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Civil War history

151 Years Ago: Sherman Defends Forced Evacuation of Atlanta

Sat, 2015-09-12 08:46 -- Jocelyn Green
General Sherman, leaning on breach of gun, and staff at Federal Fort 7 outside Atlanta.
After the siege of and battle for Atlanta, Gen. William T. Sherman ordered the evacuation of all remaining civilians from the city (September 1864). Mayor James Calhoun and two city councilmen urged the Union general to rescind the forced evacuation. Some residents were sick, poor, pregnant, the city fathers said, and the South was already overcrowded as it was, resulting in homelessness for those without family to take them in. Sherman’s response to the men was widely published by newspapers both North and South, and passages from it came to be recognized as readily as the Gettysburg Address. Some historians call his letter, below, the greatest explanation for the causes and consequences of civil war ever written. In 1864, it heartened the North for the fighting ahead. But to Calhoun, who had been against secession himself but determined to protect Atlanta while his own son fought for the Confederacy, Sherman’s words sliced like a dagger to the heart. William T. Sherman Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, in the Field, Atlanta, Georgia September 12, 1864 JAMES M. CALHOUN, Mayor, E. E. RAWSON and S. C. WELLS, representing City Council of Atlanta. Gentlemen: I have your letter of the 11th, in the nature of a petition to revoke my orders removing all the inhabitants from Atlanta. I have read it carefully, and give full credit to your statements of the distress that will be occasioned, and yet shall not revoke my orders, because they were not designed to meet the humanities of the case, but to prepare for the future struggles in which millions of good people outside of Atlanta have a deep interest. We must have Peace, not only at Atlanta, but in all America. To secure this, we must stop the war that now desolates our once happy and favored country. To stop war, we must defeat the Rebel armies which are arrayed against the laws and Constitution that all must respect and obey. To defeat those armies, we must prepare the way to reach them in their recesses, provided with the arms and instruments which enable us to accomplish our purpose. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1008", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-1960 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"535", "height":"640", "alt":"cityhall2"}}]] 2nd Massachusetts Infantry camped on Atlanta City Hall parade grounds. The bricks and wood were taken from rubble and fences. Now, I know the vindictive nature of our enemy, that we may have many years of military operations from this quarter; and, therefore, deem it wise and prudent to prepare in time. The use of Atlanta for warlike purposes is inconsistent with its character as a home for families. There will be no manufactures, commerce, or agriculture here, for the maintenance of families, and sooner or later want will compel the inhabitants to go. Why not go now, when all the arrangements are completed for the transfer, instead of waiting till the plunging shot of contending armies will renew the scenes of the past month? Of course, I do not apprehend any such thing at this moment, but you do not suppose this army will be here until the war is over. I cannot discuss this subject with you fairly, because I cannot impart to you what we propose to do, but I assert that our military plans make it necessary for the inhabitants to go away, and I can only renew my offer of services to make their exodus in any direction as easy and comfortable as possible. You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1009", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-1961 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"610", "height":"640", "alt":"ShermansMen"}}]] Sherman's men destroying railroad.   War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. [Tweet ""War is cruelty and you cannot refine it." #YankeeinAtlanta"] I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure peace. But you cannot have peace and a division of our country. If the United States submits to a division now, it will not stop, but will go on until we reap the fate of Mexico, which is eternal, war. The United States does and must assert its authority, wherever it once had power; for, if it relaxes one bit to pressure, it is gone, and I believe that such is the national feeling. This feeling assumes various shapes, but always comes back to that of Union. Once admit the Union, once more acknowledge the authority of the national Government, and, instead of devoting your houses and streets and roads to the dread uses of war, I and this army become at once your protectors and supporters, shielding you from danger, let it come from what quarter it may. I know that a few individuals cannot resist a torrent of error and passion, such as swept the South into rebellion, but you can point out, so that we may know those who desire a government, and those who insist on war and its desolation. [Tweet ""You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm as against these terrible hardships of war." #YankeeinAtlanta"] You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm as against these terrible hardships of war. They are inevitable, and the only way the people of Atlanta can hope once more to live in peace and quiet at home, is to stop the war, which can only be done by admitting that it began in error and is perpetuated in pride. We don’t want your negroes, or your horses, or your houses, or your lands, or anything you have, but we do want and will have a just obedience to the laws of the United States. That we will have, and, if it involves the destruction of your improvements, we cannot help it. . . I want peace, and believe it can only be reached through Union and war, and I will ever conduct war purely with a view to perfect and early success. But, my dear sirs, when peace does come, you may call on me for anything. Then will I share with you the last cracker, and watch with you to shield your homes and families against danger from every quarter. Now you must go, and take with you the old and feeble; feed and nurse them, and build for them, in more quiet places, proper habitations to shield them against the weather, until the mad passions of men cool down, and allow the Union and peace once more to settle over your old homes at Atlanta. Yours in haste, W. T. Sherman, Major-General commanding. So there you have it. *All photos courtesy of the Library of Congress. You may also be interested in: Yankee in Atlanta (Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War Book 3) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1010", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft size-full wp-image-1775", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"194", "alt":"Yankee 125"}}]]412 pages, softcover* 4.5 Stars from RT Book Reviews!  She hid from her past to find a future—and landed on enemy soil. When soldier Caitlin McKae wakes up in Atlanta, the Georgian doctor who treats her believes Caitlin’s only secret is that she had been fighting for the South disguised as a man. In order to avoid arrest or worse, Caitlin hides her true identity and makes a new life for herself in Atlanta as a governess for the daughter of Noah Becker—on the brink of his enlistment with the Rebel army. Though starvation rules, and Sherman rages, she will not run again. In a land shattered by strife and suffering, a Union veteran and a Rebel soldier test the limits of loyalty and discover the courage to survive.    [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1011", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-3417 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"200", "height":"51", "alt":"deepershoppingbutton"}}]] [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1012", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone wp-image-2768 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"134", "height":"45", "alt":"add-to-goodreads-button"}}]]

