The National Cemetery

Today, I thought I would add another installment to the Civil War Life film series via YouTube. This one focuses on human interest stories regarding the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The short film segment is narrated by actor Keith Carradine and is quite interesting.

One a more unfortunate note, there has been a hit and run case at the National Cemetery. Hopefully, the culprit(s) responsible will be apprehended and brought to justice. Sadly, I doubt they will catch these criminals or the ones who vandalized the Peace Light Memorial. Either way, we can be sure the Park Service will refurbish these historical monuments.

Gettysburg National Military Park News Release:
For Release: April 27, 2009
Contact: Katie Lawhon
Phone: 717/ 334-1124 x 3121

Hit-and-run Damages Historic Cemetery Gate at Gettysburg

Park Rangers at Gettysburg National Military Park are asking the public for information about a hit-and-run accident that damaged the gate to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery on Baltimore Street late on the night of April 25 - 26, 2009.

Law Enforcement Rangers believe a car - possibly yellow in color - drove into the gate, damaging it and then drove away from the scene. They recovered part of a license plate holder at the scene that says “I’d rather be shopping.” The vehicle may show damage to the front end.

The damaged gate was on the left side of the Baltimore Street entrance to the Cemetery and has been temporarily removed for repairs. The historic iron fence gate is from the late 1930s. Repair costs are estimated at $2500. Anyone with information is asked to call 717/ 334-0909.

The Soldiers’ National Cemetery is the burial site for more than 3,500 Union soldiers killed at Gettysburg in July 1863. President Abraham Lincoln dedicated the cemetery on November 19, 1863, with his immortal Gettysburg Address. The cemetery is the final resting place for veterans from the Civil War to the Vietnam War and is maintained by Gettysburg National Military Park.

One Month to go!

One month from today will be my first "official" day as an intern at Gettysburg National Military Park. Just this past Friday, I received my uniform and straw hat for the job. I still have to get the volunteer patches sewn onto them. And yes, the packing has already begun - everything from toothpaste to extension cords. My biggest dilemma is what to do with my vast collection of Gettysburg books (about 40) I was planning on taking with me. It would be nice if there were shelves at the place but I really have no idea about my upcoming summer home other than its outdoor appearance, so we will see. There will be four other guys living there with me (we three from Gettysburg NMP and two from the Eisenhower Farm). The lady interns reside at another location on the other side of town. I'm really looking forward to meeting all the fellow interns in the coming weeks. I think I'll be working alongside many talented students. Another special event of interest will be the Seasonal Luncheon at the Eisenhower Farm. At this event, we seasonal guides get to meet many of the park employees. I know a few already, but I am very much looking forward to meeting some more.

In a sligtly related topic, I saw that visitor attendance to the Gettysburg area rose to 3 million this year. At the same time, park visitation dropped to 1.5 million. Quite a paradox, isn't it?

Gettysburg Visitation up in 2008
By Erin James
The Evening Sun

The economy didn't scare visitors away from Gettysburg last year after all. But they did end up spending a little less than the year before. According to a study released Wednesday by the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, more than 3 million people visited the tourist town in 2008. That's a slight increase from the 2.9 million visitors in 2007 - the first year California University of Pennsylvania's Tourism Research Center conducted the study.

"The numbers weren't surprising to us," bureau spokesman Carl Whitehill said. "But we're very happy that we grew a little bit last year, given the state of the economy." Hotel occupancy rates were up 8.3 percent in 2008, despite concerns that high gas prices and a struggling economy would deter people from visiting Gettysburg, Whitehill said.

While the economy may not have kept people away, it could account for why an average visitor spent $10 less in 2008 than they did in 2007. Visitors spent an average of $288.52 during their trip in 2008. Because the visitors were still in town, Whitehill said, Gettysburg restaurants and hotels fared well last year. But "a lot of people spent less on souvenirs," he said.

Also significant in the study was a finding that nearly 7 percent more visitors turned a single-night stay in the Gettysburg area into a multiple-night stay. That's key for the visitors bureau, which has been working to change Gettysburg's perceived status as a "drive-by destination," Whitehill said.

