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Post by keogh on Aug 11, 2012 18:45:05 GMT -5
General Hill refused to let the band leave without playing a rousing version of 'Dixie'. As you can see, he succeeded in grand fashion and received a standing ovation from the audience. keogh Attachments:
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Post by keogh on Aug 12, 2012 15:12:49 GMT -5
Here, our group met up with Stephen Lang (who played Gen. George Pickett in the movie 'Gettysburg' and Gen. Stonewall Jackson in the movie 'Gods and Generals') at the Farnsworth Tavern in town. From left to right is Kevin Connelly, Bill Serritella, myself (in the back), Stephen Lang, Terry Jones, and Sandy Goss. Stephen hopes to join us next year for our conference in Sheridan, WY provided he is not working on a gig. Says he's always wanted to ride the Little Big Horn battlefield but has not yet had the chance to visit there. keogh Attachments:
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Post by keogh on Aug 12, 2012 15:24:03 GMT -5
Again, our group in the Farnsworth Tavern in Gettysburg. In this pic, I am telling actor Stephen Lang that he would make an excellent portrayal of General Custer should they make a movie about him and that he must join us on our ride next year across the LBH battlefield. Poor Stephen was teased by several of our members with memorable lines from the 'Gettysburg' movie: "Gen. Pickett sir, You must see to yo' Division." "General Lee. . . Ah have no Division." Not even Generals get any respect these days..... keogh in this pic, left to right: Sandy Goss, myself, Terry Jones, Bill Serritella & Stephen Lang. Attachments:
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Post by strange on Aug 12, 2012 18:05:56 GMT -5
Lang actually reminds me of Sheridan through the eyes.
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Post by montrose on Aug 12, 2012 19:00:56 GMT -5
Here is my Gettysburg story.
My great whatever grandfather was PVT Marcus Long, 20th Mass Infantry.
During Picketts charge, the 20th reinforced the clump of trees. After the defeat of Pickett, an intermixed group of Union soldiers surged across the wall, to pursue the rebels. A single shell hit this mass, inflicting 33 casualties.
It was regarded as an unusual event recorded in many accounts.
Marcus took a shell fragment 3 inches below his "upper inner thigh". So 3 inches and I wouldn't be here. This injury,his 3rd of war, caused him immense pain, and caused him to commit suicide in 1909.
But the unusual thing is that I can identify the exact place and moment where a private was injured in ACW. Very rare.
If you are at clump of trees, face rebel line. Incident took place at 11 Oclock, 20 meters past the wall.
Ohhh, and for Strange, when he enlisted in 1861, he was an 18 year old 5' 2" glassblower.
For a little guy, he got hit a lot.
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Post by strange on Aug 12, 2012 19:53:12 GMT -5
Here is my Gettysburg story. My great whatever grandfather was PVT Marcus Long, 20th Mass Infantry. During Picketts charge, the 20th reinforced the clump of trees. After the defeat of Pickett, an intermixed group of Union soldiers surged across the wall, to pursue the rebels. A single shell hit this mass, inflicting 33 casualties. It was regarded as an unusual event recorded in many accounts. Marcus took a shell fragment 3 inches below his "upper inner thigh". So 3 inches and I wouldn't be here. This injury,his 3rd of war, caused him immense pain, and caused him to commit suicide in 1909. But the unusual thing is that I can identify the exact place and moment where a private was injured in ACW. Very rare. If you are at clump of trees, face rebel line. Incident took place at 11 Oclock, 20 meters past the wall. Ohhh, and for Strange, when he enlisted in 1861, he was an 18 year old 5' 2" glassblower. For a little guy, he got hit a lot. Since he lived all the way to 1909 before deciding to do himself in, we should give him a pat on the back for at least giving life a good try. My great grandfather killed himself, he had gotten bad heat stroke from the abnormally intense drought that was hitting the midwest in those days and he was also quite a heavy drinker. They ended up pulling all his teeth out because of something having to with the heat stroke, then he decided to do himself in afterwards because the pain was immense. He should have toughed it out, he left his family in big disarray. Speaking of teeth operations, I was quite bummed out to hear the passing of Sage Stallone. I'm actually one of the few people who loves Rocky V and I thought it was real cool that the elder Stallone would let his son have a go at acting. Teeth operations are apparently real dangerous and apparently the operation and painkillers (legal) killed him. Strange
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Post by keogh on Aug 12, 2012 19:57:46 GMT -5