Little Union Girl Touches the Heart of a Confederate at Gettysburg

Thu, 2015-07-16 07:02 -- Jocelyn Green
Edward McPherson Farm. Gettysburg farms like this one were used as field hospitals.
During my research for Widow of Gettysburg, I read everything I could related to the battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) and its aftermath. I read so many gory descriptions of the carnage that I started to glaze over them. But one day, a sweet letter from a soldier to a Sunday school girl brought tears to my eyes. I want to share it with you. First a little background: during the Civil War, the Christian Commission (born out of the YMCA) encouraged Sunday school classes in the North to put together "comfort bags" which were distributed by delegates of the Christian Commission to soldiers. These bags were small cloth kits which included thread, sewing needles, small scissors, and scraps of material. Each child also included a note with the bag to encourage the receiving soldier. At Gettysburg, a wounded Confederate received one of these comfort bags from a little girl in Massachusetts. He wrote back to her: My Dear Little Friend--I received your present, the comfort bag, and it is thrice welcome, although it was intended for Union defenders. It was given to me by a Christian woman, who lost her holy anger against Rebels--for such am I--in her bounteous sympathy with the unfortunate. My little friend can imagine my thankfulness for the favor, when I inform her that I have no friends this side of heaven--all gone, father, mother, sister and brother, and I am all alone.   The dear comfort-bag I shall always keep as a memento of true sympathy from a generous heart in the loyal State of Massachusetts. I hope you will not be disappointed by this, coming as it does from a Rebel; for I was forced into the ranks at the point of bayonet, for I would not go willingly to fight against the dear old flag, whose ample folds have always shielded the orphan and made glad the oppressed.   I have read your note very many times over, and have wished it could rightfully be mine. "Do they think of me at home?" Silence--all is silence! Not so with the Union soldier; a thousand tokens tell him yes.   I was wounded in the second day's fight and am now packing up my all to be exchanged or sent back a cripple for life. I am seventeen years old, and now am turned out with one arm to carve my way through the world; but my trust is in my heavenly Father, who will forgive and bless. Hoping that God may in mercy reunite us all again as brothers and sister. I am your unworthy friend.   E--A--Co--. Miss. Volunteers This touching letter appears in many documents and books, including Gettysburg and the Christian Commission by Daniel Hoisington. Following the battle of Gettysburg, the United States Christian Commission provided spiritual and physical care to thousands of wounded and dying soldiers of both armies. More than three hundred volunteers came to the battlefield, leaving a legacy of “a thousand little nameless acts.” The book includes important contemporary accounts of the battle’s aftermath, including the first complete publication of the diary of John Calhoun Chamberlain, one of the first delegates at Gettysburg and brother of the hero of Little Round Top. Jane Boswell Moore’s letters provide a glimpse of women’s work among the soldiers. Andrew Cross’ official report describes the carnage of battle as “a most fearful judgment of God upon a nation and people.” In a postwar story, George Peltz tells of a return to the Second Corps Hospital eight years later on a final mission of mercy. For more about the Heroines Behind the Lines Civil War novels, visit the Web site.

