New Civil War Blog

Civil War Traveler is an indispensable website for planning your own Civil War trips from Pennsylvania to the deep South. They now have a new blog where you can learn more and voice your own opinion. CivilWarTraveler.com's new feature, Civil War Travel the Blog, features travel tips and reviews from their correspondents. Jeff King's camping trips to the Tennessee/Kentucky mountains and South Carolina are chronicled currently. Blog posts are searchable by place and other topics such as camp sites and restaurants.

Join Jeff on Civil War Travel the Blog by describing your favorite or maybe not-so-favorite Civil War traveling experience -- a great site, a disappointing museum, an especially good tour, a personal discovery, etc. The site wants to create a special resource for folks who are planning trips -- a place where they can learn from the experience of those who went before. Click here to join the discussion. Happy travels!

Gen. George S. Greene with Troy Harman

Greetings all. I have been very busy with research and some new programs. Most recently, I've started leading Pickett's Charge tours as part of my internship duties. It's been a great time. The park offers some twenty free programs every day through August 16, so make use of them while summer is still here!

Earlier in my internship, we got to attend a series of ranger orientation programs. One included an in-depth tour on Culp's Hill with Ranger Troy Harman. One of our first stops was the statue of Union General George Sears Greene (seen above), who could easily be considered the savior of Culp's Hill during the battle.

George Greene was born May 6, 1801 in Apponaug, Rhode Island and would live for another ninety-seven years. (Yes, he came close to living in three different centuries!) Greene eventually became a brilliant engineer, graduating as such from West Point. He went on to instruct at the Point and even taught Robert E. Lee for a time. Greene would go on to design the water systems for New York City as well as other major cities.

At the Battle of Gettysburg, next to Gen. William "Extra Billy" Smith, Greene was the oldest officer on the field at 62. His quick thinking and skill in engineering all but saved the Federal positions on the hill.

In our video, Troy Harman tells us a bit about the colorful life of General Greene, and how the position of Union troops on Culp's Hill came to be. We are standing right underneath the Greene Statue at the summit of the hill.

A map of the Confederate assault on Culp's Hill late on July 2, 1863.

This photo was taken from Rhode Island's Own, a series in early Civil War biographies. Greene probably wore something similar to this while in battle. Doesn't he look more "field ready" in this photo? After Gettysburg, Greene and many of his men were sent westward, fighting in battles such as Chattanooga. At the Battle of Wauhatchie in late October 1863, Greene was shot in the face. Greene was with William T. Sherman's army during the Confederate surrender in North Carolina in 1865.

This shows the base of the Greene Monument. After the war, Greene continued to serve as an engineer for various agencies. At ninety, Greene walked sixty miles of canal lines and water systems he had designed decades earlier to make sure all was still functioning correctly. In 1892, he applied for a government pension, but was only offered that of a lieutenant's rank. So, at age ninety-three, Greene re-enlisted as a first lieutenant and remained as such for two full days. Perhaps he was the oldest lieutenant ever?

The general had some hard fighting sons as well. Greene's son, Samuel Dana, commanded the famed ship Monitor when it fought Virginia in 1862. The youngest son served at George's side at Gettysburg.

Greene died on January 29, 1899 in New Jersey, but was buried back home in Rhode Island. The large boulder shown above his grave was taken from the slopes of Culp's Hill. One of Greene's officers wrote of his commander, "He knew how to drill, how to command, and in the hour of peril how to care for his command..."

Strong Vincent & the 83rd PA

The monument to the 83rd PA Infantry on the south slope of Little Round Top was dedicated on September 12, 1889. The statue "unofficially" depicts Col. Strong Vincent, the once regimental commander and then brigade commander. Due to early battlefield regulations, the veterans of the 83rd were not really given official permission to have the likeness of Vincent on their monument. Instead, they had sculpted this "Union Soldier" to represent their fight. Hmm. Looks a bit like their commander, wouldn't you say?

It's always very cool to see how visitors honor their ancestors who fought in the battle. These flowers and note were left at the base of the 83rd PA monument. This one is left for Private Philip Grine.

Strong Vincent was 26 years old at the time of the battle. He was from Erie, PA and was a law graduate of Harvard. He had left for the war the day after he was married. Right before Gettysburg, Vincent had learned that his wife was expecting their first child. When the colonel went into battle on July 2, 1863, he was wielding not his sword, but a riding crop his wife gave him as a parting gift.