"We were able to convert a lot of day trippers and one-night stays into multi-night stays," he said. At the same time, however, the number of day trips and one-night stays decreased. Tourism is Adams County's top industry and brings in more than $332 million annually, according to the visitors bureau.

The California University of Pennsylvania study was conducted by surveyors who asked Gettysburg tourists questions about their stay. Those answers were compiled and account for most of the data. Before the study was first conducted in 2007, the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau had no way of tracking annual visitation rates.

Civil War (and some other) History in Washington

On April 4, I went on a school field trip sponsored by the Penn State Altoona History Society (of which I am president) to our nation's capitol. It was a beautiful day and we were there during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Throughout the day, I visited the Abraham Lincoln exhibition, "With Malice Toward None" at the Library of Congress, the newly remodeled National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian, and also the new reception gallery at Ford's Theater. (The theater was closed because the musical The Civil War was playing and the museum downstairs was still under renovation.) It is a curse that follows me on every historical trip I make - something is always closed due to renovation. Oh well, I still had a great time! The following photos are mostly Civil War related, but there is some other cool stuff too. Enjoy!

Detail on U.S. Grant Memorial on Captiol Hill. (I told the people climbing on this to get off of it because it was disrespectful! See, that's the inner park employee in me for this summer!)

Abe Lincoln's Hat at the Smithsonian's Lincoln Bicentennial exhibit. I'm surprised they let me take photos of all this cool stuff in such a museum environment!

Closeup of Lincoln's pocketwatch.

Abe's and Mary Todd's clothes.

Since Dwight Eisenhower is one of my favorite presidents and he lived in Gettysburg, I thought I'd take a photo of his Army uniform. This is in the Smithsonian's permanent exhibit, "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden."

Here was a pretty cool artifact. This is one of the file cabinets from the Watergate break-in. So tricky...


Here is an especially unique item I thought. At first, it looks like a regular Civil War sword...


...But upon closer inspection, one can see that it is the sword Col. Strong Vincent had when mortally wounded at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863.


Soldier James H. Stetson died with this New Testament at Gettysburg.

George Washington's Revolutionary War uniform.

Cavalier John S. Mosby's acoutrements.

The surrender table and chairs from Appomattox.

The coat Lincoln was wearing when he was shot. This was in the lobby of Ford's Theater. Notice the tears on the inside from when doctors tore his clothes off. This isn't on display most of the time, so I was really lucky to get a shot this good in such a dark environment.

And such were my adventures in Washington!

History Meets the Arts in Gettysburg

This past weekend, the family and I had a great time at History Meets the Arts in Gettysburg. Dozens of artists and historians gather there every April for a festival of creativity and history. It's one of the town's best kept secrets. Friday night, my brother and I attended a reception with Civil War artist Keith Rocco at the Brafferton Inn. What a nice guy! He was very down to earth and happy to speak with anybody who approached him. I had the pleasure to talk art technique with him, using some of his original paintings to make his points. I then told him I was to be an intern at Gettysburg that summer and we spoke some on that matter as well. He even invited me to lunch sometime over the summer so we could "talk shop." How cool is that? While I was there, I ran into my good friend and fellow Gettysburg buff, Stan O'Donnell. It was a great evening. (By the way, the owner of the inn makes some mean brownies!)

Hanging with Keith Rocco at the Brafferton Inn.


The original painting behind us is "Hell for Glory." I really like this one.

The next morning, we attended the 2nd Annual Mort Kunstler Collectors' Seminar at the MKunstler Gallery and Gettysburg Hotel. Mort was on hand to answer questions and was interviewed by the gallery owner. He even unveiled his newest painting - yes, the original one, to everybody in attendance. Coolest of all, he did a sketch while he has there! The sketch was raffled, but of course I didn't win it! Oh well, there is always next year.

Kunstler is interviewed by gallery owner Cliff Springer. I was surprised to hear that Kunstler thought his most important paintings were not his Civil War ones, but a series he did for NASA of the Shuttle Columbia.


Then he unveiled his newest painting: "Rush to the Summit." It depicts Chamberlain and the 20th Maine racing to the peak of Little Round Top right before the Confederates arrived.