Gettysburg Diaries: Georgeanna Woolsey's "Friendly Enemies"

Tue, 2015-07-07 08:58 -- Jocelyn Green
Today in 1863, Gettysburg began to experience a second invasion. The armies had withdrawn on July 4, and now it was time to pick up the pieces of shattered homes--and bodies. Last week I shared the perspectives of housewife Sarah Broadhead and of teenager Tillie Pierce. Today I'd like to share from the perspective of Sanitary Commission nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. The following is excerpted from my nonfiction book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front: Friendly Enemies [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"671", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright wp-image-216 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"124", "height":"179", "alt":"BB-homefront-cover_125"}}]]When the armies moved out, they left behind 21,000 wounded Union and Confederate soldiers. The town of Gettysburg, with its 2400 residents, was taxed beyond their limit to feed, clothe, house and otherwise care for the men. Waves of volunteers from the U.S. Sanitary Commission and the U.S. Christian Commission flooded the town to help, bringing storehouses of food, clothing, and hospital supplies, plus manpower to relieve the townspeople of their nonstop cooking and nursing. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1287", "attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-2890", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"279", "height":"300", "alt":"Georgeanna Woolsey"}}]] Georgeanna Woolsey   Among the Sanitary Commission volunteers was Georgeanna Woolsey, who distributed fresh food and drink to the men on ambulance trains. She recalled: I do not think that a man of the 16,000 who were transported during our stay, went from Gettysburg, without a good meal—rebels and Unionists together, they all had it, and were pleased and satisfied. “Have you any friends in the army, madam?” a rebel soldier, lying on the floor of the car, said to me, as I gave him some milk. “Yes, my brother is on -----‘s staff.” “I thought so, ma’am. You can always tell; when people are good to soldiers they are sure to have friends in the army.” “We are rebels, you know, ma’am,” another said; “Do you treat rebels so?” It was strange to see the good brotherly feeling come over the soldiers, our own and the rebels, when side by side they lay in our tents. “Hullo, boys! This is the pleasantest way to meet, isn’t it? We are better friends when we are as close as this, than a little farther off.” And then they would go over the battles together: “we were here,” and “you were there,” in the friendliest way. Many on both sides found it impossible to cling to demonizing rhetoric about the opposing army when they ate and talked together, and slept side by side. Resident Liberty Hollinger later said, “Many romances were developed during the stay of the soldiers. One of our most intimate friends (a northerner) married a southerner who her mother had nursed back to health.” As friendships and marriages bonded Yankees and Rebels together, the people hoped the country would soon be reunited as well. Prayer: Lord, help me tear down any division among my brothers and sisters in Christ. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” ~Psalm 133:1 ___________________________ Georgeanna Woolsey's pamphlet, entitled "Three Weeks at Gettysburg", can be read in its entirety online, and provided the inspiration for a few scenes in Widow of Gettysburg. Georgeanna herself was the inspiration for my first novel, Wedded to War, and she does come back to make an appearance as a nurse at Gettysburg in Widow of Gettysburg. The young woman named Liberty Hollinger, quoted in the excerpt above, inspired me to name my heroine of Gettysburg "Liberty." (Such a great name!) If you liked meeting Georgeanna Woolsey, Tillie Pierce, and Sarah Broadhead, you may also enjoy 3 Heroines of Gettysburg. View the live-action trailer below for a better glimpse into Wedded to War, my Civil War novel inspired by Georgeanna Woolsey:

Gettysburg Diaries: Sarah Broadhead's Suspense in the Cellar

Wed, 2015-07-01 06:00 -- Jocelyn Green
On this day in 1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, shed its small town tranquility as the most famous battle in the entire Civil War began. For three days, war would rage in fields and orchards, with farmers and townspeople alike caught in the crosshairs. Today I'd like to share with you one woman's perspective. The following is excerpted from my nonfiction book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front: Suspense in the Cellar [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"677", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-228 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"124", "height":"179", "alt":"BB-homefront-cover_125"}}]]While Sarah Broadhead’s husband stayed in their Gettysburg home to protect it, Sarah and her child fled to a friend’s cellar in a “safer” part of town to ride out the fighting on the first day. There they remained huddled together all day, only emerging when the firing ceased. She recorded in her diary at the end of July 1: How changed the town looked when we came to the light. The street was strewn over with clothes, blankets, knapsacks, cartridge-boxes, dead horses, and the bodies of a few men, but not so many of these last as I expected to see. . . We started home, and found things all right. As I write all is quiet, but O! how I dread tomorrow. The next two days of battle, the Broadheads stayed together in their own cellar. Staying in the dark for hours at a time while the battle raged, the suspense was nearly unbearable. On July 3, Sarah wrote: Nearly all the afternoon it seemed as if the heavens and earth were crashing together. The time that we sat in the cellar seemed long, listening to the terrific sound of strife; more terrible never greeted human ears. We knew that with every explosion, and the scream of each shell, human beings were hurried, through excruciating pain, into another world, and that many more were torn, and mangled, and lying in torment worse than death, and no one able to extend relief. . . Who is victorious, or with whom the advantage rests, no one here can tell. It would ease the horror if we knew our arms were successful. As Christians, we are in spiritual battles of our own, and we see the physical evidence of sin in every corner of the globe. Man’s inhumanity to man is often incomprehensible, and natural disasters from floods to fires cause tremendous heartache and destruction. But unlike the Gettysburg citizens hiding in their cellars, we don’t have to live in suspense about who holds the ultimate victory. Jesus had victory on the cross, and He is victorious in the end. When you feel attacked, remember that you are fighting on the winning side! Prayer: Lord, I praise You that You are victorious—the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, Almighty God! “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” ~Revelation 19:6 ___________________________ [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"771", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-891 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"Widow cover 3 125"}}]]Sarah survived the battle and offered her nursing help to the wounded soldiers being cared for at the Lutheran Seminary building. Her diary of the weeks during and after the battle has proven to be one of our most valuable eyewitness accounts of the civilian experience. Stories like Sarah's inspired me to bring these women's voices to life with my novel, Widow of Gettysburg, in which Sarah plays a small but important role. I am so pleased to report that just last month, a marker was dedicated at Sarah Broadhead's grave to honor her contributions. If you liked meeting Sarah, you may also enjoy 3 Heroines of Gettysburg. Learn more about Widow of Gettysburg here, or view the one-minute trailer below for a taste of the story.

3 Heroines of Gettysburg

Mon, 2015-06-22 05:54 -- Jocelyn Green
[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"771", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright wp-image-891 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"Widow cover 3 125"}}]]Both Hollywood and history books tell stories of valor from the battle of Gettysburg. But before the word "Gettysburg" was synonymous with battle, it was simply the name of a town where ordinary people lived—until extraordinary circumstances brought out strength and courage they did not know they possessed. These stories of resilience inspired me to write my novel Widow of Gettysburg, book 2 in the Heroines Behind the Lines series. Today I'd love to introduce you to just three real women of Gettysburg. Sallie Myers [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1278", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3260 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"201", "height":"300", "alt":"Sallie Myers"}}]] Sallie Myers   Gettysburg school teacher Sallie Myers never could stand the sight of blood. But on the morning of July 2, 1863, the second day of battle, she could not ignore the desperate cries of the wounded lying in a church across the street. Kneeling by the first man inside the door of the church, Sallie asked what she could do for