2014 Summer Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College (1 Viewer)

[jazzeum]

I don't think is the right place for this but saw this in one of the blogs I frequent, http://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/conference/

I've never attended any of these but it looks interesting. It doesn't appear to be cheap but for people like Brad in Pa., the cost probably wouldn't be that bad. The staff participating include Allen Guelzo, John Hennessy of the National Park Service, Brooks Simpson and Carolyn Janney (whose book on civil war memory has just been released and has gotten a lot of positive comments) and that's a pretty outstanding group.

Brad

 

[braddinpa]

Thanks Brad

John H is one of my favorite historians.

Brad

I don't think is the right place for this but saw this in one of the blogs I frequent, http://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/conference/

I've never attended any of these but it looks interesting. It doesn't appear to be cheap but for people like Brad in Pa., the cost probably wouldn't be that bad. The staff participating include Allen Guelzo, John Hennessy of the National Park Service, Brooks Simpson and Carolyn Janney (whose book on civil war memory has just been released and has gotten a lot of positive comments) and that's a pretty outstanding group.

Brad

 

[braddinpa]

And I see frank O'reilly is there too! He is an awesome speaker!!!!!!!!! Loved his Fredericksburg book!

I don't think is the right place for this but saw this in one of the blogs I frequent, http://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/conference/

I've never attended any of these but it looks interesting. It doesn't appear to be cheap but for people like Brad in Pa., the cost probably wouldn't be that bad. The staff participating include Allen Guelzo, John Hennessy of the National Park Service, Brooks Simpson and Carolyn Janney (whose book on civil war memory has just been released and has gotten a lot of positive comments) and that's a pretty outstanding group.

Brad

 

[Combat]

I saw Peter Carmichael, who is the director of the civil war institute, give an interesting presentation. He basically argued that most of what we know about the war comes through the letters and memoirs of a limited number of major players who were educated with a vested interest in the motivations for the war. Much of which was written with a certain bias and expectation of publication that was not held by the majority of the soldiers in the army. Many of these common soldiers could not write and what little they did write was not preserved. For example, he read from letters of a Confederate soldier who suffered poor health, made attempts to get exempted from service, and had issues at home where his wife was constantly requesting that he return. His brother was killed at Gettysburg and he eventually deserted along with some other soldiers. They were arrested and executed. In his letters, he makes very little mention of battles or generals or motivations. His letters are limited to the hardships of war and desire for it to end and return home.