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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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