him. "Nothing," he replied. "I am going to die." Overcome with emotion, Sallie ran outside and wept. With great effort, she finally calmed herself and returned to the soldier, where she learned he was Sgt. Alexander Stewart of the 149th Pennsylvania Volunteers. With the surgeon's permission, she then had Sgt. Stewart brought to her home where she could better care for him. Though a bullet narrowly missed her where she sat fanning her patient, she refused to leave him for the safety of the cellar. After Sgt. Alexander died on July 6, 1863, Sallie took in eleven more soldiers while continuing to work in the make-shift hospitals of the town for weeks after the battle ended. "The sight of blood never again affected me and I was among the wounded and dying men day and night," Sallie recalled. "While the battle lasted and the town was in possession of the rebels, I went back and forth between my home and the hospitals without fear." The next summer, Sgt. Alexander's widow and his brother Henry came to visit her. From that meeting, Sallie and Henry began a relationship which resulted in their marriage in 1867. Sadie Bushman Nine-year-old Sadie Bushman was running to her grandparents' house for safety when the battle roared into action. I don't have a picture of Sadie, but I do know what nine looks like. My own daughter is currently the same age Sadie was when the following story took place. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1279", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3258", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"400", "height":"270", "alt":"This is my 9-year-old daughter looking on as my 6-year-old is being treated for his broken arm. "}}]] This is my 9-year-old daughter looking on as my 6-year-old is being treated for his broken arm. Little Sadie had a much different experience, as the youngest nurse in the Civil War.   Sadie tells the story in her own words: "There came a screech and a shell brushed my skirt as it went by. I staggered from the concussion of it and almost fell, when I was grasped by the arm and a man said pleasantly, ‘That was a close call. Come with me and hurry,' he added in a tone so commanding that I meekly followed. [That man was Dr. Benjamin F. Lyford, a surgeon in the Union army]. He led me to . . .  an army corps hospital and then he put me to work. Wounded and dying men were then being carried to the place by the score. . . "As I reached the hospital tent a man with a leg shattered almost to a pulp was carried in. ‘Give him a drink of water while I cut off his leg' was the command I got. How I accomplished it I do not know but I stood there and assisted the surgeon all through the operation. I was in that field hospital all during the three days of the battle, climbing over heaps of bodies six and eight deep and always with the doctor helping him in his work. Then my father found me and took me home. Soon, the Christian and Sanitary Commissions set up a hospital on the scene of battle, and Sadie nursed there, too. "I was placed in charge of one of the wards and I was so small I had to climb up on the beds to attend to the sick and wounded men," she said. Having conquered her fear, Sadie served in that hospital nearly five months, though her father whipped her for nursing against his will. Elizabeth Thorn [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1280", "attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-3259", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"260", "height":"357", "alt":"Peter and Elizabeth Thorn"}}]] Peter and Elizabeth Thorn   Elizabeth her husband Peter were caretakers of Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery, and lived in the cemetery gatehouse with Elizabeth's parents and her three small sons.  With Peter away as a soldier, Elizabeth tended the cemetery in his absence. She was six months pregnant in July 1863. Like most other Gettysburg women, she gave food and water to passing soldiers in both blue and grey before fleeing to safety during the battle. The Thorns returned to find their home severely damaged. But there was work to do. The cemetery president instructed her to bury the soldiers as fast as she could. The stench from the bloated corpses, both human and horse, was nauseating, but she and her father, aged 63, had little choice. The longer the bodies lay sweltering in the sun, the more of a health hazard they became. Elizabeth and her father buried 102 soldiers in Evergreen Cemetery. She was never compensated for her work in the aftermath of the battle, or for the damages to her home. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1281", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3179", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"500", "height":"375", "alt":"Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery."}}]] Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery.   These women, and so many others (Sarah Broadhead, Tillie Pierce, Hettie Shriver, etc.), did not ask to be heroines, but when war demanded it of them, they quietly filled the role. Their courage, sacrifice, and ability to love their enemies inspired Widow of Gettysburg, and I hope the book, in turn, inspires you. *Visiting Gettysburg soon? Don't miss these 9 Must-See Sites (Plus 5 Spots for R&R)!

