Category Archives: Soldier Life

“My Dear Carl” A Father Writes his Children after Gettysburg.

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Gettysburg National Military Park

Hundreds of thousands of letters were sent home by soldiers to loved ones during the Civil War, most with several common themes: hardships, the weather, the writer’s health, a brief description of a battle, the boredom and routine of drill, … Continue reading →

Posted in Army of the Potomac, Soldier Life | 4 Comments

A Hard Road to Travel: Two Perspectives on the March to Gettysburg, Part 3

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Gettysburg National Military Park

Dawn, July 5, 1863. The gloom of the day is accentuated by dense, gray clouds and intermittent rain showers. The sharp report of stray rifle shots echo across the battlefield as the last of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia leave … Continue reading →

Posted in 4th Georgia Infantry, 7th Maine Infantry, Aftermath, Soldier Life | Leave a comment

A Hard Road to Travel: Two Perspectives on the March to Gettysburg, Part 2

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Gettysburg National Military Park

June 1863 was a warm month in northern Virginia, and some days were downright suffocating. As the armies plodded northward, man and animal alike suffered from the intense heat and choking dust.  Scores fell out of the ranks, exhausted and … Continue reading →

Posted in 4th Georgia Infantry, 7th Maine Infantry, Soldier Life, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Hard Road to Travel- Two Perspectives, Part 1

Posted on October 12, 2018 by Gettysburg National Military Park

While the three day battle of Gettysburg is certainly the most figurative event in the eastern theater of war during the summer of 1863, the month-long campaign to reach that fateful encounter lasted from early June through mid-July, filled with … Continue reading →

Posted in 4th Georgia Infantry, 6th Army Corps, 7th Maine Infantry, Civilians, Soldier Life | Leave a comment

“I never saw men more resolved upon an accomplishment.” Lt. Colonel Franklin Gaillard Writes Home, Part 2.

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Gettysburg National Military Park

“I have been intending to write you for some time,” the letter began, “but we were so continually on the move and the wagons with writing material not being convenient I have delayed longer than I should have.” The writer … Continue reading →

Posted in 2nd South Carolina Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia, Soldier Life | 2 Comments

“We can whip three or four (of them) to one.” Lt. Colonel Franklin Gaillard Writes Home, Part 1.

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Gettysburg National Military Park

“I had no idea that it was the beginning of so grand a movement as it has resulted in here we are now in the great and powerful state of Pennsylvania marching in the direction of her Capitol.” Seated in … Continue reading →

Posted in 2nd South Carolina Infantry, Army of Northern Virginia, Soldier Life | Leave a comment