Last year, I carried out an experiment in blogging that was both fun and challenging for me and, I hope, entertaining for you. I decided to “blog” the Battle of Gettysburg as if we could be magically transported back to those fateful 7 days leading up to and encompassing the battle and pretend that the internet existed in 1863. The result of this experiment was a little uneven in quality, but made me look at the battle with a whole new perspective. It is my hope that by repeating the experiment, using more maps and better sources as well as polishing some of the rough spots, I can create something that will inform and entertain both you and me.
In that fateful early summer of 1863, everyone in America knew that a titanic battle was going to take place somewhere north of Washington. The soldiers were especially aware of this as their numerous diaries and regimental histories make clear. Since most of the major media was located on the east coast, the Army of the Potomac – “Mr. Lincoln’s Army” as Bruce Catton called it – was covered disproportionately compared to other theaters of that war and received the lion’s share of the criticism doled out by the likes of the New York Tribune’s sometimes hysterical editor Horace Greeley. This meant that both the officers and men felt themselves under a microscope at times, a state of affairs that did not engender risk taking by the army’s many commanders.
As the two armies made their way toward the little crossroads town of Gettysburg, the nation literally held its breath, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. Lincoln, a tortured soul even under just the day to day circumstances of the war, haunted the telegraph office at the war department, aching for news. And there was wild speculation in the Washington and Baltimore papers about where Lee was and what his intentions were.
In many ways, this unbearable tension leading up to the battle made the explosion on July 1-3 all the more dramatic, as if all the furies of the war had been unleashed at once to torment the nation. It truly was one of the more remarkable times in American history, something I hope comes through in the retelling of events.
Utilizing the extensive on-line databases available on the internet as well as information from my own library, I’ll be posting on events leading up to the battle, not only in Pennsylvania but also other theaters of the war, including Grant’s simultaneous capture of Vicksburg that some historians argue was more important to ultimate victory for the north than what was happening in Pennsylvania.
I hope you stop by often over the next 7 days as I will be updating the posts just as if I was getting updates from the battlefield. It should be an interesting week.
8:19 am
[...] VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MYSUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “TELL THOSE DIRTY FASCISTS TO STOP THE NAME CALLING!” THE IMMORALITY OF THE DEMOCRATS’ POSITION ON THE WAR “ENDEAVORING TO PERSEVERE” WHY JOHNNY CAN’T FIND RAMADI ON A MAP MURTHA: OLD SOLDIERS SHOULD JUST FADE AWAY WHY WE NEED MORE INTROSPECTION FROM THE MEDIA PREVIEW: TEAM USA VS. ITALY THE COWARDICE OF THE DEMOCRATS LA TIMES OFFERS MORE PROOF WHY NO ONE BOTHERS TO READ IT ANYMORE THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN: DOUBLETHINK EDITION JOHN KERRY IS A WEASEL “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (282) Government (43) History (54) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (87) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (211) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (19) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (122) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (41) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
10:02 am
2nd paragraph – “In the fateful early of summer of 1963” should be “1863”.
3:43 pm
I enjoyed those posts immensely. You have a talent for transporting the reader into the event, no small feat. I am looking forward to a repeat performance.
7:25 am
I’m really looking forward to it Rick, you have a way of bringing it to life.