9 Must-See Sites of Gettysburg

Mon, 2015-06-08 06:00 -- Jocelyn Green
Gettysburg is one of my favorite spots on earth. I've visited to research for my novel Widow of Gettysburg, and then my husband and I went in 2013 for the 150th anniversary of the battle (and to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary!). For those of you considering a Gettysburg vacation (do it! do it!), check out this list of must-see sites I put together with the help of my readers and fellow history lovers. (If you have read Widow of Gettysburg, you'll be interested to know that almost all of the following were mentioned in the book.) Explore 1. The Seminary Ridge Museum, housed in the original Lutheran Theological Seminary building. I had the privilege of seeing this museum the night before its grand opening, and I cannot say enough about it. If you only have time to see one "in-town" site, let it be this one.  [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1255", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3172", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"381", "alt":"The seminary building in 1863."}}]] The seminary building in 1863.   [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1256", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3173", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"601", "alt":"Seminary Ridge Museum today."}}]] Seminary Ridge Museum today.   2. The Shriver House Museum. I adored the Shriver House Museum! To get a full picture of Gettysburg in 1863, don't limit yourself to the battlefield. Or rather, realize the town itself was part of the battlefield. Confederate snipers fired from the attic of the Shriver House. The docents here are wonderful, and really bring the personal story of a Gettysburg family to life. The home of Hettie Shriver's neighbor, Tillie Pierce, is now an inn: The Tillie Pierce Inn. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1258", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3174", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"601", "alt":"Shriver House Museum"}}]] Shriver House Museum docent   3. Christ Lutheran Church.  The church, used as a hospital during the battle, is usually open during the day. If at all possible, attend one their Saturday evening Songs and Stories of a Civil War Hospital performances. This was one of my most meaningful experiences at Gettysburg! Bring the kleenex.  [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1260", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3175", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"601", "alt":"Christ Lutheran Church. The red flag signifies its use as a hospital during and after the battle. (Most buildings in town had a red flag out front!)"}}]] Christ Lutheran Church. The red flag signifies its use as a hospital during and after the battle. (Most buildings in town had a red flag out front!)   4. The historic Gettysburg Train Station. This is the station Lincoln rode into to deliver his famous Gettysburg Address. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1261", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3177", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"326", "alt":"Photo courtesy Peggy Detweiler"}}]] Photo courtesy Peggy Detweiler   5. The Jennie Wade House. Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed during the battle. (Many more were killed in its aftermath, from contaminated water, exploding shells, etc.) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1262", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3178", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"338", "alt":"The Jennie Wade House"}}]] The Jennie Wade House   6. The David Wills House is a National Park Service museum which tells the story of David Wills (a Gettysburg lawyer), Lincoln, and the Gettysburg Address. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1263", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3180", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"337", "alt":"davidwills"}}]] The David Wills House   7. Evergreen Cemetery, which is adjacent to the National Cemetery. The monument to the Gettysburg Address is in the National Cemetery, but the location of the speech was actually in Evergreen Cemetery. Evergreen Cemetery is the burial place for Elizabeth Thorn, Rev. Schmucker, Jennie Wade, and others. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1264", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3179", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"338", "alt":"Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery."}}]] Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery.   8. Experience the Gettysburg National Cemetery with a free walking tour courtesy of licensed battlefield guides. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1265", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3181", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"300", "alt":"Sunrise at Soldiers National Cemetery, by Bill Dowling."}}]] Sunrise at Gettysburg National Cemetery, by Bill Dowling.   9. National Military Park and Battlefield  Start with the National Park Service Museum & Visitor Center. It's new since 2012, and features the restored, and famous, Gettysburg Cyclorama. Ranger Programs range from battle history to medical practices of the Civil War, "Visit to the Past" living history presentations, and battlefield hikes. Programs are offered at the Museum and Visitor Center, on the battlefield, and in the Soldiers' National Cemetery, with lengths between twenty minutes and two hours depending on the subject matter and location. Special programs and activities are also available for kids. Living History events are so much  fun. Check this schedule of events page to find out what's happening when. My family (and many others!) really enjoyed the audio auto tour, but there are several ways to tour. "We actually LOVED the driving tour (CD that plays in the car) that is offered through the museum! I think it was our favorite activity because it was educational, not hard on the little ones and we felt like we got an amazing overview of the town and war simultaneously!"~April Lakata [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1266", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3183", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"501", "height":"501", "alt":"Pics from our auto tour! So much fun."}}]] Pics from our auto tour! So much fun.   "I love wandering around Gettysburg and trying to get off the beaten path. I like the equestrian statue of General James Longstreet in Pitzer Woods  [below], notice the trail ride in the background. If you look close you can see where people have left coins on Hero's raised hoof." ~Peggy Detweiler (Check out the horseback riding trails.) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1267", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3184", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"447", "alt":"Photo courtesy of Peggy Detweiler"}}]] Photo courtesy of Peggy Detweiler   Favorites sites of the battlefields include Little Round Top, the Wheat Field, the High Water Mark, Devil's Den, and a multitude of monuments. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1268", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3185", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"600", "alt":"Meghan Gorecki perched atop Little Round Top."}}]] Meghan Gorecki perched atop Little Round Top.   [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1269", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3186", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"338", "alt":"My husband Rob at Devil"}}]] My husband Rob at Devil's Den.     Before you go, be sure to check out Gettysburg's Events Calendar to see what's happening! Enjoy your visit, and please send me a photo or post one to my Facebook page! I LOVE seeing my reader friends in Gettysburg! If you've already been to Gettysburg, what were some of your trip highlights?

Civil War Births Memorial Day

Mon, 2015-05-25 06:05 -- Jocelyn Green
  Memorial Day, as we know it, began as Decoration Day shortly after the end of the Civil War. May 30, 1868, marked the first official national observance, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan. But the South refused to acknowledge the observance, and it's little wonder. If you read the text of General Logan's proclamation, you'll see that the day was really meant to honor the Union dead, not the Confederates. Add to this the fact that the Federal government offered little cooperation with the attempts to bring Confederate remains home to rest in the South. Last but not least, before Arlington was a cemetery, it was Gen. Robert E. Lee's home. The Lees, and most likely thousands of other Southerners, felt that turning their home into a burial grounds for the enemy (Union soldiers) was a desecration. As a result, the South honored their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May, though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead. Click the image to see the sheet music.   In fact, Southern women were decorating the graves of their fallen heroes before the national holiday was ever designated. In 1867, a hymn by Nella L.Sweet, Kneel Where Our Loves Are Sleeping, was published with a telling dedication: "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead." One stanza reads: Kneel where our loves are sleeping, Dear ones loved in days gone by, here we bow in holy reverence, Our bosoms heave the heart-felt sigh. They fell like brave men, true as steel, And pour'd their blood like rain- We feel we owe them all we have, And can but kneel and weep again. Author Cilla McCain says it well in her Huffington Post article: Although there is much dispute as to the origins of Memorial Day, it is not difficult to imagine that women are the ones who inspired the tradition. After all, for the most part, it was women who were left to bury the dead. Grief stricken and with tears flowing, they had to find a way to connect with the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy. Maybe honoring them was a way to deal with not only the grief, but also the guilt we feel for surviving. Read her complete article here. Even those of us who won't be decorating a loved one's grave this Memorial Day can appreciate the sacrifices that were made for our freedoms. 

