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

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.