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Full-Text Articles in History
A Jaded Romantic: Uncovering The True Nature Of Ambrose Bierce, S. Marianne Johnson
A Jaded Romantic: Uncovering The True Nature Of Ambrose Bierce, S. Marianne Johnson
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Ambrose Bierce, 1842-1913?, has become renowned in the Civil War world for his sharp-witted and cynical short stories that frequently feature ghastly death and the terrible irony of survival. His life has become somewhat of a caricature, used by historians such as Mark Snell and Gerald Linderman to demonstrate the utter disillusionment of the common soldier and the retreat into hibernation in an attempt to escape the trauma experienced during the war. This view of Bierce fails to capture the complexity of the man and his war experience. Rather than a skeptical realist, Bierce demonstrates the characteristics of a jaded …
Commemoration, Past And Present: An Interview With Emmanuel Dabney In Three Parts, Part Three, Valerie N. Merlina
Commemoration, Past And Present: An Interview With Emmanuel Dabney In Three Parts, Part Three, Valerie N. Merlina
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Emmanuel Dabney, one of the Civil War Institute Summer Conference speakers, is a park ranger at Petersburg National Battlefield. At the Summer Conference, “The War in 1864,” he will give a lecture titled, “Catching Us Like Sheep in a Slaughter Pen”: The United States Colored Troops at the Battle of the Crater. In anticipation of the Institute, Emmanuel Dabney answered questions on intepretation, Petersburg, and the future of the Civil War. This is the final installment in a three part series. [excerpt]
Complicating History: An Interview With Emmanuel Dabney In Three Parts, Part One, Valerie N. Merlina
Complicating History: An Interview With Emmanuel Dabney In Three Parts, Part One, Valerie N. Merlina
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Emmanuel Dabney, one of the Civil War Institute Summer Conference speakers, is a park ranger at Petersburg National Battlefield. At the Summer Conference, “The War in 1864,” he will give a lecture titled, “Catching Us Like Sheep in a Slaughter Pen”: The United States Colored Troops at the Battle of the Crater. In anticipation of the Institute, Emmanuel Dabney answered questions on intepretation, Petersburg, and the future of the Civil War. His responses will be posted in a three-part series. [excerpt]
Spotsylvania Undercover: An Interview With Dr. Keith Bohannon, S. Marianne Johnson
Spotsylvania Undercover: An Interview With Dr. Keith Bohannon, S. Marianne Johnson
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Dr. Keith Bohannon, one of this summer’s Civil War Institute Conference speakers, is an Associate Professor dealing in the subjects of the American Civil War, Reconstruction, Southern U.S. History, and Georgia History at the University of West Georgia. During the upcoming Institute Conference, Dr. Bohannon will be speaking on Sherman and the Atlanta Campaign and giving the tour for the Wilderness & Spotsylvania battlefields. [excerpt]
“The Scorpion’S Sting”: Dr. James Oakes And The 2014 Lincoln Lyceum Lecture, Megan A. Sutter
“The Scorpion’S Sting”: Dr. James Oakes And The 2014 Lincoln Lyceum Lecture, Megan A. Sutter
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
The annual Lincoln Lyceum Lecture took place on Thursday, March 27th at 7:30pm in Gettysburg College’s Mara Auditorium. This year’s Lincoln Lyceum guest speaker was Dr. James Oakes, two- time winner of the Lincoln Prize for his books The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass (2008 Prize) and Abraham Lincoln and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics and Freedom National: The Destruction of Slavery in the United States, 1861 -1865 (2013 Prize). He has previously taught at Princeton University and Northwestern University and is currently the Distinguished Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. …
Clark Gardner: The Curious Case Of Mr. Rich And Mrs. Gardner, Brianna E. Kirk
Clark Gardner: The Curious Case Of Mr. Rich And Mrs. Gardner, Brianna E. Kirk
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
The story of Clark Gardner, his double amputation, and his pension records are still surrounded by two other clouds of ambiguity concerning his neighbor and friend, Edward A. Rich, and Gardner’s wife. Rich relayed information to a special examiner about the nature of Gardner’s injuries. He claimed to know Gardner before the war began, revealing that Gardner had running sores on his right leg prior to enlisting in the 10th New York Heavy Artillery. This made the amputation he received in 1879 a result of this pre-existing condition instead of the sickness Gardner claimed to acquire from Staten …
Of Causes And Casualties: Safeguarding The Legacy Of The American Civil War, Bryan G. Caswell