150 Years Ago: Lincoln's Last Day

Tue, 2015-04-14 11:51 -- Jocelyn Green
[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1216", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2997", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"396", "alt":"\u0026quot;The Assassination of President Lincoln\u0026quot; by Currier \u0026amp; Ives"}}]] "The Assassination of President Lincoln" by Currier & Ives   Today in 1865, just days after the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. "In his death, the nation lost its greatest hero," Ulysses S. Grant would say in 1874 at the dedication of Lincoln's tomb. "In his death, the South lost its most just friend." I cannot imagine the whiplash of emotion the country must have felt when in less than a week, the war ended, and the president was killed. So many fascinating news articles have been written related to Lincoln's last day. Here are some headlines and links so you can hop over to whatever interests you. Lincoln's Assassination Stunned a Nation (Chicago Tribune) 5 Facts You May Not Know about Lincoln's Assassination (CBS News) How newspapers covered Abraham Lincoln’s assassination 150 years ago (Washington Post) How Samuel Mudd went from Lincoln Conspirator to Medical Savior (Smithsonian Magazine) Death, Comedy and Lincoln (Civil War Pop blog) Charles A. Leale--First Doctor to Aid Lincoln Following the Assassination (Civil War Profiles) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1217", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2996", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"550", "height":"359", "alt":"\u0026quot;Death of Lincoln\u0026quot; by Alexander Ritchie. Courtesy Library of Congress"}}]] "Death of Lincoln" by Alexander Ritchie. Courtesy Library of Congress   By the way, if you're interested in the prosecution of John Wilkes Booth's associates, I highly recommend the film The Conspirator. This movie shares the story of Mary Surratt, the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. Here's a review from USA Today, and the movie trailer is below.

The End of the Civil War

Sun, 2015-04-12 05:35 -- Jocelyn Green
On this day in 1865, three days after General Lee's surrender, and four years to the day after the war began in 1861 with the firing on Fort Sumter, Confederate troops formally surrendered to Union. The work of art above, "Salute of Honor" by Mort Kunstler, is so moving to me. But it's even more profound when we consider what was happening at this moment in history. Kunstler's Web site describes it so poignantly, I'm going to quote from it directly: They faced each other in two long straight lines - just as they had so many times before on so many bloody fields of fire. This time was different. Three days earlier, General Robert E. Lee had surrendered the skeletal remnants of his hard-fighting Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant in farmer Wilmer McLean's parlor. Now it was time for the Sons of the South to lay down their arms and give up their bloodied battle flags. As enemies, these men in blue and gray had faced each other at Petersburg and Cold Harbor, at Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, at Fredericksburg and Antietam, at Second Manassas and Malvern Hill. Now they again stood in great ranks opposite each other - one now the victor, the other now the vanquished. Placed in command of receiving the Southern surrender was Brigadier General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a Northern war hero who bore four battle wounds inflicted by these men in gray and butternut now assembled before him. Absent in Chamberlain, however, was any animosity toward these former foes; present instead was a sense of respect for fellow countrymen who had given their all in the grip of war. At Chamberlain's order, there was no jeering. No beating of drums, no chorus of cheers nor other unseemly celebration in the face of a fallen foe. "Before us in proud humiliation," Chamberlain would later recall, "stood the embodiment of manhood: men whom neither toils and sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness could bend from their resolve; standing before us now, thin, worn, and famished, but erect, and with eyes looking level into ours, waking memories that bound us together as no other bond. Was not such manhood to be welcomed back into a Union so tested and assured?" At Chamberlain's command, the Northern troops receiving the surrender shifted their weapons to "carry arms" - a soldier's salute, delivered in respect to the defeated Southerners standing before them. Confederate General John B. Gordon, immediately recognized this remarkable, generous gesture offered by fellow Americans - and responded with a like salute. Honor answering honor. Then it was over. And a new day had begun - built on this salute of honor at Appomattox. Former foes both North and South - in mutual respect and mutual toleration - now faced the future together. As Americans all. That future-- the Reconstruction period-- was anything but smooth sailing. In fact, Reconstruction has even been called the Second Civil War due to the intense struggles Americans faced as they pieced their lives and their country back together. But on April 12, 1865, whether they were heartbroken or joyful, there must have been a shared feeling of sober relief that the carnage of the war was over. *If your fascination with the Civil War has not ended with the close of the 150th anniversary dates, I invite you to browse through thirty (and counting) posts I've written on Civil War history. Find them here.

