"This thing is going to be spectacular!"

What thing? The soon-to-be-completed, totally-restored Gettysburg Cyclorama!

I had the honor last week of going to the sneak preview. I got an invitation since I had donated some items at the end of last year to be used in the diorama, so Lori and I decided to go (Lori, by the way, gets credit for the photos. She was quite the photographer! There are almsot 40 in all!).

I am so glad we went. Sue Boardman of the Foundation gave a 20 minute slide presentation on the restoration process and the flaws that are now corrected. Then, we got to go upstairs and see it! It is quite the spectacle! It hasn't looked this good in many years, if ever! The pieces are in the proper places, the damage is repaired, the yellowing from coats of so-called preservative has been removed, and the end result is an incredible piece of art!

As you can see from the few photos above, the diorama is not finished. There is still a lot of work to be done, but it appears to be coming along nicely. Only 2 more months, and we can all go see it!

Also, as you can see, the diorama will almost seemlessly fade into the painting. Look at the well in the 2nd photo, and you will see exactly what it will be like.

We waited several years for a Visitor Center, and a lot of us were disappointed! We waited also for a Cyclorama restoration. I think we all should be excited! It will be that good!

Gettysburg Bike Week...Re-visited!

Is this history? Maybe, but is it the kind of history people come to Gettysburg to see? Let's hope not. It happens every year. The peaceful streets of sleepy Gettysburg become host to Bike Week, and things really go down-hill fast.

I blogged last year about what happens and what it's like, so we won't go there other than to say it is not the thing most people would want their family to be witness to. Lots of drunken-ness and debuachery. Not quite the way to remember the heroes who fought on these very same fields to preserve freedom and our way of life!

It's sad, though, that we let them win...What do I mean?...I have friends who leave town for Bike Week because they don't want to deal with it! They're tired of the noise, tired of the traffic, they resent the fact that these out-of-town bikers come in and take over the bars and restaurants as if they are there own, and then leave as if they've done nothing wrong.

Leave if you like, but that's not the way to beat them. If we all leave, they would win. My plans for Bike Week? Go about my business as if nothing has changed (ok, so I may have to leave a bit earlier to get where I'm going...so what?). Gettysburg is where I live. Come Monday, these a-holes will be gone and we'll be left to clean up the mess. Guess what? Life goes on!

Hunterstown...How not to dedicate a monument!

I had the pleasure last Weds. of going with my good friend Karl to Hunterstown for the dedication of the new monument there. For those not familiar, Hunterstown is about 4 miles north of Gettysburg, and was the scene of a major cavalry fight on July 2, 1863. It is a significant fight for at least two reasons. It kept JEB Stuart's cavalry away from Gettysburg yet once again. Stuart didn't arrive on the field until later that evening, and was no help in supporting any of the July 2nd attacks.

Also, Hunterstown was a significant fight in that was the first action involving newly-promoted George A. Custer as a brigadier general. Custer had received this promotion, as did Wesley Merrit and Elon Farnsworth, a few days prior. During the fighting of Hunterstown, Custer's horse went down, and he was trapped and appeared to be destined to death, or at least capture by the Confederate cavalry. A young trooper named Norvell Churchill, however, intervened, deflecting a saber blow intended for Custer and extricating the boy-general from the field. This is an event worthy of note, and should be memorialized with a monument.

The problems that Karl and I had were that Laurie Harding, the so-called emcee of the event, was long winded and boring. It also is shameful that she had no notes and couldn't remember the name of the fourth author that she was so glad was in attendance. Basically this says, "Hi. I'm glad you're here even though I can't remember your name and wasn't smart enough to write note cards."

Why, after the intros, the speeches and the pontificating did they then feel it was necessary to take a group picture? Children and even some adults (Karl and I among others) were getting restless. Couldn't the picture-taking have waited until the monument dedication was done?

We won't even get too harsh on the reenactors portraying Custer and Churchill other than to say have you ever seen a photo of Custer in a kepi and frock coat? I haven't! With all the Churchill descendants in attendance, couldn't they have found someone who looked a bit more like the actual person?

So, after the photo, it was up to the monument for more speechifying (of course!), and then they finally pulled the cover and unveiled the monument. I must say, it was nice. I think it served the event well. It would have been a bit better had the ya-hoo portraying Custer stepped back a bit and let the people look at and photograph the monument (Dude! You're not Custer, and it isn't your monument. Get over it!).

All in all, it was an ok event celebrating something that needed to be done. I'm glad I went. Even knowing ahead of time how things would have been, I still would have gone. I do think the event itself could have been a bit shorter and a lot better, though!

So, what's up with Harpers Ferry, anyway?...

...Harpers Ferry, WV, is a jewel of the Shenandoah Valley. Located at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, it was the home of the US Arsenal and John Brown's uprising, which ironically was put down by Robert E. Lee. Stonewall Jackson captured the garrison there during the '62 Maryland Campaign, so it is a town, and an area rich with history. Even without the historical significance, it is an area worth visiting.

Like many areas worth visiting, Harpers Ferry is a tourist town, and should thrive during the season in the evenings, esp. on the weekends, but it does not. Why, you may ask?

