The 20th annual Antietam Battlefield Memorial Illumination ceremony took place this past weekend, with 23,110 candles lit at the battlefield to commemorate those killed, wounded, and missing in this gruesome fight 146 years ago.
What a striking and poignant way to remember the men that fought at Antietam. The photos you can view here capture the scope and scale of the fight, but also recognize the energy and fire of the individual.
Be sure to check Antietam Park Ranger Mannie Gentile's blog for more images of this year's celebration. You can also click here and here for more images and video clips.
Showing posts with label battlefield preservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label battlefield preservation. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Civil War Battlefield Preservation Versus Wal-Mart
Despite the size of the Wal-Mart juggernaut, the fight to preserve the Wilderness battlefield continues. Click here for the pertinent article and an odd movie pairing. It's pretty wonderful that there are people that remain so dedicated to this effort. I can imagine how daunting it must be taking on an unscrupulous behemoth like Wal-Mart, and yet this voice continues to be heard. I was unable to find specifics on how these efforts are going, so if anyone has more data, please share.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Another Strong Gettysburg Blog With Tons Of Pictures
Like Gettysburg365.com, which I found a few weeks ago, Gettysburg Daily puts up a near-daily image set from Gettysburg. I was instantly hooked when I found the Little Round Top during the change of seasons. It's a fun project working through their archives, that's for sure. They even have a series of pictures of Gettysburg witness trees, click here to see for yourself.
Also, I have a few words of wisdom and insight from Tom Friedman from Sunday's NY Times
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Camp Reynolds Spared By Angel Island Fire
I had quite a reaction last week upon seeing the fires burning on Angel Island near San Francisco. We're pretty touchy about fire in SoCal to begin with, and I spent several really fun days on Angel Island when I was a kid in NorCal, not to mention it's just incredible to look at. Also, in reading about the fire, I learned something about the island that was quite a surprise.
Turns out, in September of 1863, there were concerns about the Confederate Navy making a sortie to the West Coast, ostensibly in an attempt to seize the California gold fields with the aid of local Confederate sympathizers. In reaction, Angel Island became a fortress designed to fend off enemy ships. The first of these installations was named Camp Reynolds, in memory of General John Reynolds, killed on the first day's fighting at Gettysburg just a few months before.Now Reynolds is a most interesting officer to study, and certainly one of the bravest and most aggressive in the Army of the Potomac. He also holds a special place, because he became the subject of greatest interest for The Jess when she traveled with me to Gettysburg at the beginning of our relationship.
Thus, it was with no small amount of relief that I found out that not only was the fire quenched last week, but that Camp Reynolds was spared, even though the fire got to within several hundred feet of the parade ground. Camp McDowell, named after Gen. Irwin McDowell, who after starting the war as the Union commanding officer at First Bull Run, became head of the Department of Pacific, was likewise unharmed.I sometimes lament that residing in California leaves me a bit detached from being able to visit Civil War battlefields and monuments; now the next time I go home, this will be a special place to visit indeed
Thursday, October 16, 2008
George Will on Gettysburg And More ACW Stuff From The Washington Post
The impact of the new Visitor's Center at Gettysburg continues to grow, this time with nationally syndicated and award-winning columnist George Will weighing in on the subject. Please click here for the full article. There are several sentences in this piece that I found quite striking, but I won't bias you up front. Please read it and think about which bits strike home for you, and we'll revisit the piece next week.
Also from the Post comes a new blog from Linda Wheeler, who was previously the paper's Civil War columnist. Her blog, entitled "A House Divided" looks to be particularly interesting, especially from the perspective of trying to grow our Civil War community. It's maintained by Linda Wheeler and is entitled "A House Divided." From her first post: "She will report on conferences and seminars, find little-known battlefields and sites to explore, check on the latest books and advice on upcoming events, and more"
Please click on the above link or access it via my blogroll on the right. Definitely a welcome addition!
Also from the Post comes a new blog from Linda Wheeler, who was previously the paper's Civil War columnist. Her blog, entitled "A House Divided" looks to be particularly interesting, especially from the perspective of trying to grow our Civil War community. It's maintained by Linda Wheeler and is entitled "A House Divided." From her first post: "She will report on conferences and seminars, find little-known battlefields and sites to explore, check on the latest books and advice on upcoming events, and more"
Please click on the above link or access it via my blogroll on the right. Definitely a welcome addition!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Civil War Network, Episode Two
I spent some time with The Civil War Network when episode 2 became available, and just like with episode 1, I am thrilled with what Francis Rose has generated. Episode 2 hit my traveling jones right on the head, The Jess and I are looking forward to a robust battlefield sojourn sometime in the next year or two, and this episode certainly laid the foundation.
