****GETTYSBURG**** July 1 1863

MilitaryHistoryOnline.com ^ | July 1 2003 | Carlo3b

[carlo3b]

GETTYSBURG

It was 140 years ago today, almost to the minute, that our nation faced one of the most defining and bloody 3 days, in the history of all mankind.  On Wednesday, July 1 1863, more than 50,000 men and boys lost their life, or limb on one field of battle. On that day the tiny town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania witnessed not only a day that will find it's way into the annals of American history but a slaughter beyond belief. The Union and Confederate Armies met and fought a battle that was "Our War", between our neighbors and countrymen.. It was not the end of the war, but the beginning of the ..
WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES...
 

Thanks to the fine research and accurate depiction of that battle, performed by the folks on a great source of history, MilitaryHistoryOnline.com, you can join me in remembering those brave soldiers of both armies...

[CurlyBill]

Great synopsis... I had to throw in my Gettysburg DVD and watch it tonight. There is nothing more fascinating than history.

[CurlyBill]

I feel Gettysburg has been overplayed.

I disagree to some extent. Had the Confederates won the Battle of Gettysburg, they could have quickly moved through Maryland and into Washington, DC around the same time Vicksburg was falling. Having laid siege to Washington, DC (with the remnants of the Army of the Potomac in his wake) Lee would probably have forced Lincoln to negotiate some form of a settlement. Furthermore, despite the fact that the Union was carving up the west, a win at the battle of Gettysburg would have changed the complection of the war. Had the Confederates won the war, I believe that slavery would have been abolished (albeit years later than it was) and we would still have been one country today. Just my $.02...

[SAMWolf]

Toward The Angle
Brigadier Gen. Richard Brooke Garnett leading his Brigade of 5 Virginia regiments at Gettysburg, July 3rd, 1863

The high Tide
It was the "High Tide" of the Confederacy -- Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. It began with a long gray line of 15,000 troops arranged in "magnificent order" for a half a mile. Soon the ranks were shredded by shot and shell, and they shrank into small groups of men, gathered under tattered red banners. The most determined crossed the Emmitsburg Road and continued into the face of deadly Northern fire blazing from a stone wall on Cemetery Ridge. More and more fell until, finally, the great assault collapsed. It was the end of Lee's hope to end the war at Gettysburg.

[piasa]

So.... just how much protein do weevils and mealworms add to hardtack, anyway? (And does the FDA require the labeling to include nutrition facts for servings with as well as without- uh- invertebrate "supplements?")

[carlo3b]

So.... just how much protein do weevils and mealworms ...

BUGS, and WORMS.... Yummmmmmmmmm
 Fry 'em, bake 'em, sauté in a pan, eat as many of these bad boys as you want... DRUM ROLL MAESTRO, ...ta da ....NO CALORIES.... LOLOLOL

[carlo3b]

Bill, please get GODS AND GENERALS when they release it to BLOCKBUSTER on July 15th, you will love it. Don't look at the reviews, the Media hated it because it told the truth, and you know how THE TRUTH MAKES LIBERAL'S GO NUTS!

[Non-Sequitur]

Had the Confederates won the Battle of Gettysburg, they could have quickly moved through Maryland and into Washington, DC around the same time Vicksburg was falling. Having laid siege to Washington, DC (with the remnants of the Army of the Potomac in his wake) Lee would probably have forced Lincoln to negotiate some form of a settlement.

What the heck, I might as well toss in my $0.02 worth as well. I respectfully disagree with you. Say that Pickett had split the Union line on the third day and sent the Army of the Potomac into retreat. Lee now has thousands of dead and tens of thousands of wounded to care for, he's shot off most of his ammunition, and he is still hundreds of miles into the Union. The Army of the Potomac is damaged but still dangerous. Washington D.C. has thousands of troops in dozens of forts defending it. Lee had no choice. He was in no position at all to proceed on to Baltimore or Philadelphia or Washington. He had to go home regardless, back to Virginia before his line of retreat was cut.

[carlo3b]

What a great picture depiction of "Little Round Top"! If you can get the entire collection of THE CIVIL WAR documentaries on video, 9 episodes, by Ken Burns, you will have 9 hours of total historical and educational pleasure, the way he presents the facts will astound you even if you are an historian on the subject.. Please trust me on this, try your local library you will not regret it for one second!!

[carlo3b]

Bell, if that letter bothered you, don't dare get the collection of videos THE CIVIL WAR, that I just recommended to SAMWolf, in the post above, because there are dozens of them just as heartfelt throughout the set.

[carlo3b]

I knew that would get to your soft center, and I thought of you when I posted it... I'm glad you enjoyed it...Hugg

[carlo3b]

Wow, you are a collector too?  I know what you mean when you say how much you can get from the real time accounts of ordinary people that were present, and enduring the actual drama of life during what turned out to be our history.  I scour the world through the internet, dusty attics, auctions and garage sales for rare books and authentic one of a kind documents.  I can't explain how much excitement that I get from what the folks wrote down, that they saw and felt, and that we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to relive through their eyes so many years later..

Also, how often have you found as I have, that our current History books flat out distort the truth, about important fact in our heritage to fit their own template of their causes?
 

[carlo3b]

This letter is so beautiful...