Near the summit of the hill, Vincent mounted a boulder, waving his wife's gift at the enemy and yelling, "Don't give an inch!" He was mortally wounded seconds later.

So, was Vincent wounded in this designated location? This image is courtesy of Stone Sentinels.

...Or is this the spot? We may never know. This boulder is beside the 44th NY castle on Little Round Top. This image is courtesy of the Battle of Gettysburg Resource Center and J.D. Petruzzi. You can learn more about rock carvings like these in JD's new book.

Some history of the regiment...

This is my favorite print of Strong Vincent. This one is entitled Hold the Ground at All Hazards, by Keith Rocco. Joshua Chamberlain is to the left and Lt. Holman Melcher is above Chamberlain. Vincent's brigade was summoned to the top of Little Round Top only ten minutes before the enemy assault. Vincent's initiative to move his men there ultimately saved the hill from immediate capture.

This one is entitled Don't Give an Inch! by Don Troiani. Notice the ridding crop in both paintings. Vincent was struck in the groin after yelling this to the men of the 16th Michigan, who were on the verge of breaking.

This statue of Vincent was dedicated in 1997 in front of the Erie, PA library. A fitting memorial to a local hero. Strong Vincent High School also stands in his memory in Erie. It is most appropriate that a school be named after a brave scholar such as Vincent.

Neil Armstrong at Gettysburg

With Monday being the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, I called to memory astronaut Neil Armstrong coming to speak here in Gettysburg some years ago for the annual Memorial Day Ceremonies. I was lucky enough to find a recent article recalling this event. Furthermore, I was able to locate a copy of the speech Armstrong delivered that day. You can read it in its entirety here. Gettysburg represents something special to people from all walks of life. Neil Armstrong is an American hero, and even he was humbled by what took place here in 1863. I hope you all can commemorate the historic events of 40 years ago this day.

Former astronaut delivered keynote speech at 2005 Memorial Day festivities
Hanover Evening Sun
Photo: Hanover Evening Sun

Famous moon-walker Neil Armstrong made a rare public appearance in Gettysburg in 2005 to talk, not about his space adventures, but about those who sacrificed their lives for America in the line in duty.

During a keynote speech at Gettysburg's Memorial Day festivities, Armstrong, then 74, posed a question to the large crowd assembled at Soldiers' National Cemetery: How can Americans honor the heroic souls who lie there?

"I suggest, it's by building the America they believed in, and hoped it would become, and for which they had given their lives ... a nation of which they could be proud," he said, answering his own question.

A little bit of luck brought Armstrong to Gettysburg.

Charlie Kuhn, the chairman for the Gettysburg Joint Veterans Memorial Day Commission that year, happened to mention to the 2004 keynote speaker - Adm. Thomas Hayward - about his interest in bringing Armstrong to speak.

"Who, Neil?" Hayward said to Kuhn. "I know Neil."

"Apparently they are friends," Kuhn said in 2005.

Armstrong flew in 78 combat missions over North Korea. He flew some of the nation's most experimental supersonic jets, including the now famous X-15, which he flew to the rim of space at speeds approaching 4,000 mph.

He was also the commander of the Gemini 8 mission in 1966 when he successfully completed the first docking of two vehicles in space. And, of course, he commanded the Apollo 11 craft that touched down on the moon's surface 40 years ago Monday and delivered his famous "one small step for man" line.

His speech in Gettysburg focused on the sacrifices of soldiers. Armstrong said he hoped Americans would continue to be a nation that others try to emulate, rather than castigate. He placed some of those hopes upon the veterans of wars.

"If there has been any good in war it is that the veterans have learned from their wartime experience," he said. "Their character has been tempered by the fires of battle, and they recognize the responsibility for building the America for which so many paid so much is ours."

Armstrong addresses a large crowd at the National Cemetery for Memorial Day. (GNMP)

Antietam Road Trip!

In this post, we are going to take a brief break from the Battle of Gettysburg and head to another famed Civil War site about an hour's drive south: Antietam National Battlefield. Some of us former and current Gettysburg folks headed down for Thursday and had a great time. Pictured here from left to right is Ranger Chris Gwinn, Interpreter Nick Lorenz, Ranger John Hoptak, and myself. Also ran into Rangers Mannie Gentile and John Nicholas during the course of the day. A good time was had by all. Met lots of great people who interpret the battle at Sharpsburg.

