Today (or possibly tomorrow) is the anniversary of a little-known Civil War action called “The Greenback Raid.” In the late hours of Oct 13, 1864, Confederate Partisan Ranger, John S Mosby, and his men sought to disrupt rail service between Union General Sheridan, currently terrorizing the Shenandoah Valley.

So they devised a plan to derail a train and relieve it of its service to the Union. It was a fun scheme that they pulled off with no injury to either party.

John Henry Alexander (I’ve quoted him once before) was a member of Mosby’s Rangers and is a first class writer. He describes some of the events of that evening… (it really is worth the read)

Presently I heard the train coming and I hurried around waking up the boys. I then went back to my place and watched and listened to the thumping of my heart. Nearer and louder came the sounds and quicker beat my pulses. Directly the headlight of the engine shot around a curve not far off, and as the engine rushed almost under me, it seemed, my heart well-nigh choked me. And then there was a tremendous thump and the shriek of the steam and the sound of a single shot and then—”the deluge.” “Board her, boys!” rang out the Colonel’s crisp, steady tones. That brought me back to sense and braced me. The conductor of the train seemed to take in the situation more promptly than any of us, and never for a moment lost his nerve. He jumped off between his train and us, swinging a lighted lantern, and cried out that he surrendered the train. Down the bank we rushed.

As I ran up the steps on the platform of a coach a tall Ranger was standing with his pistol poked through the door ajar, calling on somebody to surrender. Being short and slim, I slipped under his arm and jumped in. On the first seat sat a soldier with a lady beside him, who, as I stopped, assured me that her “husband was a sick man.” Just behind them sat a gentleman, across whose portliness stretched a gold watch chain. He must have noticed that it fascinated my gaze, for he promptly presented it to me, without detaching from it a beautiful gold watch.

Of course I could not accept such munificence without some inquiry into the condition of his finances. The generous old man responded to this with the offer of his pocket-book, but I had barely noticed its plump appearance, when a long lank arm reached over my shoulder and appropriated what my modesty might have declined. By this time the boys were crowding into the car. As I moved down the aisle I felt a gentle touch on my arm and a sweet voice asked if I would “protect them.” Of course I would, and took my seat between as pretty a pair of cherubs as ever made a fool of a soldier boy. And I stayed there, too, until the looting of the car was completed.

After the looting the cars were to be burnt, but they had to be emptied of certain valuables. First, of course, came the ladies, who were disposed as comfortably as practicable with their baggage which was gathered from the car. You may be sure that my fair proteges received every needed attention, not only from myself but from other gallants whom their beauty attracted. I believe they were the belles of the occasion; and I am sure that they really enjoyed the affair, and doubtless had many stories to relate of their flirtations that night with Mosby’s “Guerrillas.”

One of my more geeky pleasures is listening to audio books (usually while in the shower). Almost exclusively, these have been Civil War books. Having just finished Stephen Sears’s Gettysburg, I needed another. I searched the library and came across a book about the confederate partisan Mosby. The book, Mosby’s Men by John Henry Alexander was available for download, so I got it and started listening right away.

What I thought would be a history turns out to be a memoir. But the memoir isn’t a day-by-day account of what it was like to be with John S. Mosby. It is more of a collection of stories, happenings and slice-of-life scenarios than a narrative.

I love the writing style. It’s wordy and witty and can say the most bawdy things in very elegant ways.

One passage that made me giggle was about the ladies in Mosby’s Confederacy.

The women of Mosby’s Confederacy were the divinities to whom the Rangers were always true… never have I heard of a single instance of the betrayal by one of them of a too-confiding woman’s trust.

But I must continue to use the plural when I speak of each man’s “divinities.” If it is not good grammar, it is true—like Ben Jonson’s poetry that didn’t rhyme. The fact is that the boys were guilty of considerable laxity (or perhaps I should say liberality) in the matter of sweethearts. Their devotion to the sex was too ardent and profound to be exhausted by a single object, and they could not be absolutely loyal to Katie Wells and Gentle Annie both. The most that I can claim for a real Mosby man is that he could be perfectly “happy with either dear charmer, with t’other dear charmer away”— and this seemed to satisfy each in her turn.

Indeed, they were just as much sinned against as sinning in this regard. The dear girls took their liberties too. For instance: After the Greenback raid, the boys were pretty flush. Among other means which two of them took to get the good of their money before they died, they sent across the Potomac for engagement rings for their best girls. Now it happened that they sent by the same blockade-runner and he brought back two handsome bands which were exact “twinses.” In due course and with all proper ceremony they were set as seals to the pure and endless love which they were intended to symbolize. The swains soon made an unexpected call together upon a certain lady, and you can imagine the satisfaction with which they discovered both rings on the same finger. Some embarrassment arose in the adjustment of relations, but as neither fellow could identify his property, the girl remained mistress of the situation and of the rings.

