160th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg Recap

Over the last weekend in June and the first weekend in July, I participated in and attended numerous events related to the 160th anniversary. 

First, I attended and presented at the Patriots of the Civil War Reenactment.  This event was put on by my friend Dustin Heisey and at one point I was involved in the planning but had to drop out due to my employment.  I had the opportunity to present on the topic of “Using Technology to Explore the Battle of Gettysburg.”  During my session, I talked about using tools like Google Earth/Maps, Advanced Search techniques and other items I have previously discussed on my website.  After my presentation, I walked around a bit and talked to some reenactors, said hello and chatted with long-time friends.  One of the parts of the reenactment that I really enjoyed was the “Citizens of Baltimore Street.”  Here they had areas set up to display the homefront part of the battle with various displays and demonstrations.  The mostly ladies here were truly wonderful to speak with and they were very knowledgeable.  One reenactor had painted gum rubber and canvas “rugs” that would have been used as door mats or carpets in homes to keep from tracking mud.  Another display was of a local tavern that was complete with a bar, a map of the town, and checkers set for entertainment.  Unfortunately, I could not stay as long as I wanted due to a family obligation back home.  

The following weekend, my family and I spent most of Saturday and part of Sunday walking around Gettysburg and exploring the sights and sounds.  On Saturday, my family spent time walking mostly around town and exploring the battlefield a bit.  We met up with author Tom McMillan and got my books autographed and then walked toward town.  At the Rupp House, we explored a collection of reenactors and first-person portrayals of various people.  One woman was showing how they made decorative wallpaper out of old newspapers during the 1860s.  This is very interesting to learn about and something that could easily be replicated in a classroom.  

From there we walked across the street (next to Mr. G’s Ice Cream) and met with several first-person reenactors including Fr. Corby, Dr. Mary Walker, and Major General John Hartranft.  We spent a few moments talking about Pope Pius IX with Fr. Corby who gave my daughter Katie a St. Michael the Archangel medal and then had an absolutely amazing talk with General Hartranft.  In case you were unaware, General Hartranft was the one who clapped his hands to signal the execution of the Lincoln Conspirators.  When I showed him my colorized version of the condemned on the platform, he was really impressed and talked about each of the individuals on the platform and how it worked, and everything.  It was enlightening to hear him talk about the events and to have him compliment my work.  Afterward, we walked around some more, had dinner at Tommy’s Pizza, and explored the battlefield.  To cap off the evening, I was able to meet up with some Twitter friends that I have never met in real life.  What an amazing time we had at Four Score Brewing.  

On Sunday, my daughter Katie and I returned to Gettysburg to cover the 160th Reenactment at the Daniel Lady Farm.  This event was larger than the one put on by the PCWA and I was able to secure a press pass to cover the event.  Katie was super excited to be “a member of the press” and wore her credentials proudly.  We had a good time exploring the various civilians including having Katie learn how to wash socks by hand.  We also got to explore the Daniel Lady home which is always cool to see the bloodstained floors and other artifacts.  One woman was exhibiting a collection of original hair combs that was really cool to see.  From there we walked around the Union camp and listened to some string band music and then around the Confederate camp for a bit before the skies opened up in a major rain storm.  After drying off in the car we toured some more of the battlefield and looked for some rock carvings.  

All in all, a fantastic couple of days in Gettysburg covering the anniversary. Hope to see you on the Battlefield and here are a few photos from the weekend.