Refighting the Battle of Gettysburg

[Valin]

WSJ:

To understand the Civil War on its 150th anniversary, history books are no substitute for time in the trenches
THOMAS DONNELLY
4/2/11


Tourists read about Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pa. The battle's decisive moments often depended on the terrain.

In 10 days, with the arrival of the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, Americans will again try to fathom an episode in our history that can defy comprehension. There are tens of thousands of Civil War books already in print, and a good number of them are massive, multi-volume affairs. For me, however, the best way to get a grip on our great national tragedy always has been to start small.

For nearly 20 years, I've led and participated in Civil War "staff rides," more than 50 of them at Gettysburg. A staff ride is a role-playing exercise, often used in military education. It lets a group of a dozen or so people walk where others have fought and get a sense of what combatants did and didn't know when the time came for a critical decision.

(Snip)

Nine battles of the Civil War had casualties of more than 20,000 Americans. For the men who fought there, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness proved not to be self-evident truths but "made-evident" truths. Our freedom had a new birth. It is no wonder that, 150 years later, we continue to walk these battlefields, taking in a national enormity one fateful decision at a time.

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The Ten Costliest Battles of the Civil War

[Valin]

20th Maine Little Round Top

 

Pickett's Charge

[SrWoodchuck]

Valin! Thank you for the posts & links.

 

I'm a Civil War buff & enjoy the reading, the pix and the history. Below is a link to some civil war pictures that are pretty cool [One of Lt. George Custer?]

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite links-Old Pix-some Civil War

[Valin]

Valin! Thank you for the posts & links.

 

I'm a Civil War buff & enjoy the reading, the pix and the history. Below is a link to some civil war pictures that are pretty cool [One of Lt. George Custer?]

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite links-Old Pix-some Civil War

 

Thanks Sherman

 

Uncle Billy did have a way with iron.

 

I recall reading an article a couple of years ago about a man who in his will gave his land to his son...with the proviso that he not sell it to anyone named Sherman...1st or last name.