Phantom Limb Pain and the Civil War

Thu, 2015-04-09 09:47 -- Jocelyn Green
    Though the phenomenon of phantom limb pain had been recorded long before the Civil War, it was Silas Weir Mitchell (pictured at left), a Philadelphia physician specializing in nerve injuries during the Civil War, who coined the term. Phantom limb pain, or PLP, occurs when a patient feels pain in an arm or leg that has been amputated. Mitchell studied PLP (or sensory hallucinations, as he also called them) in depth at the Turner’s Lane hospital in Philadelphia, dubbed the Stump Hospital because it focused on caring for amputees. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1199", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"194", "height":"300", "alt":"Widow cover 3 hi res"}}]]Since one of my characters in Widow of Gettysburg became an amputee, the following helped inform my story and character development. What Mitchell Found Almost every amputee at Turner’s Lane Hospital experienced PLP. Most of them came out of anesthesia feeling the presence of the amputated limb. Those who did not immediately feel PLP usually felt it within three weeks. Usually, the patients felt the missing hand/foot but not the section of limb directly beyond the stump. Mitchell wrote: “The patients describe themselves as knowing that they have a hand which is connected to a stump, and feel able to move it, but of the rest of the limb they are unconscious, and the subjective sensations which are so common are always referred to the hand or foot, and rarely to the continuity of the member.” In about one-third of the leg cases, and in one-half of the arm amputations, the patient felt that the foot or hand is nearer to the trunk than the extremity of the limb. The type of pain could be burning, itching, stabbing, or cramping. Missing legs usually felt as though they are hanging straight down, while missing arms felt as though they were bent at the elbow or locked in the last position they were in prior to the operation. Treatment of water dressings on the stump helped with burning sensations in some cases, but most efforts to relieve PLP were ineffectual. Amputee veterans wrote to Mitchell decades after their operations and shared that in their dreams, they had all their limbs perfectly whole. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1200", "attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-2953", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"529", "height":"640", "alt":"Amputees like this one would have dealt with phantom limb pain (PLP)."}}]] Amputees like this one would have dealt with phantom limb pain (PLP).   What We Know Today The study of PLP continues with today’s generation of amputee veterans. Most contemporary studies confirm what Mitchell found, but add to it some new information. Most recent studies report PLP at rates of 50% to 80%. A few of these are in constant pain, but for most, the episodes can last a few seconds or one to two hours. Since the beginning of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan more than 1000 amputees have been treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. Almost all experience PLP, either within the first 24 hours of amputation, or within two weeks. The following insight comes from an article in a 2010 issue of The Neurologist: “As part of routine treatment efforts, the patients are asked to describe their experience with phantom sensation and phantom pain. There have been a plethora of responses regarding the onset, duration, description, and location of phantom sensations and phantom pains from those queried. Furthermore, some explain they have volitional control over their phantom, and can move their phantom at will, while others report their phantoms being fixed in a specific position. Some even report the inability to make movements with the phantom, despite the presence of a strong sensation or pain emanating from their residual limb. For example, one service member reported that his phantom hand was in a distinct position: he felt he was pulling the trigger on his rifle with his index finger, and was unable to move his hand to a different position. He also felt cramping pains in his hand muscles. Another service member, a bilateral, above knee amputee, described the feeling of heavy legs, asserting that the feeling was similar to weights attached to his calf muscles. He also described that it felt as though his combat boots were on too tightly.” There are multiple theories as to the cause of PLP, all of which can be read in this online article. The most successful treatments have been with opioids and mirror therapy, the latter considered the most promising treatment plan. In this treatment, the patient views the reflection of their intact limb moving in a mirror placed between the arms or legs while simultaneously moving the phantom hand or foot in a manner similar to what they are observing. The virtual limb in the mirror appears to be the missing limb. Patients have reported a relief of cramping and “frozen limb” phantom pains as a result of even one session with the mirror. In one study in which patients used mirror therapy for 15 minutes each weekday for four weeks, significant decreases in pain were reported. More about mirror therapy can also be found in the online article hyperlinked above. For further reading: Mitchell, Silas Weir. The Case of George Dedlow. (fictional account of quad amputee) New York: The Century Co., 1900. Read it online at Google Books here, and begin on page 115. http://bit.ly/ZixtJd Gunshot Wounds and other Injuries of Nerves. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, & Co., 1864. Read it online at Google Books here: http://bit.ly/17hhuvf

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