Of Causes And Casualties: Safeguarding The Legacy Of The American Civil War, Bryan G. Caswell
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
750,000 and rising. 2.5 percent of the population. Greater than all other American wars combined. No matter how one describes them, the casualties incurred as a result of the American Civil War are nothing short of astounding. To those who study this devastating conflict, the numbers of the fallen can seem old friends, as the cost of great battles such as Antietam or Gettysburg are burned into memory. Yet is it possible that disproportionate emphasis has been placed on the bloody toll of the Civil War? [excerpt]
Special Collections Roadshow At Gettysburg College: William B. Mccreery’S Pow Memoir, Megan A. Sutter
Special Collections Roadshow At Gettysburg College: William B. Mccreery’S Pow Memoir, Megan A. Sutter
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Episode Two of Special Collections Roadshow at Gettysburg College explores Colonel William B. McCreery’s Prisoner of War memoir and uses the text as a segway to discuss Libby Prison and POW experience. Filmed and edited by Val Merlina, ’14
Folly At Fredericksburg: A Wound To The Pride Of The 127th Pa, Kevin P. Lavery
Folly At Fredericksburg: A Wound To The Pride Of The 127th Pa, Kevin P. Lavery
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
After three months in Washington, the Dauphin County Regiment was at last headed south. Resentment in the ranks at the last-minute transfer had been replaced by enthusiasm for the coming battle. At last, the men were to see the fight they had enlisted to join. [excerpt]
War Beyond The Battlefield: From The Potomac To The Rappahannock, Kevin P. Lavery
War Beyond The Battlefield: From The Potomac To The Rappahannock, Kevin P. Lavery
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
“Be careful what you wish for.” Had the volunteers of Dauphin County’s 127th Regiment heard the old adage before marching off to war in the summer of 1862? Undoubtedly. even if they had, it was far from their minds as they drilled and waited and guarded the perimeter of Washington. These men had enlisted to fight, but now they found themselves consigned to guard duty for their first three months in the Army. Their fortunes would soon change, however, for better or for worse; unbeknownst to them, the Battle of Fredericksburg lurked in their future. [excerpt]
Warriors Of Dauphin County: The 127th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Kevin P. Lavery
Warriors Of Dauphin County: The 127th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Kevin P. Lavery
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
When Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin charged the men of his state to enlist in July 1862, he was desperate for soldiers to fill the federal quota set for Pennsylvania. Heeding the call, William Jennings – citizen of Harrisburg and then the Adjutant of Camp Curtin – approached the governor to proffer his services to state and nation. Curtin acceded; if Jennings could form a regiment, the ambitious young officer would be granted its colonelcy. [excerpt]
Prisoner Experiences: Memoirs Of Libby Prison, Megan A. Sutter
Prisoner Experiences: Memoirs Of Libby Prison, Megan A. Sutter
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Numerous books have been written on the contested topic of Civil War prisons and prisoners of war. Scholars struggle with who to blame for the outrageous and horrible conditions of the prisons. Some speculate that the Southerners were crueler to their captives while others say the opposite. As well, scholars question whether the conditions of the Southern prisons were better or worse than the prisons in the North. [excerpt]
Wartime Reminiscences: The Story Of William R. Tanner’S Civil War Service, Brianna E. Kirk
Wartime Reminiscences: The Story Of William R. Tanner’S Civil War Service, Brianna E. Kirk
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Veteran war stories are some of the most fascinating windows into the past that students of history can experience. With World War II veteran numbers quickly diminishing and the risk of these accounts of history being lost, the importance of collecting and passing on veteran stories to future generations is vital. Such was the case with those who fought in the Civil War. As the twentieth century approached, droves of veterans began disappearing from the pages of history. The need for those veteran stories from America’s bloodiest war to be recorded and published became not only important to the veterans …
Special Collections Roadshow At Gettysburg College: 37th New York Infantry Kepi, Valerie N. Merlina
Special Collections Roadshow At Gettysburg College: 37th New York Infantry Kepi, Valerie N. Merlina
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Val Merlina uses a Civil War kepi as a gateway to discuss immigrant culture in America during the 1860s.