To start off, Childs Burton introduced yet another annual conference I would love to attend, the Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War. The 11th meeting was this past weekend and focuses on the Battle of Antietam, check out the speakers! Talk about your who's who of Antietam experts.
The second segment went away from Civil War travel and into the role of religion in the Civil War. This was a brisk conversation with Father Bob Miller, the author of "Both Prayed to the Same God" and touched on, however briefly, some vital themes in the motivations of ACW soldiers.
Getting back on the theme of Civil War destinations, Susan Trail, the superintendant of Monocacy National Battlefield Park, spoke about the state of the park and how the battle is interpreted there. She was followed by Waite Rawls, president of the Museum of the Confederacy, who discussed the controversial decision to set up several satellite facilities to the primary museum in Richmond, VA (though he doesn't want them to be called "satellite").
The standout of this episode was the interview with Don Pierce, who runs a resource that is going to be an integral part of our trip east called Civil War Traveler. Maps, tours, podcasts, you name it, it's here and it's free.
In my previous post, I touched on having various resources made available in a standardized fashion at all battlefield parks, this is the sort of thing I was referring to.
To start off, Childs Burton introduced yet another annual conference I would love to attend, the Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War. The 11th meeting was this past weekend and focuses on the Battle of Antietam, check out the speakers! Talk about your who's who of Antietam experts.
The second segment went away from Civil War travel and into the role of religion in the Civil War. This was a brisk conversation with Father Bob Miller, the author of "Both Prayed to the Same God" and touched on, however briefly, some vital themes in the motivations of ACW soldiers.
Getting back on the theme of Civil War destinations, Susan Trail, the superintendant of Monocacy National Battlefield Park, spoke about the state of the park and how the battle is interpreted there. She was followed by Waite Rawls, president of the Museum of the Confederacy, who discussed the controversial decision to set up several satellite facilities to the primary museum in Richmond, VA (though he doesn't want them to be called "satellite").
The standout of this episode was the interview with Don Pierce, who runs a resource that is going to be an integral part of our trip east called Civil War Traveler. Maps, tours, podcasts, you name it, it's here and it's free.
In my previous post, I touched on having various resources made available in a standardized fashion at all battlefield parks, this is the sort of thing I was referring to.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A Fascinating And Important Debate On The Role of Civil War Battlefield Visitor Centers
As I have written about, the new Gettysburg Visitor Center has recently opened, and not without some controversy. Along with the opening of this state of the art facility, a question about the role of this center and others in education and interpretation of their specific battle and the war in general has come to the fore.
I refer you please to two outstanding summaries on the issue. First is from Brett Schulte at TOCWOC, another is from Paul Taylor at With Sword and Pen. Briefly, the controversy swirls around whether a battlefield interpretation should be focused solely on the battle itself or include larger issues, such as slavery and emancipation, in the discussion. As you may imagine, there are strong opinions from very bright minds on both sides of the subject. (Note, the "emancipation cause" that Brett references comes from a fantastic recent book by Gary Gallagher called "Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten". I read it when it first came out and I highly recommend it.)
This is a complex question, and I do not fall on either the "only battle, all the time" or "the whole war at every site" sides, as they are too polarized and too many opportunities for learning and education would be missed. Brett's point of selecting certain sites to showcase pertinent issues beyond the battle itself, (causes of war at Ft. Sumter and Appomattox, slavery and emancipation at Antietam, etc) is well taken, but I would add further that we must address the issue of geography.
These visitor centers have many responsibilities, and a primary one is education. We have addressed the Lost Cause mythology and the pervasiveness of it's erroneous theories, and so when students of the war (at any age, any level of interest or expertise) come to a battlefield, there is an opportunity for education. Some of the people that visit, like myself, come from some great distance to get there and may not be able to see multiple locations in one visit. It would be a shame, therefore, to miss out on educational opportunities for those who are clearly interested.
A solution that could reconcile the two views in this argument, would be something like a standardized National Park Service reference list, with websites, books, and other parks listed under heading of various subjects pertinent to the war. That way, not only would each park maintain the integrity of the battle it is representing, but each one would be united and integrated into a larger whole.
The key point to buttress this suggestion is to remember that these battles didn't occur in a vacuum, so these parks shouldn't exist in one either.
This way, when someone visits for example, the Battle of the Wilderness Park (which is high on my list), they would not have the focus of their visit diluted with subjects not germane to the battle itself, but when in the visitor's center, could avail themselves of a host of resources for questions that may have come up on any number of issues.