One belle of the Confederacy, a girl “of a provident mind,” thought to hedge against the casualties of war by placing her bets, so to speak, judiciously around—some in Mosby’s command, and some in different branches of the regular service. She played to great luck, and after the surrender claimants for her heart and hand turned up from various directions. I happened to be at one of her levees (as a spectator) and could not but admire the skill with which she met the embarrassing situation and made each one happy in the assurance that he was the favorite. However, one of those accidents which will happen, betrayed the truth. Whereupon her victims held a caucus and unanimously passed a resolution that she was too smart for domestic purposes.

Today is the anniversary of the bloodiest day in American history. 147 years ago, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing following the Civil War battle of Antietam. The battle itself ended in a stalemate, having no clear winner, north or south.

I used to head down to Antietam quite a lot and since moving to Seattle, I miss it. The Gettysburg battlefield is wonderful, but if you really want a well-preserved park, Antietam has pretty much zero battlefield encroachment. Even the town of Sharpsburg is much the same.

The repercussions of this battle are still felt today. Antietam was the nail in the coffin that made England and France did not recognize the South as a sovereign nation and thus support it militarily.¹ It was also after Antietam that Lincoln, looking for something even sort of resembling a victory, signed the emancipation proclamation, freeing slaves in the southern states.²

Also, Antietam was the first battle that was really photographically documented. Alexander Gardner arrived shortly after the carnage had ended and shot 70 photographs, releasing the bulk of them as postcard-like photos. Also many newspapers made woodcuts of his photos, bringing the horrors of war to the parlors of America like never before.

My great, great, etc grandfather fought for the 51st Pennsylvania at Antietam. He, along with his comrades, were ordered to take a bridge. But taking the bridge was no easy task. It took 12,500 men three tries to overcome a Confederate force of about 500.³ The third attempt was made by the 51st New York and the 51st Pennsylvania.

The colonel in charge of the 51st Penna (and three other regiments) had canceled the regiment’s whiskey rations. They weren’t exactly thrilled about this. When he ordered them to take the bridge and after seeing so many before them fall, a corporal shouted “Will you give us our whiskey, Colonel, if we take it?”

He replied, “Yes, by God, you shall have as much as you want if you take the bridge!”

They, along with my great, great, etc grandfather took the bridge and got their whiskey.

This, like many things in war, was all for not. The 500 Confederates held up Burnside’s men long enough for Confederate reinforcements to arrive. The Confederates charged into the Union flank, shattering it and basically ending the battle. The next day, they buried their dead. The day after, the Confederates easily slipped back into the south.

You can see more of Alexander Gardner’s Antietam photography here.

The New York Times stated that Brady was able to “bring home to us the terrible reality and earnestness of war. If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our door-yards and along streets, he has done something very like it…”

1. With England and France supporting the South, it very well could have lead to a Southern victory. [↩]
2. Actually, the E.P. was a political move. Lincoln only “freed” slaves in the states where he had no control. In the north, the blacks were still slaves. Sadly, what most people see as the “great emancipation” and the end of slavery freed not a single slave, but it worked to keep England and France out of it. [↩]
3. Though, granted, only about 4,000 of Burnside’s men took part in those attacks – he nevertheless still had 12,500 men under his command that he could have ordered to storm the bridge, but didn’t. [↩]

As I have written about, over the past several days I’ve been watching the Gettysburg Anniversary Battlewalks presented by Gettysburg National Military Park and recorded and broadcast by the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

Prior to moving to Seattle this past October, these anniversary tours were one of the highlights of my year. Most years, I could make the two hour trek to the battlefield to attend the tours in person. However, when I could not, there were the broadcasts by PCN.

It has been a few years since I’ve “had” to watch the tours in this way. I was thrilled to learn that PCN would be streaming these tours via their website, since I’m well out of PCN’s coverage area. I cleared my schedule (which isn’t so difficult these days) and hooked my computer up to my TV so that I could watch them on the comfort of my couch, surrounded by Gettysburg map books. I’m clearly really into this.

I’d first like to commend PCN in general. Their content, though not everybody’s cup of tea, is unique and always a good time. Typically, they tour Pennsylvania’s factories, museums and state parks. They also cover government debates and such in a very C-Span sort of way.