Very nice! This was off to the printer's today to be produced into prints.


Mort then drew us a charcoal sketch of Stonewall Jackson.
I have made it available for your viewing pleasure!


He told us he wasn't used to drawing at a vertical angle...and in front of a big crowd. "Being an artist is a lonely business," he said.


The final product. He did this in like five minutes!
Some lucky dog in attendance got to take this home framed...but not us.


Nevertheless, it was a fun and enlightening weekend! Here is Mark and I with the artist. He's a very nice guy and very willing to give some young artists good advice.

Artifacts Uncovered at Spangler Farm

Hi everybody. I'm back from Gettysburg and had a great time at History Meets the Arts. I met some great artists and learned a lot. I will have photos to show you within a day or so. Until then, I thought I would follow up with an on the George Spangler Farm article from Tuesday. Apparently, much progress was made at the site.

By ERIN JAMES
The Evening Sun

Posted: 04/18/2009 10:51:26 PM EDT

Propped up against the skull of what probably was once an animal, a child's rusted toy truck sits covered in mud at the bottom of a cardboard box. Soon, the box's contents grow to include several glass Gum Turpentine bottles, a busted butter dish, ink wells and what's left of a mechanical clock. "When they say this stuff never goes away, they are not kidding," Paul Mason says as he dumps yet another glass Clorox bottle into the box.

Then, Mason resumes digging in the same spot which he and others concluded must have once served as the Spangler Farm's dumping ground. They might not be Civil War artifacts, but the random household items that date back a number of decades still are a pretty cool find, the group decides.

Not everyone who volunteered Friday for the clean-up project was lucky enough to retrieve something that had for years been buried in the ground. Most of the 300 volunteers spent the morning and afternoon simply clearing decades worth of brush and tree growth from parts of the 80-acre property.

But conversations across the farm always seemed to steer back to what someone found over here or over there. Once a hospital for wounded Union and Confederate troops during the Battle of Gettysburg, the Spangler Farm was in private hands until last year when the nonprofit Gettysburg Foundation bought it for $1.9 million.

Some historians believe Confederate Brig. Gen. Lewis A. Armistead died there in a small outbuilding known as the summer kitchen. A farmhouse and barn, both of which date to the time of the battle, also are on the property.

The farm remained largely untouched until Friday, when tourism professionals from across the country there for the annual Tourism Cares project, hosted this year by the Gettysburg Foundation at the Spangler Farm. Since its start in 2003, Tourism Cares has restored historic sites throughout the country.

Courtney Farfaglia and Julie Dorsey said they got a little more than they bargained for when the two Niagara University students were clearing brush and piles of old floorboards behind one of the property's non-historic buildings.

At the bottom of a pile was a door, built into the ground, that no one anticipated would be there. "It would be cool if it was a trap door for slaves or something," Dorsey said. It also might be a well, a storm-cellar door or something else. But it has the potential to be historically significant, said Gettysburg Foundation spokeswoman Dru Neil.

"We don't know what it is," she said. "We want to get the (Gettysburg National Military) Park in soon and help us determine what that is." The same goes for the other objects volunteers found on Friday, Neil said. "Anything we found, we're reporting."

As for the numerous bones found all over the property, Neil said they too would be examined. "Chances are they're animal bones," she said. "But we'll double-check just to be sure."

For the volunteers, a significant part of the workday was spent clearing brush from around the property's hundreds of trees. Now, professionals will be able to cut down the trees that weren't there in 1863. That's because the Foundation's ultimate goal is to restore the farm to its appearance at the time of the battle and open it to visitors for educational programs, Neil said. But there's a lot that remains to be done before then - even after Friday's clean up. A tree line bordering part of the property needs to be removed. The structural integrity of the barn also needs to be examined, Neil said.

"This is step one," she said. "What we really want to do is get visitors out here."

In the last year, Neil said, park historians have had a chance to examine the property, identify areas of historical significance and pinpoint trees that need to be removed. That research provided the guidelines for Friday's project, Neil said. "We would have never started this without guidance," she said.

