United States History Commons^™

The Specter Of Gettysburg, Kevin P. Lavery

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

The story I am about to tell is entirely true. Several weeks ago, as I departed Musselman Library after a long night of intensive research, a sudden presence roused me from my intellectual exhaustion. I was chilled to the bone as they appeared before me: shadowy figures silhouetted against the dimly lit façade of our beloved administration building. Now, I had, of course, heard of the campus’ hauntings. Tales of the ghostly field hospital in Penn Hall’s basement, the spectral sentry watching from its cupola, and the Blue Boy of Stevens Hall are well known stories throughout our campus community …

Battlefield Correspondence: Sarah Johnson At The Virginia Monument, S. Marianne Johnson

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

In our first Battlefield Correspondence video of the semester, Sarah Johnson ’15 reports on the unusual circumstances surrounding the dedication of the Virginia Monument in 1917. [excerpt]

George Gordon Meade And Barnegat Lighthouse, Brianna E. Kirk

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Tucked away off the coast of central New Jersey on the small stretch of land called Long Beach Island is a little piece of Civil War history. It is here that a largely unknown monument highlights a figure so well known by those four hours away in the small Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg. I have been visiting Long Beach Island since I was young, and yet had no knowledge of this Civil War connection that had been staring me in the face until my mother enthusiastically shouted to me, “Brianna! Gettysburg!” As I climbed the sandy hill towards a monument …

The Right To Be Forgotten... From History?, Kevin P. Lavery

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Some people seek to leave a legacy. They want to be remembered by others for doing something great, whether it be good or evil. But not everyone is alike in this respect. Others want nothing more than to go quietly about their business. They do not want friends or strangers prying into their lives. They do not want their inner, personal thoughts to be read and judged by those around them. [excerpt]

Point/Counterpoint: Insidious Cycle, Bryan G. Caswell, Heather L. Clancy

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Heather: In our last post, Bryan and I explored the unique challenges that the reenacting hobby poses to the interpretation and public understanding of the American Civil War. In it, we touched on just a few of the many motivations that inspire individuals to reenact. As we continue our Point/Counterpoint series below, we look to explore the relationship of the reenacting hobby with a particularly complex and problematic ideology–the Lost Cause. [excerpt]

Soldiers Past And Future: The Civil War And Great War Meet In Gettysburg, S. Marianne Johnson

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Gettysburg, a town already so intimately acquainted with war, was the scene of particularly interesting historical encounters. The still too present memory of the Civil War impacted the way Gettysburgians viewed the Great War. Many veterans of the Civil War were still alive, although very old, and it was not uncommon for The Gettysburg Times to run headlines about the death of a prominent Civil War veteran right alongside coverage of the war raging in Europe. [excerpt]

More Than Milton's Man: Lebbie's Wisdom, Kevin P. Lavery

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

For such a young man, William Henry “Lebbie” Lebkicher (Company D, 122nd Regiment PA Volunteers) appears in his Civil War Era letters as a keen observer of society. Curiously, he rarely spoke of the larger war or even his friends from the regiment. The few people he alluded to are family members or family friends, mostly in discussion of their well-being. The letters are more a collection of observations on his experiences than a series of back-and-forth conversations with his father. His thoughts are insightful and fairly objective. [excerpt]

More Than Milton's Man: Meet The Lebkichers, Kevin P. Lavery

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Even to many residents of Hershey, Pennsylvania, the name William Henry Lebkicher has lost its once great significance. Those who recall “Lebbie” remember him as a key investor, colleague, and mentor to confectionery industrialist Milton S. Hershey from the early 1880s until his death in 1929. But his life before meeting Hershey has faded into obscurity over the years, and Lebkicher’s service during the Civil War has been forgotten by all but a few local history enthusiasts. Thankfully, his experiences have been preserved through a series of letters he sent home between August 1862 and February 1865, part of a …

Point/Counterpoint: Blanks Fired, Bryan G. Caswell, Heather L. Clancy

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

The following post is part of a series meant to conduct and spark a friendly philosophical discussion of broadly visible themes. It is not our intent to single out any one group or person, and by no means should the points expressed herein be regarded as any kind of attack on either the reenacting community or academia. [excerpt]

Friends Of Musselman Library Newsletter Fall 2014, Musselman Library

Friends of Musselman Library Newsletter

Table of Contents: From the Director: Gettysburgreat: The Campaign for Our College (Robin Wagner); Popular Middle East Series Continues; Letter from Edgar Rice Burroughs Explains Origin of Tarzan's Name; Library Celebration Owl & Nightingale's 100th Anniversary (Chelsea Bucklin '10, Chris Kauffman '92, Elyse Bennett '10); Encore! Owl & Nightingale Players Take Center Stage at Homecoming (Paul Di Salvo '13, Chelsea Bucklin '10, Aliena J. (Fischer) Garnard '93, Kelsey Lamagdeleine '09, Sean Valentine '05); Research Reflections: Shakespeare Folio (Chris Kauffman '92); GettDigital- The Story Continues: Professor Visits Italy and Recreates WWII Photos (Alan Perry, Catherine Perry); Don't Be Antisocial; Obama Awards …

