The entrance way to the new multi-million dollar Visitors Center at the Gettysburg National Military Park was lined with hundreds of small American flags.

Background post - Restored Gettysburg Cyclorama to Reopen.

My oldest son and grandson spent Saturday afternoon, September 27, with me in Gettysburg at the new Gettysburg Visitors Center. We got tickets from the 3:15 showing of the "A New Birth of Freedom" movie (featuring the voices of Morgan Freeman and Sam Waterston, among others) and the restored Cyclorama. We took a few photographs to share with Cannonball readers.

Posted in Gettysburg battlefield Lincoln One-tank road trips

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I used to work for a couple of decades for office products and self-adhesive labelstock giant Avery Dennison when I lived in the greater Cleveland area. One of their largest factories was in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a town I frequented on many business trips to run trials there or to meet with paper suppliers. Fort Wayne is also the home of the Lincoln Life Insurance Company, which for many years has managed an excellent museum on the life of the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln.

Recently, the insurance company announced plans to close the Lincoln Museum on June 30 and they are trying to give away the collection. It's a great little museum and an outstanding collection of documents and artifacts, and, to me, it's the passing of an era for Fort Wayne. The curators are trying to find a suitable institution or group that will exhibit the collection in a larger and better venue, hopefully in time for the Lincoln celebrations that are coming up in a couple of years.

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Tucked away near Seven Valleys in southern York County, Pennsylvania, is the tiny hamlet of Hanover Junction. Now mostly known to locals as an important rest stop and parking lot on the York Rail Trail, the old train station has been in existance for more than 150 years. It has been altered, renovated, added onto, and subtracted from during its long history. Restored to approximate its 1863 appearance, today the station houses restrooms for the bike riders and hikers, as well as a small museum that is usually manned by volunteer guides during summer weekends.

If you have never visited this site before, it is well worth a couple of hours some Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Few casual visitors realize that a minor Civil War skirmish occurred at the station on June 27, 1863, when Lt. Colonel Elijah V. White's 35th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, raided Hanover Junction and drove off its Union defenders, elements of the 20th Pennsylvania Volunteer Militia.

Posted in Confederates Gettysburg Campaign Hanover Junction Lincoln One-tank road trips

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A Civil War-era lavish dinner at a well-to-do household. Most southern Pennsylvanians did not enjoy such luxury, but their dinner spreads were often equally impressive. Confederates often marveled at the "vast oceans" of food that some were fortunate enough to have partaken during the invasion of Pennsylvania. Harper's Weekly.

Many of you know I am fascinated by the human interest side of the Civil War, having written three books (with a fourth one in the works now) on that aspect of the war. In particular, I enjoy studying the psychology of the interactions between the Confederate soldiers and the Pennsylvania civilians during the Gettysburg Campaign. There is a wealth of great material in the soldiers' old diaries, letters, and similar reminiscences.

Here's one interesting anecote of a group of Rebel artillerymen from Virginia as they intercoursed with a pair of Franklin County families. Note how the milk was served, and also the custom of dressing up for company. Also note that the head of the household does not eat with the rest of the family...

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1909 postcard showing the Codorus Creek and the modernized flour mill once owned by the prosperous firm of P.A. & S. Small. Reports on June 29, 1863, reached businessman Samuel Small, Jr. that the infamous Louisiana Tigers were destroying the operations and gumming up the mill race and equipment by dumping flour into the water.

How far would you go in wartime to protect your own private property, or that of your neighbors and friends? During Early's Raid in 1863, local residents reacted in a mixture of ways that reflects the diversity of human emotions and personalities. Many Yorkers packed what they could and fled eastward to Lancaster County. Some of these refugees drove flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, horses, and other livestock and animals across the toll bridge over the Susquahanna to presumed safety.Other people hid their valuables and horses (and sometimes themselves as well) in woods, hollows, barns, and other hiding places in an attempt to escape detection from roving patrols of Confederate foragers.

A few bold residents confronted the Rebels and refused to allow them to steal property or livestock. Several men even insisted on personal audiences with leading Confederate generals, including Jubal Early, to ensure the safety of their property and possessions. M. L. Van Barman relates one such story.

Posted in Civilians Confederates Gettysburg Campaign Lincoln York

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Few events in American history have sparked as much controversy as presidential assassinations. As a papermaker, the industry I work in has been blessed by the dizzying array of books and magazine articles written on the killings of John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, two events that stunned their generations and created firestorms of opinions and agendas. The CIA. The Mafia. The U.S. government. Cuba. The Illuminati. The Confederate States of America. The U.S. Secretary of War. The Pope. All have been blamed in some fashion for one (or both) of these events.

While some of the public has been fascinated by theories and speculations, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Michael Kanazawich has focused his energies and studies on finding and communicating some of the more obscure vignettes and remarkable true stories from the assassination of the 16th President. You won't find long accounts of Edwin Stanton's alleged betrayal of his commander-in-chief, or of Jeff Davis's secret plot to take care of his rival and counterpart. Instead, this new book offers a diverse collection of short accounts and stories that are perfect for light reading.