The key point here is dissemination of information to as many people as possible, and battlefield and museum visitors are a huge part of this, as these folks are clearly interested. There is an implicit responsibility to promote learning, so I feel that the opportunity to educate should be seized.
I refer you please to two outstanding summaries on the issue. First is from Brett Schulte at TOCWOC, another is from Paul Taylor at With Sword and Pen. Briefly, the controversy swirls around whether a battlefield interpretation should be focused solely on the battle itself or include larger issues, such as slavery and emancipation, in the discussion. As you may imagine, there are strong opinions from very bright minds on both sides of the subject. (Note, the "emancipation cause" that Brett references comes from a fantastic recent book by Gary Gallagher called "Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten". I read it when it first came out and I highly recommend it.)
This is a complex question, and I do not fall on either the "only battle, all the time" or "the whole war at every site" sides, as they are too polarized and too many opportunities for learning and education would be missed. Brett's point of selecting certain sites to showcase pertinent issues beyond the battle itself, (causes of war at Ft. Sumter and Appomattox, slavery and emancipation at Antietam, etc) is well taken, but I would add further that we must address the issue of geography.
These visitor centers have many responsibilities, and a primary one is education. We have addressed the Lost Cause mythology and the pervasiveness of it's erroneous theories, and so when students of the war (at any age, any level of interest or expertise) come to a battlefield, there is an opportunity for education. Some of the people that visit, like myself, come from some great distance to get there and may not be able to see multiple locations in one visit. It would be a shame, therefore, to miss out on educational opportunities for those who are clearly interested.
A solution that could reconcile the two views in this argument, would be something like a standardized National Park Service reference list, with websites, books, and other parks listed under heading of various subjects pertinent to the war. That way, not only would each park maintain the integrity of the battle it is representing, but each one would be united and integrated into a larger whole.
The key point to buttress this suggestion is to remember that these battles didn't occur in a vacuum, so these parks shouldn't exist in one either.
This way, when someone visits for example, the Battle of the Wilderness Park (which is high on my list), they would not have the focus of their visit diluted with subjects not germane to the battle itself, but when in the visitor's center, could avail themselves of a host of resources for questions that may have come up on any number of issues.
The key point here is dissemination of information to as many people as possible, and battlefield and museum visitors are a huge part of this, as these folks are clearly interested. There is an implicit responsibility to promote learning, so I feel that the opportunity to educate should be seized.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
A Photo Of The 57th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
A few days ago I wrote a post about the efforts of the Civil War Preservation Trust to thwart Wal-Mart's efforts to build a superstore on the battlefield of the Wilderness and Chancellorsville. In that post, I used a few lines to discuss why this battlefield is so important to me, but even when I posted the entry, something felt incomplete; I had left something out of the discussion.
Last night it came to me. I remembered a picture that is the single most moving image I have come across in my years of study, and my collection of Civil War books and photographic compendia numbers in the hundreds.
I do not suppose to know what war is like, but this picture captures the humanity, the loss, and the destructiveness of not only the Civil War, but war in general, in a way that no other picture has ever been able to replicate for me. One the one hand, there are the sterile, bloodless works of artists like Don Troiani, on the other hand is this:
Before we go on, a huge note of thanks and recognition to http://www.picturehistory.com/. I found this picture through their search criteria in about 5 seconds, and was able to download this image for free. Please avail yourselves of this incredible resource! Now, if you'll indulge me, please place your mouse over the picture and click it to bring up a larger image, then study the faces and clothing of the men, as well as the surroundings upon which they stand.
Having done so, let's begin our discussion, and by the end, your investment in this photograph is sure to increase. This image is of the men of Company I of the 57th Massachusetts Infantry, taken in late June or early July of 1864 (no confirmatory date has been found). There are nine men in this image, and they are all that is left of the 86 soldiers of the company who went into battle for the first time several weeks before on May 6th, 1864, the second day of the Battle of the Wilderness.
Over the course of the next weeks, Co. I and the entire 57th Mass took part in nearly every major action of the famed Overland Campaign: the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, the North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and into the siege of Petersburg. This campaign ushered a new level of fighting into the Civil War (and warfare in general) with constant marching and virtually continuous contact with the enemy; these men were pushing forward every step of the way. 77 men of Company I had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner during the campaigning and unrelenting combat of the early summer, 1864 in Virginia, and from the beginning of its service in May, 1864 until it was mustered out, only 10 men of the original 900+ of the regiment survived the war unscathed. A regimental history was written several years ago by Warren Wilkinson, with the fitting title of "Mother, May You Never See the Sights I Have Seen". This image graces the cover.