Here is my Gettysburg story. My great whatever grandfather was PVT Marcus Long, 20th Mass Infantry. During Picketts charge, the 20th reinforced the clump of trees. After the defeat of Pickett, an intermixed group of Union soldiers surged across the wall, to pursue the rebels. A single shell hit this mass, inflicting 33 casualties. It was regarded as an unusual event recorded in many accounts. Marcus took a shell fragment 3 inches below his "upper inner thigh". So 3 inches and I wouldn't be here. This injury,his 3rd of war, caused him immense pain, and caused him to commit suicide in 1909. But the unusual thing is that I can identify the exact place and moment where a private was injured in ACW. Very rare. If you are at clump of trees, face rebel line. Incident took place at 11 Oclock, 20 meters past the wall. Ohhh, and for Strange, when he enlisted in 1861, he was an 18 year old 5' 2" glassblower. For a little guy, he got hit a lot. That's a very interesting story. We stood by the copse of trees you spoke of, which was apparently the focal point of Pickett's charge and the area where Gen. Armistead broke through and was killed just beyond it (next to Cushing's battery). Terry Jones' statue of General Gibbon is located just the other side of this copse of trees, now contained within an iron fence to protect them from souvenir hunters. The stories of the individual enlisted men, often overlooked in the history books, are always of great interest to me. garryowen, keogh
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nate
1st Sergeant (Shield Warrior)
Posts: 181
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Post by nate on Aug 13, 2012 11:14:21 GMT -5
Keogh you would really like Earl Hess's book on Pickett's charge. Its about the best account out their I think really gives Pettigrew's, Trimble's and Lang and Wilcox men their due. Hess really shows how for such an important attack the ball was really dropped at all levels by Longstreet, Lee, and Hill ect. Hess also gets into how the Copse of trees was never really an aiming point before the attack but explains how it became so during the assault having to do with Picketts and Pettigrews divisions closing the gap between them. Alex Hays comes off looking like a real Jerk especially to Webb. The Philadelphia brigade really didn't think to much of Webb at this time. I'll always have alot of respect for Cushing. At least he finally got his MOH.
regards, Nate
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Post by keogh on Aug 13, 2012 11:55:27 GMT -5
Keogh you would really like Earl Hess's book on Pickett's charge. Its about the best account out their I think really gives Pettigrew's, Trimble's and Lang and Wilcox men their due. Hess really shows how for such an important attack the ball was really dropped at all levels by Longstreet, Lee, and Hill ect. Hess also gets into how the Copse of trees was never really an aiming point before the attack but explains how it became so during the assault having to do with Picketts and Pettigrews divisions closing the gap between them. Alex Hays comes off looking like a real Jerk especially to Webb. The Philadelphia brigade really didn't think to much of Webb at this time. I'll always have alot of respect for Cushing. At least he finally got his MOH. regards, Nate Thanks, I'll have to look out for that book. You would have enjoyed the lecture presentation on Pickett's Charge given the 2nd day of the Conference by Park Ranger Wayne Motts, who, I am told, is considered to be one of the leading experts on this part of the battle. He went into incredible detail with maps and overviews, etc. It was his opinion that Pickett's Charge could have been successful had things been done differently. He felt there was no coordination among Pickett's brigade commanders, and he also thinks that Stuart's attack in the rear of the Federal lines was not an effort to support Pickett's Charge. He says there were no written orders to do so that has ever come to light. garryowen, keogh
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Post by keogh on Aug 13, 2012 13:01:56 GMT -5
Here are some pics of the area on Cemetery Ridge, where Pickett's Charge was directed. The first is a shot of the 'Bloody Angle'. It was not far from this spot that General Armistead was mortally wounded near Cushing's battery (and where young Cushing lost his life too).
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Post by keogh on Aug 13, 2012 13:05:53 GMT -5
Here is a shot of the field that Pickett's Division had to cross (over a mile of open ground). The view is looking from Cemetery Ridge, close to the copse of trees Montrose spoke of. In the distance you can see the Emmitsburg Pike about 200 yards away and the tree line in the distance would mark the Confederate position at Seminary Ridge.
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Post by keogh on Aug 13, 2012 13:10:39 GMT -5
In this shot, taken on Cemetery Ridge where Gen. Armistead's brigade broke thru, you can see the stone wall and copse of trees that Montrose spoke of that marks the line of the Federal position. Montrose's relative would have been severly wounded just beyond this wall and slightly beyond the copse of trees, possibly in view of this photo.