Aside from general cleaning, Neil said volunteers mostly stayed away from the barn, summer kitchen and house. Eventually, the park will conduct historic structure reports on the buildings. "We don't want to take anything down that might be historic," Neil said.

On Friday, 300 volunteers from across the country worked to clean up the historic George Spangler Farm in Gettysburg. During the work, some found items like those shown here. Objects included glass bottles, toy trucks, dishes, inkwells and many animal bones. Gettysburg Foundation spokeswoman Dru Neil said each item found will be examined by an expert to determine whether it has any historical significance. (Evening Sun Photo by Shane Dunlap.)

A Look into the Past

This past July 3, there was an unprecedented reenactment in the actual streets of Gettysburg. It depicted the June 26, 1863 Confederate entrance into the town, several days before the big battle. Here, the scavenged for food, supplies, delicacies, (and yes, even shoes). Gen. Jubal Early, who Lee referred as "my bad old man," wanted "1,200 pounds of sugar, 600 pounds of coffee, 60 barrels of flour, 1,000 pounds of salt, 7,000 pounds of bacon, 10 barrels of whiskey, 10 barrels of onions, 1,000 pairs of shoes and 500 hats - or, $5,000 in cash." I attended this event with my good friends, Stan O'Donnell and his wife. There were over 1,000 Confederate reenactors in this event. The above photo shows infantrymen lined up in front of the Adams County Court House, making their demands known to the townspeople. The thing I like about these photos is that there are no modern intrusions for the most part. It's like you're really there.

The town elders await the demands of the invaders. This event was kind of unique because the modern mayor of Gettysburg portrayed the mayor of 1863 and the modern sheriff portrayed John Burns, a one time constable of the town. (However, I'm pretty sure the real John Burn was not present at such an event.) In response to the rebel demands, one said "We will open our shops and ask our citizens to give what they can."

It looks like Robert E. Lee was here too, although Lee was nowhere near Gettysburg on June 26. Oh well, I suppose some events need a major character to star in them. Or perhaps this gentleman was portraying Jubal Early? Looks like John Brown Gordon beside him, which would make sense. The building in the background is the Fahnestock Building on Baltimore Street, an observation point for Union General Oliver Otis Howard on July 1, 1863 and site of the U.S. Christian Commission in the battle's aftermath.

George Spangler Farm Restoration

CANTON, MA - In recognition of the Tourism Cares for Gettysburg restoration project at the George Spangler Farm, Gettysburg’s Mayor William E. Troxell has proclaimed April 17, 2009 as Tourism Cares Day. Tourism Cares will bring together nearly 300 tourism industry volunteers that day to kick off the restoration of the historic farm, a Civil War field hospital just outside the battlefield boundary lines.

“Tourism Cares is proud to be recognized for its efforts in beginning this historic restoration and preserving Spangler Farm for future generations of travelers,” said Bruce Beckham, executive director of Tourism Cares. “What happened in Gettysburg in July of 1863 changed the course of our nation’s history. Our work here is important not only to Americans but to those who visit from around the world. The more that is preserved, the more authentic the experience.”

The George Spangler Farm was recently purchased by the Gettysburg Foundation to protect the historically-significant site from private development. The 80-acre farm is located at what was the logistical center of the Union battlefield during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. During and after the battle, Spangler Farm served as a field hospital for both Confederate and Union soldiers. Until last year, the site was privately owned and is in need of considerable restoration to bring it back to the authenticity of the farm. Volunteers will restore original buildings, demolish modern structures, landscape, clean up, and much more. The restoration of the property will further the Gettysburg Foundation’s campaign to preserve Gettysburg and give visitors a sense of how the town actually appeared in 1863. The site was the field hospital to the Union 11th Corps. Confederate General Lewis Armistead died in the farm's summerhouse on July 5, 1863. Union General Francis Barlow was also cared for there.

Modern-day technology will be playing its part during the historic restoration as well. Volunteers with 3G cell phones will be able to transmit captioned photos from their phones to a special live web site so that their friends and colleagues around the world will be able to witness the project as it’s taking place. The photos will be available at www.photovision.com/tourismcares on April 17 after 11:00 am.