But, as is tradition, around the beginning of July, they allot a few days to Gettysburg. In past years they have shown not only the current year’s tours, but have padded it with tours from previous years as well. And though that wasn’t the case this year, the tours they did cover (all but two) were phenomenal. The content, as usual was well researched and delivered. The presentation (where PCN comes in) was equally fine. Enough good things cannot be said.

Not only do they record and air the tours, but they also make them available for the public to buy. However, this is where my praise might be a little lacking.

After each tour they remind us that the tour we just saw is available to buy on DVD or VHS for $29.95. And while that includes shipping, it also includes a 4 – 6 week wait. This, I’m afraid, is sadly out-dated.

First, the 4 – 6 week wait is silly. I’m sure these DVDs are not mass produced, but burned onto higher quality DVD-Rs. This takes time and labor, so a bit of a wait is very understandable. But 4 – 6 weeks is a little careless.

However, even that would be forgivable if the price were reasonable, which it is far from being. At $30 a pop, to buy all the tours for this past year, I’d have to drop $330 for 11 DVDs. That’s a bit much. I’ve done some rather large-scale/small-scale DVD copying and distribution in my days and I know it can be done for much cheaper than that.

The reason PCN is selling the DVDs at all is to raise a bit of money. And why not? They certainly deserve it. They do great work that I have gone on and on about – it really is appreciated. But if they lowered the price, more people would buy them – probably enough people that more money would roll in! That’s great, right?

The prices should be around $10 – $12 a DVD with sets available, collected together by the year of broadcast for $100ish. If prices were at that level, I would eventually buy all of them. If they remain at the level where they are now, it’s doubtful I’ll buy any. Sorry, but it’s just the truth – I can’t justify the expense.

And while the idea of lowering the prices is sound, another option should be there as well. How about streaming video? A website could easily be set up where customers could purchase tours to watch on their computers. A download option could also be offered. Many sites offer the ability to download the whole DVD image file so they can burn it themselves. If PCN further enters the “digital age,” their distribution overhead could be greatly reduced and their profits greatly increased. Also, we wouldn’t have to pay $30 per DVD.

So, friends at the Pennsylvania Cable Network, hear me! What you have done so far has been great and is greatly appreciated, but your work is not yet finished. Cheaper pricing is a definite must. Streaming video of all your content, even if we have to pay for it, would be great. Digital downloads of your content would basically be a God-send.

Thank you for all you’ve done, and here’s hoping that you don’t stop now!

I’m not really a fanboy. I don’t worship or really even care about celebrities. Sure, I got a little giddy when I met the MST3K folks, but even that doesn’t compare to how thrilled I get over a new Troy Harman tour!

As you’ve been informed, The past three days have been pretty much Christmas for me. Those days are the anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg. In years past, I’d be there in person taking the tours offered by the rangers at the park.

Over the years, I’ve gotten to know several of the rangers. It’s not like I’m buddies with them or anything, but I’d be there enough that I’d be one of the “familiar faces” they’d recognize.

The anniversary tours are like opening night. There are huge amounts of research that go into these things. The tours aren’t usually simple overviews of the battle. While tours like that are certainly available, these tours focus on specific events or regiments, singular or isolated actions.

In the weeks before the anniversary, the rangers test out the tours with smaller groups and without PCN TV coverage. If the anniversary tours are like opening night, these are the dress rehearsals.

I started checking out Troy Harman’s dress rehearsal tours and through them got to know the man better than I otherwise would have.

Here is a man who cares deeply about Gettysburg. He loves the battle, the town, the residents, the downtown and the landscape. He cares about the area’s history as a whole, not just 1863.

What first got me interested in Troy’s tours was the theories he’d throw out there. The were fairly radical by Gettysburg historical standards. Some made a lot of sense to me (like this ideas surrounding Pickett’s Charge) and some really fell flat (like Hunterstown). But, at least he was thinking outside of the box.

Historical research and interpretation isn’t the simple repetition of the last generation of historians. The events must be viewed with new and unbiased eyes to uncover what truly happened. Mistakes of past historians must be corrected just as much as their achievements must be heralded (if not more).

Otherwise, we wind up with stuff like “the rebs went to Gettysburg looking for shoes.”

Troy seems to try to read between lines, reinterpreting the accepted view. It is probably impossible to always agree with his conclusions, but I always get really excited when he throws them out there.

Though I can’t be there this year, last night I was able to watch his tour online via pcntv.com. It really wasn’t like being there, of course, but it was close enough. He even proposed a theory that I don’t quite buy just yet (we’ll see).