These nine men, commanded by Sgt R.K. Williams (the far right figure) were all that were standing when they found time for a brief respite and this photograph. They look worn-out, dirty, exhausted. They stand resolute, brave, and unflinching. They are on a wasted, muddy land where the only visible life, save for these nine souls, is the distant trees in the top-right corner. These troops have seen and done things that no one should be asked to do or have to live with having done, and they still had the courage to go forward and continue the fight.
There is all that, and there is the fact that they look just like us! There are no long-whiskered gentlemen or gray-haired officers; they look like men I went to high school, college, grad school with, played sports with, hung out with and befriended. These men capture the essence of American troops at war for me, because this picture could have been taken on the fields of Saratoga or the dusty streets of Fallujah, and I'd still feel like I know them, and I would still ache for what they had to go through. There had been 86, now there were nine. I've never had to go through losing one friend, let alone 77.
This picture came back to my mind because the first field where these men went to war and began to lose comrades was the Wilderness, and this ground may be lost if Wal-Mart has its way. These men took a stand behind a cause 144 years ago, now we can take a stand for them and their memory through the Civil War Preservation Trust.
Oh yeah, Wal-Mart and its ghoulish disrespect are disgraceful and despicable!
(Note: the above link to the book is to Amazon, but all available copies are from independent booksellers. Remember to support your local used and independent bookstores!)
Last night it came to me. I remembered a picture that is the single most moving image I have come across in my years of study, and my collection of Civil War books and photographic compendia numbers in the hundreds.
I do not suppose to know what war is like, but this picture captures the humanity, the loss, and the destructiveness of not only the Civil War, but war in general, in a way that no other picture has ever been able to replicate for me. One the one hand, there are the sterile, bloodless works of artists like Don Troiani, on the other hand is this:
Before we go on, a huge note of thanks and recognition to http://www.picturehistory.com/. I found this picture through their search criteria in about 5 seconds, and was able to download this image for free. Please avail yourselves of this incredible resource! Now, if you'll indulge me, please place your mouse over the picture and click it to bring up a larger image, then study the faces and clothing of the men, as well as the surroundings upon which they stand.Having done so, let's begin our discussion, and by the end, your investment in this photograph is sure to increase. This image is of the men of Company I of the 57th Massachusetts Infantry, taken in late June or early July of 1864 (no confirmatory date has been found). There are nine men in this image, and they are all that is left of the 86 soldiers of the company who went into battle for the first time several weeks before on May 6th, 1864, the second day of the Battle of the Wilderness.
Over the course of the next weeks, Co. I and the entire 57th Mass took part in nearly every major action of the famed Overland Campaign: the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, the North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and into the siege of Petersburg. This campaign ushered a new level of fighting into the Civil War (and warfare in general) with constant marching and virtually continuous contact with the enemy; these men were pushing forward every step of the way. 77 men of Company I had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner during the campaigning and unrelenting combat of the early summer, 1864 in Virginia, and from the beginning of its service in May, 1864 until it was mustered out, only 10 men of the original 900+ of the regiment survived the war unscathed. A regimental history was written several years ago by Warren Wilkinson, with the fitting title of "Mother, May You Never See the Sights I Have Seen". This image graces the cover.
These nine men, commanded by Sgt R.K. Williams (the far right figure) were all that were standing when they found time for a brief respite and this photograph. They look worn-out, dirty, exhausted. They stand resolute, brave, and unflinching. They are on a wasted, muddy land where the only visible life, save for these nine souls, is the distant trees in the top-right corner. These troops have seen and done things that no one should be asked to do or have to live with having done, and they still had the courage to go forward and continue the fight.
There is all that, and there is the fact that they look just like us! There are no long-whiskered gentlemen or gray-haired officers; they look like men I went to high school, college, grad school with, played sports with, hung out with and befriended. These men capture the essence of American troops at war for me, because this picture could have been taken on the fields of Saratoga or the dusty streets of Fallujah, and I'd still feel like I know them, and I would still ache for what they had to go through. There had been 86, now there were nine. I've never had to go through losing one friend, let alone 77.
This picture came back to my mind because the first field where these men went to war and began to lose comrades was the Wilderness, and this ground may be lost if Wal-Mart has its way. These men took a stand behind a cause 144 years ago, now we can take a stand for them and their memory through the Civil War Preservation Trust.
Oh yeah, Wal-Mart and its ghoulish disrespect are disgraceful and despicable!