Tourism Cares is a 501c(3) non-profit public charity that benefits society by preserving the travel experience for future generations by awarding grants to natural, cultural, and historic sites worldwide; by presenting academic and service-learning scholarships to students of hospitality and tourism; and by organizing volunteer efforts to restore tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. For additional information about Tourism Cares, visit www.tourismcares.org .

New Gettysburg Video

Happy Easter everybody! My fourteen year old brother has created yet another fine little YouTube movie regarding the Civil War. This particular one is a brief film on the Gettysburg Address with photos, facts, music, and narration by actor Jeff Daniels. He spent a lot of time on this little video, so I hope you enjoy it. This week will be a busy one, but I will try to keep up on my blog entries. Only about three weeks left until summer!

Forgotten Gettysburg Campaign Trenches

Gettysburg Campaign Entrenchments outside Everett in Bedford County, PA

One unique story in my area concerns long forgotten Civil War entrenchments near Bedford and Everett, PA. My dad had heard of their location and we found them together. I got most of my information from an old book entitled The Minute Men of Pennsylvania and the website Mother Bedford. These entrenchments were constructed out of fear that Confederates would invade Bedford County, PA (some did). It was expected that Lee and his forces would attempt to capture the major Pennsylvania Railroad hub in Altoona. It is said by some that Lee was considering to take Altoona if he could press on after capturing Harrisburg. Gettysburg prevented all of this.

"In early June of 1863 the Army of Northern Virginia was pushing northward. The people of this region became quite alarmed. Confederate Cavalry was claimed to have been sighted in the Morrison's Cove area. On June 14, 1863 citizens decided it was time to organize a militia troop for their own defense. The troop that was formed over the next few days was neither accepted by nor mustered into the regular state or federal armed forces. Therefore it was not given an official designation. Initially, it took the name of the Pennsylvania Emergency Militia.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Militia was led by Colonel Jacob Higgins," a former member of the 1st PA Cavalry. The colonel also had commanded the 125th PA Infantry at Antietam less than one year before. He was on leave from the army at this time due to illness, but agreed to take command of the militia. In addition, he was from my hometown of Altoona. "By the end of the week his troop had come to consist of three battalions of infantry raised primarily in Blair County, PA. One battalion had been sent from nearby Johnstown in Cambria County.

Col. Jacob Higgins in his cavalry garb. Courtesy the Bedford Historical Society.

The McKee Gap (or Snake's Spring Gap) was chosen as the most strategic point to fortify and defend; it afforded the most easily accessible route of ingress to the Altoona region. It would also be the most easily defended position because of its natural shape and size. On June 23, Col. Higgins and his Pennsylvania Emergency Militia took possession of the McKee Gap and began to fortify the site. Entrenchments were dug into the hillside and obstructions were placed in the road that passed through the gap. Legend has it that wooden and stone platforms were constructed along the hillside and on the summits of Dunnings and Short Mountains on which artillery was placed. There exists no records to either confirm or deny the claim that any cannon were available to the troops. Four to six pieces of artillery were requested from the regular army, but they were never delivered.

On June 24, a detachment was ordered south to the Loys Gap to fortify that pass also. On the 25^th the force was further depleted by the removal of a detachment to fortify passes in the region of St. Clairsville. Then, on the 26^th of June, Col. Higgins marched the remaining troops to the Sideling Hill region southeast of the town of Bedford.

On the 1^st of July, 1863, as Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia met Meade’s Army of the Potomac in the Battle of Gettysburg, the Pennsylvania Emergency Militia was asked to be mustered into the regular army for a tour of duty of at least six months. The majority of the men would not agree to that and so the troop was disbanded and the men returned to their homes.

Because the militia had not been properly equipped, they had taken to stealing chickens and cattle from the neighboring farms, and therefore received the nickname of the 'Chicken Raiders'." Poor fellows. They somewhat remind me of the 26th PA Emergency Militia, who had similar misadventures. In nearby Everett (then known as Bloody Run), some of the Chicken Raiders were engaged in a small firefight with a small detachment of Albert Jenkin's Confederate cavalry. Both sides quickly skedaddled and returned to their main column. Such was the great military action in Bedford County.