Outbreak In Washington, Dc: The 1857 Mystery Of The National Hotel Disease, Kerry S. Walters

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

The National was once the grandest hotel in the capital. In 1857, it twice hosted President-elect James Buchanan and his advisors, and on both occasions, most of the party was quickly stricken by an acute illness. Over the course of several months, hundreds fell ill, and over thirty died from what became known as the National Hotel disease. Buchanan barely recovered enough to give his inauguration speech. Rumors ran rampant across the city and the nation. Some claimed that the illness was born of a sewage “effluvia,” while others darkly speculated about an assassination attempt by either abolitionists or southern …

The History Of The Dance Cards Of Gettysburg College, Jessica N. Casale

Student Publications

The annual dances at Gettysburg College were the most popular social activity for students for over fifty years. The dance cards held in Special Collections at Musselman Library sparked an interest in the history of these dances and why they are not continued today. This research project uncovers the reason for the sudden extinction of a social event once adored by college students. It includes the prevalence of Greek life on campus and its effect on social life.

The History Of Glatfelter Hall, Kelly E. Tinkham

Student Publications

A history of one of the oldest buildings on the Gettysburg College Campus, Glatfelter Hall. The paper covers the time period from the construction of the building in 1888 to after its first major renovation in 1929.

The Influences Of The Musselman Family, Yifei Zhang

Student Publications

For almost a century, the Musselman family has had huge influences on Adams County, PA. Many of those contributions are unknown by people today. So, based on the research of the Musselman Canning Company and the two Musselman Foundations, this paper is a study of the impacts the Musselman family has had on others and how it has achieved that influence. The main primary sources include the company’s publication, The Processor, the articles on local newspaper, and the collections in the Special Collection in Gettysburg College’s Musselman Library.

Distributed Media In The Age Of Eisenhower: Political Buttons, Rachel C. Loughran

Student Publications

This paper describes the purpose and effectiveness of distributed campaign materials in the context of President Dwight D Eisenhower's 1952 and 1956 elections. It analyzes campaign buttons and political cartoons distributed by the Eisenhower administration to determine how they furthered the image Eisenhower wished to convey during his campaigns. This image is presented by applying certain aesthetic qualities to the campaign materials.

“All Inferiors Are Required To Obey Strictly…” Disciplinary Issues In The Army Of The Potomac Under Grant During The Overland Campaign, Robert W. Novak

Student Publications

Between May and June 1864, the Army of the Potomac conducted yet another push toward Richmond. The intense weather, extended time under fire, and unprecedented slaughter took its toll on the rank and file. For many of the army’s best and most hardened veterans, this would be their last campaign. As their anticipation for home grew, however, their disdain for the new style of warfare grew with it. Fresh troops arrived almost daily from the cities across the north. Many of whom were conscripts or bounty men. Even the soldiers who chose not to reenlist expressed their low expectations for …

A Surgeon’S Duty, Andrew P. Carlino

Student Publications

Dr. Albert Gaillard Hall described a scenario in where he was tricked by his soldiers; “At our rendezvous, on three successive mornings, men reported sick, complaining of backache and headache, and with a very heavily coated tongue, but without other symptoms. Thinking it might prove an oncoming fever, I excused the first and second lots, and then saw that they were ‘old-soldiering the surgeon.’ Long afterwards one of the men explained the trick. The camp was surrounded by rose-bushes in bloom, and a liberal chewing of rose-leaves a little before sick call produced the effect I saw on the tongue. …

The Ideal And The Real: Southern Plantation Women Of The Civil War, Kelly H. Crosby

Student Publications

Southern plantation women experienced a shift in identity over the course of the Civil War. Through the diaries of Catherine Edmondston and Eliza Fain, historians note the discrepancy between the ideal and real roles women had while the men were off fighting. Unique perspectives and hidden voices in their writings offer valuable insight into the life of plantation women and the hybrid identity they gained despite the Confederate loss.

Post-9/11 Illegal Immigrant Detention And Deportation: Terrorism And The Criminalization Of Immigration, Stefany N. Laun

Student Publications

This paper analyzes the changes in immigration policy since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in terms of how immigrants are viewed in the United States. The goal is to address the recent criminalization of immigration in that the perceptions of terrorists and immigrants have become relatively synonymous since 2001. Although deportations have decreased, immigrant detention has increased significantly. Detention centers pose threats to the basic human rights of the immigrants residing in them, as well as perpetuate the culture of fear enveloping recent immigrants, whether they are legally or illegally in the country, and native United States citizens …

History Abroad: How Do Denmark And The U.S. Measure Up?, Louis T. Gentilucci

Student Publications

By viewing bias itself as a product of history, educators and scholars can understand it better in their own times. By studying the historical path of the United States and Denmark, scholars can see that the nature of history can have subtle but important impacts on common education. Even when educators are aware of potential bias, history itself warps its dissemination.

