Coleman W. Stephen - Discovering Gettysburg: an unconventional introduction to the greatest little town in America and the monumental battle that made it famous

An Unconventional

Introduction to the Greatest

Little Town in America

and the Monumental

Battle that Made It Famous

W. Stephen Coleman

Illustrations and Maps by Tim Hartman

For Marilyn and Diana

2017 by W. Stephen Coleman and Tim Hartman

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

First edition, first printing

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Coleman, W. Stephen, author.

Title: Discovering Gettysburg : an unconventional introduction to the greatest little town in America and the monumental battle that made it famous / by W. Stephen Coleman ; illustrations and maps by Tim Hartman.

Description: First edition. | El Dorado Hills, California : Savas Beatie LLC, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017017815| ISBN 9781611213539 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9781611213546 (ebk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863.

Classification: LCC E475.53 .C746 2017 | DDC 973.7/349dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017017815

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The Gettysburg Campaign, June-July, 1863

Gettysburg, 1863

Gettysburg Present Day

Gettysburg National Military Park

Overview: Day One, 1863

Overview: Day Two, 1863

Overview: Day Three, 1863

East Cavalry Battlefield

The Retreat from Gettysburg

This book is very unconventional. Lets get that out of the way up front.

Discovering Gettysburg is an accountquirky on occasion, serious when it needs to beof my discovery of one of the most unique places in America and its profound importance to our nation: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

It is a snapshot in time of a timeless place; a journey from ignorance to understanding. Part history, part personal memoir, and part travelogue, it aims at making the reader more familiar with Gettysburg through a rather unconventional, and very personal, approach.

In it, I explore the modern community, discuss the famous battle and walk and describe the ground over which it was foughtincluding some hidden or off-the-beaten-path places most visitors to Gettysburg never see. Along the way I highlight some little-known facts about the town, the people who live and work there, and the battle that made it all famous.

During this journey I met and discussed the town itself with many people, and consulted historians, authors, administrators, rangers, and Licensed Battlefield Guides at the Gettysburg National Military Park about the battle. These conversational sidebars are spread throughout the historical chapters. What they have to say is fascinating and insightfulincluding some of the questions they have been asked over the years.

The artwork is also unconventional. My illustrator-partner in this endeavor, Tim Hartman, is one of the finest illustrators in Pennsylvania. Early on we decided to limit the number of photos and emphasize instead the people, both living and dead, who are forever associated with this remarkable place. Tim has a special talent for capturing in caricature the essence of the particular look of an individual through his charming artistic style.

Tims maps, while historically accurate, take on a different quality than the ones youll find elsewhere. Erring on the side of less detail, we have attempted to make ours accessible, understandable, and frankly, a bit more entertaining, striving for a better understanding of the overall picture. Tim has even created the occasional cartoon of a small number of subjects that lend themselves to a lighter approach, but always good-naturedly. Most of the photos in this book were taken by me or my best friend, Enis Koral. In only a few cases have we used an archival photograph, with permissions acknowledged, and I wish to extend my sincerest thanks to the organizations that provided them.

More has been written on Gettysburg than any other battle. Much of it, especially its broader outlines, has become common knowledge. Of course, there are still new diaries and letter collections waiting to be discovered, a hitherto unknown official document shedding light on something, or a historian who simply puts two and two together to come up with a richer four. I am not a trained historian of the Civil War or of the battle itself, so I have relied on a variety of sources to help me in the writing of this book.

It takes a while to get a book finished, submitted, and published, so some things changed since I conducted the research and interviews. Sadly, several of the people have died, and others have retired from key positions. Despite these changes, I have decided to leave the text pretty much intactmy conversations with these wonderful people, and the information and insights they shared with me during our meetings have not diminished because an occasional detail has changed here or there. These conversations were at the very core of my journey of discovery of this little town where ten roads meet. Moreover, it was especially important for me to capture the impressions and feelings of these people during this special period in Gettysburgs history: the period leading up to and following the celebrations of the Sesquicentennialthe 150th Anniversary of both the Battle of Gettysburg and the Commemoration of Lincolns Gettysburg Address. In a few cases, however, where the information I initially garnered was overtaken by events, I have taken the liberty of updating it.

This book is intended for two audiences: general readers who are not very familiar with Gettysburg and what happened there, and more knowledgeable readers already familiar with the subject matter. How does that work? For the former, it allows the reader to accompany me on my journey of discovery, learning and understanding as much as I did about it; for the latter, it provides the opportunity to renew their excitement at being there, and perhaps even gain a few new insights and discoveries about a favored place.

It is my hope everyone who reads this is rewarded by my experience of this extraordinary place and what it represents in our history. At the least, Tim and I sincerely hope you enjoy our book as much as we enjoyed creating it.

W. Stephen Coleman

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The best place to begin is the beginning.

Several years ago, my wife Marilyn and I, along with our dear friends Mimi and Enis Koral, sat musing over a few glasses of wine and bourbon about a long weekend getaway to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage in our home state of Pennsylvania. After much discussion we decided on a trip to the iconic little town of Gettysburg in the south-central part of the state. We all knew some Civil War altercation had taken place there, and thought it might be fun to see just what it was all about.