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The Gettysburg Civil War Round Table is sponsoring a one-day bus trip retracing the route John Wilkes Booth and David Herold took after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Seats on the bus are filling quickly, so make sure you get your reservation in soon if you want to go. Lunch is included. If I didn't already have a commitment that day, I would definitely go on this fascinating trip. Admissions are also included in the price, as well as tips.

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In a recent post, I recounted a visit through York County by veterans of the 14th Brooklyn (also known as the 84th New York Militia) in 1867 as they returned to Gettysburg. I received word that a movie is in production about another colorful New York regiment, the 5th New York or Duryee's Zouaves. The movie is appropriately entitled Red Legged Devils. Among the credits is James Gettys, the Gettysburg resident who is well known for his living history portrayals of Abraham Lincoln, whom he plays in this upcoming movie. The movie is based upon a book by the late Brian Pohanka.

Civil War movies have recently been a mixed bag. Wicked Spring got good reviews, buy played to a limited audience. Johnny Shiloh never made it past the Ohio region. Cold Mountain garnered an Oscar for Rene Zellweger, and Gods & Generals garnered snores. It will be interested to see how Red Legged Devils is received.

What have been your favorite (and least favorite) Civil War movies?

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Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most well-known and revered Americans of the 19th Century. He was a complex man, with far more nuances and characteristics than the common public perception. Andy Martin will explore some of these facets of Lincoln's personality in his upcoming talk at the York Civil War Round Table on February 20 at the York County Heritage Trust at 7 p.m.

Unlike today's presidents, Lincoln was highly visible around Washington, with frequent walks, carriage rides, horseback rides, and other casual pursuits that often compelled his bodyguards to implore him to use more caution. Washington at the time was a hot, muggy place in the summer, and the White House was not the most comfortable living quarters. Lincoln often rode out to a breezier location and sojourned in a small cottage. This home has recently been restored and will be open to the public beginning on President's Day. It will make a perfect one-tank day trip down to D.C.

For more information, see the CNN article.

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A. Lincoln

2008 York CWRT schedule

Honest Abe. The Rail Splitter. The Great Emancipator. The Buffoon. In his lifetime, Abraham Lincoln elicited many nicknames, most positive and some decidedly unflattering. Lincoln was a polarizing figure, with almost as many detractors as admirers. Newspapers of the period were biased, depending upon political backing, and hundreds of anti-Lincoln cartoons exist.

Speaker Andrew Martin will present what promises to be a fascinating talk on the life of Lincoln at the next meeting of the York Civil War Round Table on February 20 at 7 p.m. at the York County Heritage Trust in downtown York. The meeting, as always, is free to the public, so be sure to mark your calendars! His presentation is entitled "Abraham Lincoln as Seen Through the Eyes of Many Historians."

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One of the previously misidentified photographs

Background post: New photo of Lincoln at Gettysburg Address

Museums and archives around the country contains millions of documents, photographs, recordings, files, and other historic material. Some of these are in modern, environmentally-controlled atmospheres such as the $7.5 million dollar storage area Pennsylvania is constructing at the State Library. Others are kept in poorly controlled office, library or warehouse space, where humidity and temperature swings are deteriorating the collections.

At times, these historic collections are so large that no one is really sure what they contain, especially if they are misidentified with the wrong captions. Such was the recent case of some Lincoln-related photos at the Library of Congress. A sharp-eyed researcher found "new" photos of Lincoln's Second Inauguration (March 4, 1865).

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Happy Thanksgiving, Cannonball readers!

With the recent publicity about the possibility that President Abraham Lincoln appears in an old photograph of the crowds gathering for the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery in November 1863, I thought it would be appropriate to reprint the proclamation that Lincoln penned on October 3, 1863, declaring the last Thursday of November as a formal "day of thanksgiving" for America. He traveled to Gettysburg on November 18 for the ceremony at the cemetery and his "few remarks," and then returned to Washington via Hanover Junction. A few days later, he joined his fellow countrymen in prayer and thanksgiving for what blessings could be celebrated in the midst of the worst year of strife to that point in American history.

Take time this Thanksgiving to carefully read Lincoln's words - very carefully and thoughtfully. While we are not fighting a civil war, we still have conflicts and personal pains, and can reflect on Lincoln's words of encouragement. There is a lot to be thankful for, despite all that may be going on around us.

Here are the timeless words of the 16th President of the United States, penned seven score and four years ago this month) ...

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Jim Lewin is the owner of the York Emporium, a fine (and sprawling) used book store on West Market Street in downtown York. He hosted a Civil War event back in September complete with reenactors, authors, speakers, and all sorts of interesting events and demonstrations. Jim is a published author, with several books to his credit.

I stopped by the York Emporium on Sunday afternoon to discuss my upcoming book signing, and he graciously gave me a copy of his new book for me to review. It's really interesting! Here is my review of his book that I wrote for amazon.com.

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Is this Honest Abe?

WGAL TV-8 has been showing images of an old photo from the Library of Congress's archives that may show President Lincoln arriving on horseback, surrounded by his Union cavalry escort and other dignitaries, to deliver the Gettysburg Address. John Richter from Hanover first suggested this photo may show the president, and famed Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer agrees. His endorsement is good enough for me!

Here is the link to WGAL's webpage. Be sure to have a look at the blown up, enhanced images and make up your own mind.

Is this Abraham Lincoln? What do you think?

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