History is Dying

I started this blog November of 2015, as a way to get people interested in the Civil War beyond what I describe as "Textbook" history. The more I learn working in Gettysburg and the more people I teach about the civilians of the Civil War, the more I see people just don't care about history anymore.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are those of you reading this right now thinking, "Abbie, what are you talking about? That's why I'm here!" And I would respond that yes, you're crazy, one of the oddballs who actually cares about what General 'So-and-So' did and where, or care about the civilians who lived through it.

And that's completely okay. This is a haven for all us history nerds alike.

But we have a job to do.

A Year in Gettysburg

Here I am! I'm still alive! You may have started to wonder, but I'm still here.

I've been very busy...yeah, I know that's not a very good excuse, but I hope to explain some of that in this post. But where do I start? I've been absent from here for what. Almost a year? Much too long.

Well, I've gotten more active in some events around Gettysburg. In October I attended the Civil War Trust's event for the Lee Headquarters grand opening. That was exciting. My grandfather and I were able to attend the event, it was a beautiful day (if but a bit chilly), and best of all (drum roll please) I got to meet Garry Adelman! (For those of you who may be new to the blog, Garry Adelman is a historian, Licensed Battlefield Guide and the director of Education for the Civil War Trust. He puts together many of the "In4" videos discussed in some of my articles. I'm kinda obsessed with him.)
Okay, well, I took a selfie with him. Is that a formal introduction? Maybe not....


                                

                                 

Dancing at the Encampment

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This past weekend, my family and I set out to enjoy a weekend of camping. We had been camping several times this summer, but this particular trip was the highlight of them all that I was waiting for. I even took off the whole weekend at work to enjoy these three special days.

Why?

Oh, the reason is obvious. It was Civil War Encampment weekend! What sounds more awesome than that?

Well, considering some of  you are not sure, let me convince you. We started off the weekend with Friday night's event, the dance....

My Journey to the Civil War

Sorry for not blogging in awhile, I was so excited at the thought of posting especially for the Battle of Gettysburg (this past weekend), but...I never did. 

A young woman I know, Michaela Tasker asked me a great question via the comment section on a blog post awhile back. It was a great question, so I thought I'd blog and specifically answer it. 
She asked: "When and how did you first become interested in the Civil War?" 

Thank you Michaela, for the question, and for mentioning Yankee PotPie in your "recommended blogs" page on your blog, Dandelions and Daydreams (If you're looking for a blog about exploring the unnoticed things in life through the eyes of a young lady, check out her blog!)

To answer Michaela's question, I'd like to tell you some about my journey to the Civil War. 

Happy Decoration Day!

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I keep getting surprised by how many of our holidays were started around the Civil War. You guessed it: Memorial Day was too!



Memorial Day was based upon a holiday celebrated first in 1868, when citizens of the US (led by orphans and veterans) covered the graves of 20,000 Civil War soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery with flowers. President Garfield approved of "Decoration Day" a day of remembrance of the Civil War dead celebrated by many states on May 30th. 



After WWI, many, feeling the loss of so many loved ones, began to honor all military dead on Decoration Day.



It wasn't until after 1968--100 years after its start--that it became a federal holiday.



Side note: Isn't it amazing how long unofficial holidays are celebrated in this country before they become federal holidays? See my Thanksgiving post for another example.



The poem below? Yeah, I didn't write it. My best friend did, though, and I honestly think its the best poem she's ever written. My sister, Elecia, writes a blog called A Heart in Waiting, and it's a wonderful blog encouraging young women to stay pure and patient while waiting on God's direction. I decided to post this poem from her blog because I thought it'd be a great way to remind us of what these "honored dead" died for: Freedom, equality, and The United States of America.

Behind the Song: Letters From Home

I'm getting really tired of Civil War.

I'm serious, I can't wait for the hype to die down. 

Why are you staring at me like that? Oh, I'm sorry....

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What Does an Ebenezer Have in Common with a Monument?

"Monuments and archaeological pieces serve as testimonies of man's greatness and establish a dialogue between civilizations showing the extent to which human beings are linked." Statesman Vicente Fox

"The sanctity of our battlefields, monuments, and veterans institutions is of utmost importance to preserve military history and pay respect to those who fought." Politician Henry Waxman

Monument at Gettysburg Battlefield

Monuments help us remember the past. I don't know about you, but I saw about a dozen of them just driving through town today. And everytime I pass one, I think about what man once stood there, what man fought there, what man fell on that hill and what man never made it home cause he died on that spot.

Okay, so that's a tad bit morbid, but seriously, we have to think about this stuff. 51,000 casualties fell at Gettysburg alone. Now there are 1,328 monuments, markers and memorials to remember those men just in Gettysburg.

GETTysburg! GETTysburg!

 I started wondering the other day if I would have to change my vocabulary to re-enact. Did Americans use contractions? I started fretting that I would mess up and be a bad representative if I spoke like modern day.

Doing some researching, I found that contractions have been around a lot longer than I thought. So they're safe. (Another reassurance is I had forgotten about the word "ain't", a slang contraction for 'am not' or 'is not' and prevalent during this time period.)

We'll never be able to completely explain how they talked in the 19th century, since none of us lived in that time. However, below is a video I just watched that address this topic.

Brother Against Brother: The War Comes Home

I don’t know what I’ll do if my brother ever decides to join the military. The number of young men (and women now) joining to fight terrorism and evil dictators overseas is astronomical. I know quite a few people fighting right now so that I can have the freedom to write this.

During the Civil War, the amount of young men leaving home to fight was even higher. They would watch their fathers, brothers and friends leave to fight, and for the sake of patriotism and pride, they would usually follow suit. They would go to fight the evil of slavery or the overbearing Northerners. Well, not all of them felt that way.