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nate
1st Sergeant (Shield Warrior)
Posts: 181
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Post by nate on Aug 13, 2012 14:19:57 GMT -5
Keogh you would really like Earl Hess's book on Pickett's charge. Its about the best account out their I think really gives Pettigrew's, Trimble's and Lang and Wilcox men their due. Hess really shows how for such an important attack the ball was really dropped at all levels by Longstreet, Lee, and Hill ect. Hess also gets into how the Copse of trees was never really an aiming point before the attack but explains how it became so during the assault having to do with Picketts and Pettigrews divisions closing the gap between them. Alex Hays comes off looking like a real Jerk especially to Webb. The Philadelphia brigade really didn't think to much of Webb at this time. I'll always have alot of respect for Cushing. At least he finally got his MOH. regards, Nate Thanks, I'll have to look out for that book. You would have enjoyed the lecture presentation on Pickett's Charge given the 2nd day of the Conference by Park Ranger Wayne Motts, who, I am told, is considered to be one of the leading experts on this part of the battle. He went into incredible detail with maps and overviews, etc. It was his opinion that Pickett's Charge could have been successful had things been done differently. He felt there was no coordination among Pickett's brigade commanders, and he also thinks that Stuart's attack in the rear of the Federal lines was not an effort to support Pickett's Charge. He says there were no written orders to do so that has ever come to light. garryowen, keogh I absolutley agree with that Keogh Stuart had nothing to do with supporting Picketts charge. It could have worked and Hess disscusses this and the host of reasons it failed, poor coordination at all levels defective artillery fuses, the narrowness of the attacking front and a whole host of other reasons. My family and I used to go to Gettysburg several times a year (one year it was 8 times) and the angle has always been one of my favorite spots. One of the few things that bother me their besides idiot tourists looking for bullet holes in rocks and jerks climbing on monuments is all the ghost crap that gets built up there. I feel all that really denigrates the memory of those brave men by reduceing them to somethng like tacky hollowen props of something. And having these people come to the battlefield just to take photos of ghosts or try and get scared without really knowing or caring what happened their I find very off putting. Their are plenty of horrific battle accounts to read that will scare you that actually happened without going ghost hunting. In all my years of visits I have never had a paranormal event happen to me on the battlefield. I know several who have and while I believe something not normal may be happening on the battlefield I do not like the denigration of these men into spooks and white sheets by people with no knowledge and who do not care what they went through. Thats my rant for now . I'm glad you guys had a fun trip regards, Nate
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Post by keogh on Aug 13, 2012 14:47:40 GMT -5
One of the few things that bother me their besides idiot tourists looking for bullet holes in rocks and jerks climbing on monuments is all the ghost crap that gets built up there. I feel all that really denigrates the memory of those brave men by reduceing them to somethng like tacky hollowen props of something. And having these people come to the battlefield just to take photos of ghosts or try and get scared without really knowing or caring what happened their I find very off putting. Their are plenty of horrific battle accounts to read that will scare you that actually happened without going ghost hunting. In all my years of visits I have never had a paranormal event happen to me on the battlefield. I know several who have and while I believe something not normal may be happening on the battlefield I do not like the denigration of these men into spooks and white sheets by people with no knowledge and who do not care what they went through. Thats my rant for now . I'm glad you guys had a fun trip
regards, Nate I did get a chance to talk to some of the locals about the ghost tours now run rampant all over town. They said that for the most part, these stories are complete fabrications, started by an unscrupulous former Park Ranger who will remain nameless. He was involved in a copyright lawsuit over his ghost stories, and he admitted in court that he concocted the stories himself. In other words, they are just fiction. That said, I was told that there does seem to be at least one place on the battlefield -- a low lying area on Oak Ridge near a bed and breakfast -- that quite a few of the Park Rangers will avoid once the sun goes down. I foget the name of the place, but when the sun goes down, a foggy mist tends to rise from the bottoms and they claim you can see ghostly figures floating about through the mist. Apparently, a large group of Confederates were mowed down there on the first day's fight. Don't know if its true or not, but I hope to get a chance to check it out for myself on a future trip to the area. At least the ghosts, if they are there, won't be charging admission. garryowen, keogh
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nate
1st Sergeant (Shield Warrior)
Posts: 181
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Post by nate on Aug 13, 2012 15:25:39 GMT -5
That former ranger has made a pretty good chunck of change off of it and continues to. I didn't know about the court case but that really does not suprise me. I think the area your reffering to is Iverson's Pits on the Forney Farm where Baxter's men pretty much ambused Iverson's North Carolinians. It's said 75 men were shot down in perfect alingment just like they were still in their ranks. Iverson lost about 500 men I believe in those few minutes. The area they were buried (Iverson's pits) for years after the battle was said to be avoided and Forney's farmhands refused to work in the area after dusk. It's still a very erie place considering what happened their. McPherson's ridge is my favorite part of the battle field. One of my favorite places to stay is Larson's Lee's hq motel on Seminary ridge. Your right on the battlefield their that is for sure.
regards, Nate
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