That was a true tearjerker, and oh my dear, soooo well written.. geeze

[carlo3b]

Thanks for the heads up and posting the letter. Wonderful

I know.. It's so much more than a chic thing.. I can't read it without tearing up at the beauty of the courage, emotion and love, embedded within the words.. gulp

[carlo3b]

One of the most touching descriptions of simple passion and duty I've ever read. Can you imagine being the woman who got such a letter and married such a man?

I know Jack, just think, and he did all that for liberals and deadbeats that trash his legacy.. sheesh

[carlo3b]

Yours is not the first time I have heard a story like your husbands... visit this site and follow the links.. http://www.2bridges.com/gettysghosts.htm

[andysandmikesmom]

thanks for that link....I will check the site out in full, when I have time, probably not till next week tho...I am anxious to see all what this site has to offer...again...thanks...

[Light Speed]

Hello Carlo

I am a Canadian whose Family lines left England for America in the late 1700's..

Research concerning our Families last name linked to several U.S. Warships led me to visit Washington D.C.
This individual was Chief of the Unions Steam Engineering,under his office most Union warships were built.
With instruction from the Navy curators was able next to set up appointments at the National Archives.
Here I was able in 1992 to browse all manner of micro film files.
Having a last name that is not prominent made research very easy and quick.

in no time had the names and civil war muster cards for 13 family members

Having this..one could track their participation in the war and discover their personal outcomes.

2 members saw action at Gettysburg.
66TH N.Y. [Which was paired with the 69th N.Y. the Irish Brigade during most of the Corps battles] the other with the 20TH Mass.[20TH and 19TH Mass.went into the angle..the final blocking action of Pickets charge]

In the decade to follow,spent time visiting the crew of the WW-2 Fletcher class destroyer..attending reunions.. discovering their contribution in history.

Family from around the world have wondered what our kin were doing in the U.S...and now it is known .

I count myself blessed to have aquired this knowledge and to meet so many veterans.
So too the gift that is the National Archives and other such repositories.

Like yourself..enjoy research and learning via personal accounts.

Free Republic has been a wonderfull place of learning and contact point beginnings.
Have enjoyed days without count visiting SAMWolf and Co. at the Freeper Foxhole : )

Like the comment by a few posters here concerning the Movie Gettysburg....its an imagination spectacle. Thanks for sharing Gettysburg with us Carlo

success in historical research persuits. : )

[andysandmikesmom]

I also, like to hear and read first hand accounts of people who lived through what would become historical events...one of the best sources for this, I found, was nursing homes...

I worked for many years in nursing homes..and many of the residents are there, simply because they cannot take care of themselves... but for many of them, their minds are still sharp and clear, and the stories they can tell you are wonderful...

I took care of an old lady, who was 105, when I knew her...she was something...could still dress and feed herself, wore makeup and jewelry, and came out west by wagon...Now, I am talking about the state of Washington...where the famous Mt. Rainier Natl Park is...but long ago, before it became to popular, there was a family that found mineral springs there, and set up a mineral springs spa and resort back in the early days of the 20th century...this old lady I took care of, was the daughter of those people who set up the springs...she would tell us tales of her young girlhood days at the spa, and how it was crossing the west in a wooden wagon...She was written up in the local newspaper, becaus of her age, and her obvious clarity of mind, and the newspaper article presented some of the facts...but I was privleged to sit with her, and listen to her tell me so many tales...it was wonderful...

Another old lady, was the daughter of missionaries in China, during the Boxer Rebellion...she also had wonderful tales to tell, scarey tells of running away, in fear of their lives...

One old man, was a famous obstetrician, begin written up in the papers, ,for having delivered so very many babies, in remote areas, under hard and difficult conditions, and yet he never lost a baby...he was a sweetie, and would tell us or horrendous conditions under which he often had to deliver babies, and he remembered every baby he brought into the world...

Another old man built bridges around the world, and he would tell us of the conditions of the different countries as he found them at a time, before I was even born...

One lady was a circus clown with Ringling Bros, and she would tell us about her early days spent in the circus...

So often, younger people think that all those old people in nursing homes are not worth time spent with them...that is just so incorrect...Visit a nursing home, find very old seniors who are still lucid, and I guarantee you, they will present you with living history, as they saw and lived though it...

[Light Speed]

Hello

Thankyou for sharing your nursing home memories.

For a few weeks was working on a elctrical contract at a nursing home.

In that season of my life was also discovering the legacy of many Family members.

[One individual was a test Pilot on Englands famous fighter plane..the Spitfire.

later he saw action in the Battle of Britian carrying his service thru the war.

He lost his life as a test pilot in the 1950's flying the new Jets of the RAF ].

Nearing the mid afternoon at the nursing ..was alone with an elderly man in his room.
On the mantle was a photo of a young airmen climbing out of a RAF Spitfire cockpit..bearing a big grin.

He nodded several times emphatically and I seemed to see a smile on his face under his respirator.

returning to work a short time later a Nurse quickly came into the room..then check the man..then asked me to leave.
The man passed away a hour or so later..

I went away from that encounter in awe...for me..it was no happenchance..it was an appointment.

[SAMWolf]

I saw parts of Burns "The Civil War" and was very impressed by the parts I saw. Looks like I have something to put on my Christmas list.