One of the main feelings among the soldiers of this day was the overall feeling of brotherhood. They’d fight and die right alongside the men in their company, but they also felt a feeling of brotherhood with the enemy.

Why?

Sorry Ladies, We Can't Do It

Approximately 400 women enlisted in the Civil War as soldiers. They were considered an equal to the men, and fought right alongside them. How? They disguised their identities. Women would lie about their gender, change their name, and put on a life of secrecy and lies to serve their country. Some would fight alongside their husbands, but most would replace their skirt and dress for a uniform. Many would see this as heroic, but little did these women know that they were helping to abandon the home-maker life of millions.

The Silver Belt

This week, I spent my "blogging time" writing a short story for my history class. The subject: The Holocaust. I decided to post my short story as this week's article. Yeah, yeah, I know, the Holocaust wasn't the Civil War, but if you think about it, Jews at the concentration camps were basically slaves. Though the Southern plantation owners needed their workers and the Jews were meant to die.

The Silver Belt: A Story of the Holocaust

You Might Live in Gettysburg If....

Gettysburg is a unique town to live in. After William Penn received the charter for the beautiful state  of Pennsylvania, many began to settle inside this land of religious freedom. Many came together in the South-central Pennsylvania countryside, and in 1761, Samuel Gettys began a tavern there. Gettysburg was made into a town in 1786 by Gettys' son, James. Now it is best known for the Civil War's most famous 'Battle of Gettysburg' in 1863. Reenactments happen every year to commemorate that battle, but those that live around Gettysburg know what its really like when tourists aren't around. We that live in Gettysburg believe it to be much more than just a tourists' attraction. 

With some help, I've compiled a list of things that make Gettysburg truly unique as a town. If you live around here or in a surrounding county, you can definitely relate or have at least heard of some of these....

You Might Live in Gettysburg If....

Slavery, or Something More?

What does this flag truly represent?

The Top Ten Civil War Songs

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"Without music, there would be no Army".

Robert E. Lee said that, and he was right. Music was such a vital part to these years. Not only did the war shape the music of the 1860’s, but music shaped and uplifted soldiers in the war. Part of their gear always included their instruments, maybe a banjo, harmonica, fiddle or guitar. One soldier, Solomon Conn, used his violin as a journal, and wrote on the back of the wood a list of all the encounters he participated in. It was on exhibit at the American Smithsonian Museum, and you can actually look upon the scribbles on the still-beautiful musical instrument. (Click Here to see Solomon's violin)

2 Minutes

Friday is the anniversary of a great man's birth. On February 12th, 1809, near Hodgenville, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was born. He was such a great man: Handsome, strong, caring, gentle. He was also a political giant. This human man also had some flaws of his own character (of which he was not proud), but overall, Lincoln was the best leader America has ever seen.

With his birthday coming up, it has me thinking about all he has done for this country: Freeing the slaves, beginning the Transcontinental Railroad, leading our country throughout the Civil War. He also had many plans for after the war to bind the nation's wounds, but he didn't get a chance to do that since he was killed.

The Modest Belle

In this post, I want to discuss women's clothing in the Civil War.

Since the beginning of mankind, women have been mindful of their appearance. Think about it: The moment Eve realized she was naked, she had to dress herself with the first thing she found! Every girl and woman since has been the same way. Admit it, ladies: You checked your appearance in the mirror this morning. Ladies living around the Civil War were just as picky; though they had a whole standard of dressing to seem presentable. They had an entire system of garments to complete one outfit, and, complicated as it was, they felt naked when lacking one petticoat.

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!

Sick of the snow yet?

I know I sure am. I've spent a lot of time over the years shoveling the driveway with my family, and at only 5' tall, I found the 2 1/2 feet of snow we got this year not to my liking. Anyone know what I mean?

Of course, you may be sitting there laughing at me right now since there's no snow where you live. Huh, Rub it in.

To get through the shoveling, I was trying to find a way to make it fun. That's when I looked over and saw my 5 year-old sister throw a snowball at my grandfather. Yeah, she missed, but it was adorable to see her try. That brings me to my topic for this week: Snowball fights.

In the Civil War, soldier life wasn't as glamorous as we make it out to be today. These men weren't running into battle and becoming instant heroes every day. Instead, most days they were being bored to death with drilling. One soldier said this:

7 Facts You Don't Usually Learn About Lincoln

Sorry for not blogging lately!! I've been plagued by the little thing called "writer's block", which some may call a myth,  but I believe is very real.

I've been reading this book, "Abraham Lincoln: A Man of Faith and Courage". I'm only halfway through, and already I've discovered a TON about my favorite president that I never knew. It's a biography of Lincoln focusing on his faith, written by an older gentleman who was homeschooled names Joe Wheeler. I guess I'm a little biased with the "homeschooled" part, but either way, I'm really enjoying his book.

Here are a few facts I never would've learned in a textbook that I've read so far:

What Could God Do Through a Civil War Orphan?

The Civil War was definitely a time of bloodshed, but it was also a time of great revival. Hundreds of thousands of men were converted during this time. The great leaders of the day, (such as Lincoln and Robert E. Lee), took great care to ensure that chaplains had a place in the Army ranks. One of these leaders of the revival is well remembered for his bravery, but not for his faith in the Almighty God, which is how he would've wanted to be remembered.

Can you guess who he was?

The Red Pants Are Coming! The Red Pants Are Coming!

Meet a Zouave:

He is a Union soldier, but with a unique red instead of the normal blue uniform. He’s not trying to be a “Civil War Redcoat”, he’s actually part of a type of Civil War soldiers called “Zouaves” (pronounced zoo-ahvs).