(Note: the above link to the book is to Amazon, but all available copies are from independent booksellers. Remember to support your local used and independent bookstores!)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The Round Table And Battlefield Preservation
Wow, sorry for the delay between posts! Busy, busy, busy!
Last night I attended the monthly meeting of the San Diego Civil War Roundtable, and what a treat it was; not least because The Jess was at my side. The lecture had a nautical theme, so my wife was totally into it. We heard a fantastic lecture by one of the members on the battle between the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France on July 19, 1864.
Our lecturer didn't just dryly recite the facts of the battle and persons involved; he had a fascinating take on this sea battle as a classic duel. There was the challenge issued by Alabama to the Kearsarge as the Kearsarge lurked offshore. There were the seconds (French ships) standing by to ensure the fight took place in international waters, and there was the British ship standing by to aid the injured and rescue survivors. An excellent and unique spin on this well-studied battle.
Before we got to the discussion, there was a discussion about issues pertinent to the group: lectures, upcoming talks (including mine in October, which will be blogged about in detail in the near future), and battlefield preservation. This is a large component of what the SDCWRT is about, as all funds raised through raffles, membership, and book sales go to the Civil War Preservation Trust. Last year alone, we donated over $2000 to help with this worthy endeavor.
I learned earlier today about a threat that will certainly be discussed at the next Round Table, and that is the news of a proposed Wal-Mart Superstore on the Wilderness and Chancellorsville battlefields in Virginia. Thanks to Eric Wittenberg at civilwarcavalry.com for the info!
I will hold my tongue on my opinions of Wal-Mart here, but I am most resolutely in favor of protecting these battlefields! For one, I have not yet been able to visit them (they share large portions of the same ground, Chancellorsville taking place in May 1863, the Wilderness occurring one year later, almost to the day) and they are a priority for when The Jess and I sojourn east. Second, Gordon Rhea's incredible series of books on The Battle of the Wilderness and the Overland Campaign helped re-launch my interest in the Civil War several years ago. Lastly and most importantly, this is land made sacred by the tens of thousands of men who died on that ground, many of whom are still buried there.
In California, we don't have any Civil War battlefields, so it's easy to feel a bit detached; however, it is vital to remember that once these lands are paved over and defiled by golden arches or megamalls, they're gone. Please take some time and decide if this is an issue that might strike your interest, and keep in mind that these parks are always free to anyone who wishes to visit. I'll close by providing a National Park Service link to the Wilderness.
Last night I attended the monthly meeting of the San Diego Civil War Roundtable, and what a treat it was; not least because The Jess was at my side. The lecture had a nautical theme, so my wife was totally into it. We heard a fantastic lecture by one of the members on the battle between the USS Kearsarge and the CSS Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France on July 19, 1864.
Our lecturer didn't just dryly recite the facts of the battle and persons involved; he had a fascinating take on this sea battle as a classic duel. There was the challenge issued by Alabama to the Kearsarge as the Kearsarge lurked offshore. There were the seconds (French ships) standing by to ensure the fight took place in international waters, and there was the British ship standing by to aid the injured and rescue survivors. An excellent and unique spin on this well-studied battle.
Before we got to the discussion, there was a discussion about issues pertinent to the group: lectures, upcoming talks (including mine in October, which will be blogged about in detail in the near future), and battlefield preservation. This is a large component of what the SDCWRT is about, as all funds raised through raffles, membership, and book sales go to the Civil War Preservation Trust. Last year alone, we donated over $2000 to help with this worthy endeavor.
I learned earlier today about a threat that will certainly be discussed at the next Round Table, and that is the news of a proposed Wal-Mart Superstore on the Wilderness and Chancellorsville battlefields in Virginia. Thanks to Eric Wittenberg at civilwarcavalry.com for the info!
I will hold my tongue on my opinions of Wal-Mart here, but I am most resolutely in favor of protecting these battlefields! For one, I have not yet been able to visit them (they share large portions of the same ground, Chancellorsville taking place in May 1863, the Wilderness occurring one year later, almost to the day) and they are a priority for when The Jess and I sojourn east. Second, Gordon Rhea's incredible series of books on The Battle of the Wilderness and the Overland Campaign helped re-launch my interest in the Civil War several years ago. Lastly and most importantly, this is land made sacred by the tens of thousands of men who died on that ground, many of whom are still buried there.
In California, we don't have any Civil War battlefields, so it's easy to feel a bit detached; however, it is vital to remember that once these lands are paved over and defiled by golden arches or megamalls, they're gone. Please take some time and decide if this is an issue that might strike your interest, and keep in mind that these parks are always free to anyone who wishes to visit. I'll close by providing a National Park Service link to the Wilderness.
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