Last Weekend my lovely and talented wife needed some sewing items to finish a colonial era dress. The best location for these items was a store close by Gettysburg PA, so off we went on a cold and blustery day. After buying said items, and a book on Civil War cooking, we went to the National Park's newish visitor center to eat lunch and cruise the book shop. (I picked up a new book on Irish Americans in the Civil War) We talked about seeing the rehabbed cyclorama, but found out that there was a lecture about one of my favorite Americans: Dan Sickles!!. Dan, among other things to his credit(???), almost lost the battle of Gettysburg for the Union. He also lost his leg at the battle, had it saved after being cut off and then visited it after the War. (You can still see it at the Medical Museum).
Anyway after a great lecture on Dan that hit the high points (low points??) we went on the auto tour around the battlefield. Now I have been to Gettysburg in the Summer, but visiting in the winter is as good. There are less people and with no leaves on the trees you can a great view of the battlefield. We only made up one of the Observation tours, really cold and windy, but Gettysburg is still a moving experience. Even for a die hard Unionist like me(ask me about living in Columbia S.C. some time), you can still stand at the Virginia monument, with Massa Robert on Top, and feel the ghosts of Pickett's and Pettigrew's soldiers starting out across the fields toward the Union lines. To misquote Faulkner: to every Southern boy it is still early in the day on that July morning with the world in the balance. Go you will not regret!!
Book Suggestion's from your friendly neighborhood historian/librarian:
Killer Angels: Michael Sharra. The best novel on the battle, probably the best novel on the war. Ken Burns read it! Ted Turner read it! Started the hero worship of Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine (its monument went from one of the least visited to maybe the most visited).
Hallowed Ground: James McPherson. A great short tour of the battlefield and overview of the battle by America's best Civil War historian.
American Scoundrel: Thomas Keneally. Dan Sickles in all his glory. The title says it all.
My favorite monument? Probably the Irish brigade's with its Irish Cross and Irish Wolfhound. Look for it in the Wheatfield.
Huzzah for the Union!
Book Suggestion's from your friendly neighborhood historian/librarian:
Killer Angels: Michael Sharra. The best novel on the battle, probably the best novel on the war. Ken Burns read it! Ted Turner read it! Started the hero worship of Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine (its monument went from one of the least visited to maybe the most visited).
Hallowed Ground: James McPherson. A great short tour of the battlefield and overview of the battle by America's best Civil War historian.
American Scoundrel: Thomas Keneally. Dan Sickles in all his glory. The title says it all.
My favorite monument? Probably the Irish brigade's with its Irish Cross and Irish Wolfhound. Look for it in the Wheatfield.
Huzzah for the Union!