8:57 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLDSAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “TELL THOSE DIRTY FASCISTS TO STOP THE NAME CALLING!” THE IMMORALITY OF THE DEMOCRATS’ POSITION ON THE WAR “ENDEAVORING TO PERSEVERE” WHY JOHNNY CAN’T FIND RAMADI ON A MAP MURTHA: OLD SOLDIERS SHOULD JUST FADE AWAY WHY WE NEED MORE INTROSPECTION FROM THE MEDIA PREVIEW: TEAM USA VS. ITALY “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (283) Government (44) History (55) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (213) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (19) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (122) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (41) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
10:57 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURTUPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “TELL THOSE DIRTY FASCISTS TO STOP THE NAME CALLING!” THE IMMORALITY OF THE DEMOCRATS’ POSITION ON THE WAR “ENDEAVORING TO PERSEVERE” “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (283) Government (44) History (56) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (20) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (124) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
8:55 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JUNE 30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTSUS TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME THE POLITICS OF WMD SITE DOWN “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (61) General (283) Government (44) History (57) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (22) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (126) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
9:10 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JULY 1, 1863 ESCAPING THE LEGAL AND MORAL QUAGMIRE OF GUANTANAMO JUNE 30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVEBEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN TEAM USA JUST NOT READY FOR THE BIG TIME “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (62) General (284) Government (45) History (57) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (127) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (1) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
12:04 pm
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JULY 2, 1863 CROSSTOWN SHOWDOWN: TAKE TWO JULY 1, 1863 ESCAPING THE LEGAL AND MORAL QUAGMIRE OF GUANTANAMO JUNE30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD DEMOCRATS GO OUT WITH A WHIMPER ON IRAQ “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (62) General (284) Government (45) History (58) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (127) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (2) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
12:18 am
[...] Rightwing Nuthouse has a series on Gettysburg here, here, here, here, here, and here   [...]
6:14 am
[...] PUNDIT VINCE AUT MORIRE VODKAPUNDIT WALLO WORLD WIDE AWAKES WIZBANG WUZZADEM ZERO POINT BLOG JULY 3, 1863 JULY 2, 1863 CROSSTOWN SHOWDOWN: TAKE TWO JULY 1, 1863 ESCAPING THE LEGAL AND MORAL QUAGMIRE OFGUANTANAMO JUNE 30, 1863 HAMDAN HANGOVER HAMDAN COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED JUNE 29, 1863 ON THE BRINK? NOT HARDLY KERRY WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ FASTER THAN THE ENEMY SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS MOST OF TEXAS GERRYMANDER JUNE 28, 1863 IMMIGRATION BILL JUST WON’T DIE LET’S TORCH THE FLAG BURNING AMENDMENT MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR TERRORISTS COUNTDOWN TO GETTYSBURG JUNE 27, 1863 FOR THE LEFT, IT’S A RACE TO SEE WHO SURRENDERS FIRST: US OR THEM “WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION” BY BILL KELLER THE BATTLE OF GREASY GRASS CREEK THE FLIM FLAM MEN VICTORY IS IN SIGHT BEYOND THE PALE THE “NEW MEDIA” STARTING TO LOOK OLD “24″ (65) ABLE DANGER (10) Bird Flu (5) Blogging (88) Books (7) CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS (66) CHICAGO BEARS (9) CIA VS. THE WHITE HOUSE (24) Cindy Sheehan (12) Ethics (62) General (284) Government (45) History (59) IMMIGRATION REFORM (11) Iran (26) IRAQI RECONCILIATION (1) KATRINA (26) Katrina Timeline (4) Marvin Moonbat (14) Media (88) Middle East (24) Moonbats (48) NET NEUTRALITY (2) Open House (1) Politics (214) Science (15) Space (13) Supreme Court (23) UNITED NATIONS (1) War on Terror (127) WATCHER’S COUNCIL (48) WHITE SOX (2) Wide Awakes Radio (1) WORLD CUP (8) WORLD POLITICS (42) WORLD SERIES (14) Admin Login Register Valid XHTML XFN [...]
9:55 am
[...] Rick explained his experiment in this introductory post: Last year, I carried out an experiment in blogging that was both fun and challenging for me and, I hope, entertaining for you. I decided to “blog†the Battle of Gettysburg as if we could be magically transported back to those fateful 7 days leading up to and encompassing the battle and pretend that the internet existed in 1863. The result of this experiment was a little uneven in quality, but made me look at the battle with a whole new perspective. It is my hope that by repeating the experiment, using more maps and better sources as well as polishing some of the rough spots, I can create something that will inform and entertain both you and me. [...]