From the Brawner Farm we moved to where the Union made its main assault on the Confederates at the unfinished railroad cut. Here Dr. Guelzo got tired of our slow pace and had us march in column formation which we did much better than our line formation last week, especially since Dr. Guelzo led us in some marching songs. Our last stop before hitting the bookstore at the Visitor Center was Chinn Ridge where the Union fought a flanking maneuver by Longstreet.

Unfortunately for the Union, both battles at Manassas were defeats and ended in retreats back towards Washington. Our retreat was orderly as we boarded the bus and headed back to Gettysburg. Next week: Winchester!

-Katie Logothetis

Gettysburg Semester: Harpers Ferry

2008-09-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

We started off our field experiences with a trip to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. We were all up early in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed as the expression goes, and although it looked like rain we started off in high spirits. At the visitor center we met Dennis Frye who would be leading us on the battlefield, and other battlefields to come. Harpers Ferry is an amazing place because it is known for more than one famous occurrence. The two that come to mind are the 1859 raid by John Brown and the September 1862 Civil War battle.

We began with the battlefield since the change of rain was worse for the afternoon. Dennis took us first to Bolivar Heights to get a perspective of the battlefield. Harpers Ferry is at the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers and is a triangle of "high-ground" made of Bolivar Heights, Maryland Heights, and Loudoun Heights. In the present day it is also the junction of three states: Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Dennis took us to both the Union and Confederate lines and the locations of the major movements during the battle. Harpers Ferry is a well preserved battlefield and we were able to get a really good feel for the movement of the battle in 1862. We walked the confederate lines on Schoolhouse ridge and, even though we have a lot of work to do before we can march in a respectable line formation, it was easy to see the courage of the soldiers that fought on both sides of the conflict.

Even though it had been raining all day and was getting heavier we went back out on the field after lunch. This time we went out to the Old Town where John Brown's Raid had occurred in 1859.

Unfortunately for the town, the Civil War had caused so much damage that it never fully recovered and 60% of the original town is no longer there. Dennis brought us to the site of the armory buildings that John Brown and his men had attacked to get arms to fight Brown's own war against slavery. The only original building significant to the raid that still stands is the engine house where the final assault by the US Marines occurred and John Brown was captured. Sitting inside the tiny building Dennis took us through the events of the raid and the dramatic conclusion that reverberated throughout the states and impacted opinions on slavery just two years before the Civil War would begin.

Wet and tired but full of new knowledge we headed home to the Appleford. Next week Manassas!!!

-Katie Logothetis