Throughout Troy’s tours, he continually thanks those who have helped him in research and allowed him and his 300 closest friends tramp across their property (he often goes off park land for his tours). At the end, he thanks us all and tells us that he loves us. And really, that’s just cool. You really can tell that the whole thing is done out of love.

Today is a whole day of broadcasts of the tours from this anniversary. There’s even a Troy tour on East Cemetery Hill (at 5pm PDT)! I’m here for the duration. I’ve got my computer hooked up to my TV and while the resolution is so-so, it’s the best I can do!

I’d rather spend the 4th of July with friends, and if I were there these past few days, I could (well, actually no I couldn’t… because I’d be there – but anyway). But I’m here, and while friends are close at hand, I’ll be glued to my TV set, geeking out.

We, as a people, do some pretty dumb stuff. Some of us do stuff that’s even dumber than most of us. Dumb is just something we’ll have to live with.

But then there are things like this…

Photos are from GettysburgDaily.com

This isn’t dumb, it’s pure greed. Dumb is innocent (mostly), this is your basic, run-of-the-mill evil. The folks that let it happen might be dumb, but the folks who purposely put it there are greedy bastards.

Each year, the website Gettysburg Daily picks one “dumb” thing that’s happened to the battlefield at Gettysburg. Many dumb things are nominated, but only one can win.

This year’s winner was announced yesterday, on the 146th anniversary of General Dan Sickles dumb move at Gettysburg.

This building is this soon-to-be-finished Comfort Suites Hotel. It is located a handful of yards away from a historic cemetery and, though not on park property, it is on the battlefield.

Here is a bit of explanation…

It was through some fairly shady deals that it even came about in the first place. The land is part of Cumberland Township, not the borough of Gettysburg. Gettysburg gets all the tax revenue from the businesses and hotels – Cumberland just wanted their fair share, no matter the cost.

Of course, this is simply a disgrace. Here is a fine example of how we fail as human beings. There are many such examples, of course, this is but one of them.

Now comes the real question. Why is this still standing? It’s not protected by armed guards. It’s not surrounded by barbed wire fences. It’s made of wood and would go up quickly.

There are some radical environmentalists known as the ELF (Earth Liberation Front). They engage in property destruction. Nobody has ever once been hurt or killed, but GMO laboratories, Condominium buildings, and the like are damaged and destroyed. You may not agree with such tactics, but it does seems to drive the point home.

The ELF and your average Civil War buff have a gulf of differences between them. But them both hate development. Why not join forces? Why aren’t battlefield preservationists starting the BLF (Battlefield Liberation Front)? With the Wal-Mart coming within an angry mule’s kick of the Wilderness Battlefield and this utter disgrace at Gettysburg, their work would be cut out for them, but just think of the rewards!

Imagine how good you would feel inside if a structure such as this, right on the battlefield, so close to the cemetery, were engulfed in flames (either accidentally or on purpose).

The Gettysburg Daily is creating another award for the good things that are happening ob the battlefield. If the Comfort Suites Hotel were to suddenly be reduced to rubble, I can almost guarantee you that it would take home that award as well!

Sometimes it’s not about how good a movie is – how well it was made or acted (or reenacted).

The movie Gettysburg falls into that category for me. It’s not a great movie. And if it weren’t for Sam Elliot, I’d probably say it wasn’t even an especially good movie. But even with its many flaws, its historical inaccuracies, its bad acting (and reenacting), it still holds a fine place in my heart.

It’s probably not possible to make a Civil War movie on the scale of Saving Private Ryan (for example). Hollywood is okay with WW2 movies, but the Civil War remains largely untouched.

This is a shame since it was quite possibly the most important event in American history (post-revolution). As the 150th anniversary rolls around maybe that will change.

Today is the 146th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg. Neither Union or Confederate commanders wished for a full scale battle on this day. The Confederates pretty well wandered into a thin line of Union cavalry. Thinking they could just brush them aside, they pushed on, but the Cavalry put up some still resistance and held the ground until the infantry could arrive.

Even with infantry reinforcements, the Confederates out numbered the Union troops, routing them by day’s end.

You can read more about it here. There are even maps!

So today I’ll settle down for a viewing of the movie Gettysburg and enjoy it greatly, despite its flaws.

I’d rather be in Gettysburg, of course. Today, they are offering their anniversary tours. Thankfully, PCN TV will be rebroadcasting them starting tonight at 9pm (midnight for you east coasters).