Here is some information on the historical marker and site:

Dedicated: Saturday, June 29, 1963
County: Bedford
Marker Type: Roadside

GIS Coordinates: 40.1009, -78.38953

Location: SR 1005 (former Pa. 36 & LR 286) 5 miles S of Loysburg

Marker Text: Entrenchments still visible by the roadsides were prepared in June, 1863, by militia under Col. J.C. Higgins against threatened Confederate attack toward the railroad at Altoona. The march of troops toward Gettysburg on June 30 - July 1 ended the danger and the need for these defenses.

Driving Directions: From Bedford take Route 30 east to the "hospital" exit. Turn right after exiting and drive across the bridge (that crosses back over Route 30). Continue on this road (SR1005) to the north. The entrenchments will be on your left.

The trenches are right beside the road. Can't miss the sign.


Map and marker on site.


I would estimate the trenches stretch a half-mile. They are in very good condition.

A very unique item...

Recently, I had the opportunity to purchase a very unique historical item related to the Civil War. It is an envelope dated January 18, 1889 postmarked from New York City. The simple piece of paper is addressed to a Mrs. Horace G. Allen on Roxbury Highlands in Boston, Massachusetts. The return address in the upper left is shown as The Homosassa Company on 45 Broadway, New York City. Now, at first, this yellowed scrap of paper may just seem like old attic junk to go in the recycling bin. However, upon closer inspection and research, one can see it is much more than that. This envelope was written by General Joshua Chamberlain...

I won this item in an auction, but did some careful research before I bought the item. I'm as skeptical as anybody when it comes to old documents signed by famous individuals. However, I found numerous clues to be too overwhelming for this not to be authentic.

First of all, the return address is marked as "The Hamosassa Company." Joshua Chamberlain, along with businessmen John Dunn and Benjamin Dutton, was a part owner of this company. In Edward G. Longacre's Joshua Chamberlain: The Soldier and the Man, he writes:

"To make his dream [of an enterprise] a reality, he had to move. Early in 1884 he and Wyllys [his son] went to live in Ocala, Florida, where Chamberlain joined what became know as the Homosassa Company. The concern planned to construct a local hotel that would develop into a tourist mecca, as well as permanent dwellings for year-round residents. But that stretch of the coast in which the firm invested proved so overgrown with vegetation and so susceptible to harsh weather that landholdings deteriorated and the grand hotel never materialized. While his father labored to commercialize the area despite declining health, his son tried to practice law in Ocala. Neither turned a profit." Chamberlain then became vice-president of the Silver Spring, Ocala & Gulf Railroad Company. This railroad link helped his other business venture with Homosassa. "Through the latter 1880s he divided his time between Ocala and New York City, where from corporate offices on Wall Street he raised funds for his railroad and improvement companies." This date fits well into the time frame of the postmark.

Now that is a good start. I've confirmed the link between Chamberlaind and Homosassa. But who is the person the letter is addressed to? Mrs. Horace G. Allen. As it turns out, Horace G. Allen was Chamberlain's son-in-law. Therefore, this was a letter for Chamberlain's daughter, Grace. Things are looking good.

Finally, what about the handwriting itself? What if this was written out by one of Chamberlain's secretaries and not himself? I went around through other digital archives looking at original Chamberlain letters and signatures to investigate further. While I'm not calligraphic expert, it is not difficult to recognize Chamberlain's distinctive handwriting. The "H" especially in "Horace" sticks out. From the other letters I examined, I saw time and time again Chamberlain formed a small triangualr shape in the base of his "H"s. The other letters also match as best I could asertain. In addition, it would seem likely that Chamberlain would personally address a private letter to his daughter while an assistant would take care of more business related matters.

In conclusion, I firmly believe this item was hand-writeen by the general. In my eyes anyway, there is plenty of proof to conclude this. While I will never know why this envelope survived 120 years before it came to me, I like to think it came all this way just so I could preserve it. Perhaps someday I will give it to a museum. Besides, it's not everyday one can get their hands on such a unique piece of Civil War History...