Dwight Eisenhower, The Warrior, & John Kennedy, The Cold Warrior: Foreign Policy Under Two Presidents, Andrew C. Nosti

Student Publications

This paper presents a comparison between President Eisenhower and President Kennedy's foreign affairs policies, specifically regarding the Cold War, by examining the presidents' interactions with four distinct Cold War regions.

So We Ran..., Sara R. Bias

Student Publications

This paper tells the true story of a Hungarian refugee who's family fled the communist regime there in 1971. Gabriella Bercze's story reflects on what it was like to live in Hungary under communist rule, and her family's experience in escaping the country, and fleeing to Italy, where they lived in a refugee camp for months before immigrating to the United States in the early 70s.

New Semester, New Stories..., Heather L. Clancy

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Greetings, fellow Civil Warriors!

As Managing Editor of the Civil War Institute’s student blog, The Gettysburg Compiler, I would like to welcome everyone to a new semester of exciting debate, original research, academic discourse, and on-site reporting on all things Civil War. This academic year, we look forward to expanding the range of both topics and perspectives explored on our blog as we welcome Matt LaRoche ’17, Megan McNish ‘16, Ryan Nadeau ‘16, Jacob Ross ’15, and Cassie Wells ‘16 to our team of fellows/writers. [excerpt]

Students At War: Percy Eichelberger, Class Of 1921, S. Marianne Johnson

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

As a resident of Adams County, Eichelberger spent his childhood growing up in the Gettysburg area. When war came in 1917, 23 year old Eichelberger enlisted with the 4th Infantry, stationed at a training camp on the Gettysburg battlefield for the summer. [excerpt]

A Time To Remember U.S. Rise As A World Power, Ian A. Isherwood

Civil War Institute Faculty Publications

This summer marks the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. In the United States, the war has been long eclipsed by the other great conflicts straddling it - the Civil War and Second World War - and as a result has been unfairly pushed to the margins in our national memory.

My hope is that the First World War's centennial, starting this summer and ending in 2018, will be an opportunity for Americans to break out of our intellectual isolationism and discover again a conflict that not only transformed world history, but also America's place within it. …

Pohanka Reflection: Special Collections & Archives, Musselman Library, Gettysburg College, Bryan G. Caswell

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

The reading room of Gettysburg College’s Special Collections is one of those singular spaces where the denizens of academe encounter the uninitiated yet insatiably curious members of that nebulous group known as the public. Indeed, many summer afternoons on the fourth floor of Musselman Library witness researchers diligently pouring over primary source material and rare books while intrigued visitors study the numerous displays of artifacts with equal dedication. While my duties in Special Collections are mostly confined to working with the collections themselves, I have upon occasion received the opportunity to observe our visitors as they interact with the history …

A Carriage Ride From Home, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

Elias Sheads Jr. worked in his father's shop. They made wagons and coaches, some of the bedrock laborers in Gettysburg's society. In 1860, when census taker Aaron Sheely walked the streets of the borough counting heads and recording in vivid detail what Gettysburg looked like, Elias lived with his mother and father. [excerpt]

One Year On: A Glorious Frightening Fourth, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

When in the Course of human events...

In the mottled shade of Culp's Hill's trees, Dr. Charles Horner read the words of the Declaration of Independence clear and loud. A year earlier, rebel troops surged past his home on Chambersburg Street chasing soldiers flying the flag of the United States crafted by that document. Cannon fire reverberated off of the walls of his home. And this morning, a year on, cannon fire again echoed off his walls. But today it was a salute fired atop Cemetery Hill. America was preserved.

We hold these truths to be self-evident... [excerpt]

One Year On: New Gettysburgians, John M. Rudy

Interpreting the Civil War: Connecting the Civil War to the American Public

It's been one year since freedom was preserved on a black man's farm. It's been one year since the rebel charge of men from North Carolina and Virginia crashed against Abraham Brien's stone wall and were repelled, since men from South Carolina and Maryland found their best laid plans for independence dashed upon the rocks of Emancipation and American Liberty. [excerpt]

O'Er Silent Fields, Bryan G. Caswell

The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History

Followers of the Compiler may remember a piece I wrote in the early autumn of 2013 on the last stand of the 16th Maine Regiment of Volunteer Infantry on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. As I am living in Gettysburg this summer while I work as a Brian C. Pohanka intern in Gettysburg College’s Special Collections, I of course could not miss the chance to hike up to the location of that stand on Oak Ridge to pay tribute to those boys from Maine. [excerpt]