Touch the Elbow - Blogging the Civil War

After a long hiatus it's time to get back to the 2010 Gettysburg Seminar and what better place to pick up then to take a behind the scenes peek at the Cyclorama.

From Sanitary Commission fairs held in major cities throughout the North, to the Christian Commission providing hot coffee, religious tracts, and writing paper, to circles of women and children picking lint, rolling bandages, knitting socks and mittens, and through care packages and letters, private citizens did their best to ensure the wellbeing and morale of soldiers at the front. Gettysburg, in particular, tugged at the heartstrings of those at home and they responded with compassion and generosity both in large and small ways to meet the needs of the more than 20,000 who had been wounded and were lying in hospital beds.

Whether it was personal bias or truly an objective conclusion, some observers of the aftermath of Gettysburg concluded there was a stark contrast between Union and Confederate soldiers.

What's worse than being late for the start of a movie? Normally I'd say being a half hour late for the start of a tour of Seminary Ridge and the Lutheran Seminary. But there was a very good reason for being late.

I’ve always wondered how the world of Pokemon would be if Abraham Lincoln had been involved. Luckily, I don’t have to wonder anymore thanks to the fine folks at Walkingsquares.com….

Click link above to see bigger version.

Preservation and development. Civil War Preservation Trust President Jim Lightizer opened a news conference to a National Press Club audience in Washington yesterday by saying the two don’t necessarily cancel each other out. They can co-exist in today’s society if given careful thought and planning; developers, power companies, and local governments just need to be mindful of our common past and heritage and ensure the legacy of the past is carried forward far into the future.

There's more to report on the 2010 Gettysburg Seminar, but those stories will have to wait for another day, or two, or five. In the meantime, while you're drumming your fingers in anticipation, here's a book to consider adding to your collection or downloading to your eReader.

As promised, we've updated the list of Civil War related conferences scheduled for the rest of the year. Please let us know if we've missed any.

This post originally ran on May 10th. Thanks to tips from readers Hal Jespersen and Jim Schmidt one correction and one additional conference have been added.

Matt Atkinson, whose soft, slow drawl left no doubts as to Southern roots, returned to Gettysburg a few months ago, this time in a full-time position after an assignment at Vicksburg. He considers himself a fortunate man that his wife was also able to land a similar job at the Park, a place that most tugs at their hearts and emotions. A fortunate man, indeed, but one who chose as his topic a discourse on those who fared less well in the three days of fighting and were consigned to Camp Letterman, which existed on "80 acres for 120 days."

Seasonal Park Ranger Chuck Teague took over center stage to enlighten us all on the “The U.S. Marshal at Gettysburg.” A picture of James Arness in his Marshal Matt Dillon television persona filled the overhead screen, but that was only Chuck’s way of starting with a joke. He was really there to talk about the Provost Marshal. However, before you click on “Read more,” name all 150 duties performed by the Provost Marshall’s Office. Time’s up and you couldn’t do it, could you? Of course not, because there were only 88 separate duties. Well, on fourth thought, maybe not even that many. But one thing I can tell you for certain, after listening to Chuck, the P.M. was sure as heck busy. But why take my word for it, particularly when Chuck’s here to explain the whole thing.