Notation And Memorandum: Special Artists And Their Portrayal Of The American Civil War, Bryan G. Caswell
Notation And Memorandum: Special Artists And Their Portrayal Of The American Civil War, Bryan G. Caswell
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
As the first war to see the extensive use of photography, the American Civil War was brought home to civilians in hundreds of photographs portraying camp life or the aftermath of battles. Due to the nature of nineteenth century photography as well as safety concerns, however, photographers were not able to capture scenes of actual combat for their viewers. This task fell instead to men known as Special Artists or “Specials,” hired by the illustrated periodicals of the day to travel with the armies and sketch all manner of events associated with the military, including battles as they progressed. [ …
Mocking A Perilous Prediction: Currier And Ives’ Political Cartoons, Megan A. Sutter
Mocking A Perilous Prediction: Currier And Ives’ Political Cartoons, Megan A. Sutter
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Currier and Ives’ political cartoons, while comical, also represent the general undertones of the time as well as people’s feelings regarding this era of political controversy. The election of 1860 was an incredibly important one because, not only were there numerous political and social divides, but the South had threatened to secede. The political cartoon “The Irrepressible Conflict” or “The Republican Barge in Danger,” released in 1860, gives historians a good understanding of the reactions to not only Seward’s speech but also the wariness of Lincoln’s nomination and eventual election. [excerpt]
Satirizing Strife: Currier And Ives Political Cartoons, Megan A. Sutter
Satirizing Strife: Currier And Ives Political Cartoons, Megan A. Sutter
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Currier and Ives’ prints were a large part of the media during the Civil War era. Not only were Romantic prints sold and hung in people’s parlors, but cartoons were also very popular. It is important to remember that Currier and Ives’ goal was not to produce fine art, but to make a product that was attractive to middle-class consumers. Thus, political and social cartoons became a way to attract customers. They tried to stay away from controversial topics; however, their Darktown series was one of their best-selling series of the day. Today, the Darktown series is rarely displayed and …
A Living Image: Newspaper Sketches In The American Civil War, Bryan G. Caswell
A Living Image: Newspaper Sketches In The American Civil War, Bryan G. Caswell
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Photography: the ability to capture a moment in time exactly as it appeared, to then preserve it for posterity, even mass produce it for a wide viewership. A relatively new concept by the beginning of the American Civil War, photography quickly came into its own in the hands of such legends as Matthew Bray and Alexander Gardner as they sought to document the furious storm which had swept over the land. Photographs of the Civil War are prolific, and for many the memory of the conflict is intertwined with black-and-white photographs of unsmiling men and corpses bloating in the sun. …
For Those At Home: The Romantic Nature Of Civil War Lithography, Megan A. Sutter
For Those At Home: The Romantic Nature Of Civil War Lithography, Megan A. Sutter
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Lithography, the art of drawing on stone, was an important part of American Victorian culture during the Civil War. Not only did lithography provide news in pictorial form, but it also was widely displayed in the home. With the economic move from home to factory during the early 19th century, the home became more of a “sanctuary” in which women could decorate and display. [excerpt]
Theater Of War: Booth And Beyond, Valerie N. Merlina
Theater Of War: Booth And Beyond, Valerie N. Merlina
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Lastly, we come upon perhaps the best known actor of the Civil War era, John Wilkes Booth. Of course, the reason memory allows us to recall the name is not because of the merits achieved through his profession, but rather because he murdered the elected executive official – United States President Abraham Lincoln. Booth, a product of a theater family, was a dramatic, eccentric, and impatient being. He wanted the leading roles, did not want to prepare the role, but to simply play the role. His brother, Edwin Booth, a talented poetical performer, one might deduce, did prepare for his …
Theater Of War: Combining Entertainment And Art, Valerie N. Merlina
Theater Of War: Combining Entertainment And Art, Valerie N. Merlina
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Did the theater work to benefit the causes for north or south, dependent upon region? Sautter stated that this phenomenon was less common than many might expect. Many actors stated their neutrality, or as one Civil War era actor said, “I am neither northerner nor southerner.” Still others simply responded to the war by leaving the country. One must consider the “clannish nature” of theater of the time in order to understand how actors could have taken the neutral role during a war of ideals: many actors were born into theater life, therefore did not grow up in any one …
Theatre Of War: A Witness To Love, Tragedy, And Parody, Valerie N. Merlina
Theatre Of War: A Witness To Love, Tragedy, And Parody, Valerie N. Merlina
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
Central to American nineteenth century life was the theater. As the fratricidal fighting of the American Civil War broke out and divided the nation, this centrality remained, and audiences crowded into the theaters. For both north and south, the theater provided an outlet through which Americans could enjoy plays, performances, music, and variety shows that appealed to all social classes of American society. However, in order to understand the operations of theater companies during the war itself, it is first essential to examine the state of the theater as a concept during the mid-nineteenth century, and in the pre-war years. …
Heckman’S Hidden Heroes: Battery K, First Ohio Light Artillery, 11th Corps, Brianna E. Kirk
Heckman’S Hidden Heroes: Battery K, First Ohio Light Artillery, 11th Corps, Brianna E. Kirk
The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History
The corner of Lincoln and Carlisle Streets is home to a frequently overlooked historical monument on the Gettysburg battlefield. Located on the campus of Gettysburg College, many students walk past this monument dedicated to Battery K of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery every day and are unaware of the significance of its placement and the story behind the words etched into the majestic Light Quincy granite stone. Battery K’s story, though only lasting a mere thirty minutes during the battle, surely should not go unnoticed. [excerpt]