We first headed to the Pry House Field Hospital and Museum, seen here in a post-war view. This site was used as Gen. George B. McClellan's headquarters on September 17, 1862 as he viewed the fighting to the west (left). It was quickly converted into a field hospital. Here, Gen. Joseph Hooker's wounded foot was personally treated by medical mastermind Jonathan Letterman. Wounded Gen. Israel Bush Richardson was also taken here after he was wounded by Confederate shrapnel. Winfield Hancock at that time assumed command of Richardson's command. Unfortunately, Richardson died in the upper right room seen here in November of 1862. Click to enlarge. Notice the small trap door near the second right chimney to the rear. Supposedly, McClellan and his staff used this hatch to watch parts of the battle. This door too is still there.

The barn next door is a witness to the battle as well. It also served as a field hospital. Chris showed us something cool here. On this foundation stone, you can see where one of the Pry Family members carved their name into the rock. The Pry's were descendants of Huguenots and at one time changed their name from Bry to Pry. This home and barn changed owners of the decades until the Park Service acquired it in 1961. Here at the barn, I met up with my good friend, Robby Burton, Education Specialist at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. This organization operates a great museum at the Pry Farm. Robby showed us some really cool stuff as well.

Our view that history continues to prepare people for the future was reinforced during out visit. Medical staff of our modern military were visiting the Pry Farm to learn more about battlefield medicine and its applications in the modern world via those same implements first utilized at this field hospital.

In the afternoon, we joined Ranger Hoptak for a two and a half hour tour of some major parts of the battlefield. To the far left was the scene of the fierce fighting in the Miller Cornfield.

The cornfield, currently filled with Soy Beans, was utterly destroyed on September 17, 1862. Joseph Hooker noted how not one stalk of corn was left standing, and that the rows of the dead lay in perfect lines as if still in formation. By the end of the morning, the combined fighting in the North Woods ( far background), Cornfield (foreground), and the West Woods (extreme left), left over 12,000 casualties between both sides.

Attacks continued on the Confederate-held Sunken Road to the south, including a frontal assault by the famed but tattered Irish Brigade. This road was formed long before the war by wagons eroding this path in order to evade a toll charge for an adjoining road. It made for a great defensive position for Confederates. John B. Gordon commanded a segment of the troops here. Gordon was wounded five times in this road...and lived another forty years after surviving the rest of the war.

This Alexander Gardner photo was taken in the approximate location of my own photo. Antietam's aftermath was the first in history to be recorded in such a way. Over 5,000 men became casualties in the fighting over this contested road. The southern dead in the road itself were two or three deep in many places. It has been known as "Bloody Lane" ever since.

A panoramic photo I took of the Sunken Road looking north, vantage point of the approaching Federals.

In our first video, John stands up above Burnside Bridge. Here, John tells us the importance of Robert E. Lee defending the flanks of his army. This area was a key anchor to that defense.

This bridge is over 170 years old. If rock could talk. The huge tree on the rear-left side of the bridge was here during the battle.

In this video, John tells us of Ambrose Burnside's attack across the bridge and his push forward after securing the bridge and slope. During the course of our program, some young Yankees charged us from across the bridge...

The last photo of the day I took. This view looks west over the battlefield towards the western mountain ranges. Note the observation tower at left, which stands above the Sunken Road.

Special thanks to Rangers John Hoptak and Chris Gwinn for showing Nick Lorenz and I around on Thursday!

My First Magazine Article

I've been working on a lot of projects lately, and many exciting things have been going on. In the most recent issue of America's Civil War magazine, my very first article was published. The story, entitled "Standing By Their Man," focuses on the Loyal War Governors' Conference of 1862. At this meeting, northern governors led by Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin had to debate how to best serve President Lincoln -but they couldn't all agree how to do it. This event took place in my hometown of Altoona, PA and has long been overlooked by historians. Hopefully, my article will shed some light on this forgotten saga of Civil War History. You can find this magazine at newsstands everywhere. Hope you enjoy.

Furthermore, I have been speaking with some folks involved with the Pennsylvania Civil War Trails. It might be possible to create new wayside markers commemorating this event and have it be part of this new state trails system. More details to come as this venture progresses.