Because at 5pm everyday, the town, and all the tourist-related businesses close. Lori and I went there a couple of weeks ago on a Fri. evening. We arrived in the town at around 6:30, and were shocked that everything was shut down. On a serious note, if there were 20 people in town it was a lot.

Want ice cream?...Closed!...How about a coffee? ... Nope ... Closed! ... Souvenir?...Closed!...Get the picture? The only places that were open were the Town's Pub and the Secret Six Tavern. Up the hill a bit in Bolivar, the Hilltop House was closed, but we did get a great dinner in the Anvil.

I asked a friend who does some work why everything closed? He said that the business owners just don't get it! They close because they say no one's in town. No one comes to town though because everything's closed. It's a double-edged sword.

And to think, I sometimes think it's bad in Gettysburg when places are closed or close early. I guess in Harpers Ferry it's worse. It's a sad situation, and it's shameful. What the town is and what it could be are two different universes. You would think someone there would realize this.

As a small sign that things are changing, though, we did see a ghost-walk tour. Let's hope that's a trend that does not spread!

Reenactment Overload...!

How many reenactments can one town take, and in how short of time can they happen? I guess we are about to find out.

This weekend just outside of Gettysburg, on the site of the former Yingling farm and major reenactments of the past, they are having 'the March to Destiny" reenactment. Mid-week, on the Sheppard Farm south of town, they are reenacting the Cavalry Battle of Hanover. Also, throughout the week, Black Horse Tavern is having living history on site, the Confederates are taking and occupying the Shriver House in town, and various living histories such as the farbfest at the Wax Museum will be happening. The weekend of the 4th-6th of July will have the 145th anniversary reenactment, and the following weekend, near Frederick, MD, there will also be a reenactment.

Can you say, "Phew! That's a bunch!"?

Just who exactly are the event promoters counting on actually being there to both participate and also to watch? The cavalary fight will be good, the in-town living histories will get there share, and of course the 145th will get major turnouts. What about all the rest.

I don't know. It may just be my opinion, but I think that too much is being done, that the farbs will be out in full-force, and that this will be just another death-nail in an already dying hobby. Anyone else agree?

RIP to a dear friend...

...Deb Mattern. For those not in the know, Deb was a waitress and bartender at the Gingerbread man in Gettysburg for the past 15 years. If you'd ever have seen Deb, you'd remember her. "Pittsburgh Deb', or just plain "Pittsburgh" (as some of my friends and I often called her) was a tried and true fan of the Pgh. Steelers. Also, if she was tending the bar or waiting your table, you knew you were in good hands. She truly was one of the best!

Deb had been absent from the Gman for the past several months. Upon inquiring as to why, I was told she was 'very sick'. She had a myriad of illnesses that I can't even go into.

Let's suffice it to say that she succombed to these illnesses on Thur. June 19th after putting up a valiant fight. Deb, those of us who knew you will truly miss you. Those of us who never had the opportunity to know you have no idea what they missed out on. In her bar or in her section, you were one of the guys! She'd always take the time to inquire as to how you were doing, bring about some idle chatter when she was not busy, and make you feel like you were important, because in her world, you were!

RIP, Deb. You are in a better place. The Earth as we know it has suffered a great loss, but Heaven has gained another worthy soul! You truly will be missed!

My favorite monument of the entire Gettysburg Campaign...

...is that honoring the 1st Pa. Cavalry. Located on Hancock Ave., not far from the Angle and the Copse of Trees, it shows a kneeling Cavalry trooper, with a Sharp's carbine at the ready and a look of determination on his face. A man, Pvt. Joseph Lindemuth from Co. L of the unit was used as a model for the monument. Sculpted by H.J. Ellicott, it initially cost $1500 and was dedicated in 1890.

Ok, so there are hundreds of monuments, hundreds of different sculptures on the field and in the surrounding area, so why this one?

Why this one, indeed? I don't know really. It has something to do with 'his look'. The sculptor got it right. He looks so real that sometimes, I almost expect him to step of the base, to walk around, and to talk to those of us nearby.

Several emotions are captured in his facial features (the photos don't do it the justice it deserves. It must be seen to be truly appreciated!).

He has a look of concern. He's obviously worried about the coming onslaught and possibly in a bit of fear about what the future may bring. If the Confederate assault breaks through, life as he knows it will change drastically.

He also has a look of fierce determination, a look that says that no matter what happens, he will hold his ground and do his duty. What more can one expect? He may be moved from his position, but not without putting up a heck of a fight first!

I was explaining this to Lori a few weeks back. I think that this sculpture summarizes life in general. Be aware of the present while at the same time, look toward the future. Look with a bit of concern, though, because we never can be truly certain of what's coming. Let's be ready for it! At the same time, have the determination that no matter what happens, be prepared to deal with it. Take it all, good or bad, but take it nonetheless, and win.

That is what this monument means to me. In the area while I now live, there was a lot of concern, a lot of changing fortunes, and a lot of dealing with a future the men involved had no control over. The boys did it then and prevailed. How can we be expected to do any less?