It is in my long term hopes (as well as others) that a new Civil War museum be established in Altoona to interpret the role of Central Pennsylvania in the Civil War, from State College to Gettysburg. The War Governors' Conference would be only one of the compelling stories told there. I'm always looking for people willing to share their ideas regarding this, so feel free to leave a comment or email me. Thanks!

The National Regiment at Gettysburg

Just about a month ago, the National Regiment living history group encamped at Spangler's Spring here on the battlefield. It was one of the larger encampments I have personally seen at the park this season. Through mid-August, Gettysburg National Military Park hosts numerous living history groups at the park, mainly at Spangler's Spring, the Pennsylvania Memorial, and Pitzer Woods. To check out when upcoming encampments are being held, please visit the park's upcoming events page. In addition to these, the park offers over twenty free ranger programs every day! Make use of them!

The captain sternly waits for his troops to form up.

Many of us go to Gettysburg for the history, but people from all walks of life come here for different reasons. For instance, the battlefield is a great place to create artwork and take photos. I've come to learn that this place represents countless things to many people. This particular painter was depicting the National Regiment's camp on canvas. Cool, huh?

After forming into column, the men of the regiment marched out into the muddy fields surrounding Spangler's Spring to conduct some firing demonstrations for us spectators. Many folks from the recent CWPT Gettysburg conference joined us. These reenactors are firing into the field from which the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry charged the Confederates during the battle for Culp's Hill. The 2nd's commander, Col. Charles Mudge, was shot in the neck while leading his men and died here.

In this particular segment, we see the troops firing independently at their own pace, unlike firing by a volley. If you were an excellent Civil War marksman, you could fire three shots in a minute...that's with the enemy firing at you and simultaneously trying not to get shot. How many shots do you think you could fire in a minute?

Some Sunset Shots

As you can well imagine, we all at the park have been incredibly busy this Fourth of July week. Tens of thousands of visitors, both novice and expert, are visiting this great place to experience the great ranger programs and historic activities taking place within the park and the town. Given the flurry of activity here, I thought I would take this opportunity to show you some photos of more serene instances I have taken. All of the following were taken at sunset near the Pennsylvania Memorial.

A view looking eastward of the 8th PA Cavalry monument. The soldier on this monument was originally holding a carbine, but it was lost to vandals many years ago. Incidentally, this is the only monument with a tree stump going up a horse's stomach. It was not originally designed as such, but they needed some way to support all that weight on the horse!

A close-up view of the 8th PA rider.

This view looks west towards the sunset. The tall monument in the foreground is one of the Vermont monuments. The figure atop of it is Gen. George Stannard, who commanded a Union brigade which helped repulse Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863. Stannard lost an arm later in the war, and is depicted as such on the monument to represent the loss Vermonters suffered in this awful war. The large barn in the background is the Codori Farm running along the Emmitsburg Road.

This is a silhouette view of the 1st Minnesota Monument adjacent from the PA Memorial. I was able to get the moon in the background to make it appear as if the soldier is firing his weapon. From this spot, the Minnesotans waged a desperate charge into advancing Confederates. Needless to say, these guys put up one heck of a fight. Here, there monument reads:

On the afternoon of July 2, 1863 Sickles' Third Corps, having advanced from this line to the Emmitsburg Road, eight companies of the First Minnesota Regiment, numbering 262 men were sent to this place to support a battery upon Sickles repulse.

As his men were passing here in confused retreat, two Confederate brigades in pursuit were crossing the swale. To gain time to bring up the reserves & save this position, Gen Hancock in person ordered the eight companies to charge the rapidly advancing enemy.

The order was instantly repeated by Col. Wm. Colvill. And the charge as instantly made down the slope at full speed through the concentrated fire of the two brigades breaking with the bayonet the enemy's front line as it was crossing the small brook in the low ground there the remnant of the eight companies, nearly surrounded by the enemy held its entire force at bay for a considerable time & till it retired on the approach of the reserve the charge successfully accomplished its object. It saved this position & probably the battlefield. The loss of the eight companies in the charge was 215 killed & wounded. More than 83% percent. 47 men were still in line & no man missing. In self sacrificing desperate valor this charge has no parallel in any war. Among the severely wounded were Col Wm Colvill, Lt Col Chas P Adams & Maj Mark W. Downie. Among the killed Capt Joseph Periam, Capt Louis Muller & Lt Waldo Farrar. The next day the regiment participated in repelling Pickett's charge losing 17 more men killed & wounded.

Happy Fourth of July!