American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)
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Gettysburg: July 3, 1863
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Author:  Doug Burke [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Gettysburg: July 3, 1863
I post this every year on this date. Noticed in the Shelby Foote thread that some of you had never read any Catton. I suggest giving yourself a treat and do so one day.

"The smoke lifted like a rising curtain, and all of the great ampitheater lay open at last, and the Yankee soldiers could look west all the way to the belt of trees on Seminary Ridge. They were old soldiers who had seen many battles, but what they saw took their breath away, and whether they had ten minutes or seventy five years yet to live, they remembered it until they died.

There it was, for the last time in this war, perhaps for the last time anywhere, the grand pageantry and color of war in the old style, beautiful and majestic and terrible: fighting men lined up for a mile and a half from flank to flank, slashed red flags overhead, soldiers marching forward, elbow to elbow, officers with drawn swords, sunlight gleaming from thousands of musket barrels, lines dressed as if for parade. Up and down the Federal firing line ran a low murmur: "There they are....Here comes the infantry!"".

From "The Army of the Potomac: Glory Road" page 314 by Bruce Catton

Gen. Doug Burke
XX/AoC/USA
Author:  nelmsm [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 5:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Doug! I think you're right, it is about time to revisit Catton again.

General Mark Nelms
Union Chief of the Army
Author:  pierred [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:52 am ]
Post subject: 
The Catton paperbacks series on the ACW were my first real introduction to the American Civil War. That seems a long time ago. They took me along a path that put me were I am today enjoying ACW games.

Thanks Doug I don't always remember to look at them for references.

Best Regards,

General Pierre D.
CSA Reserve Corps
President, ACWGC
Author:  Dwight McBride [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:55 am ]
Post subject: 
I have hundreds of volumes on the Civil War, by dozens of authors from the noted to the amateur . . . and my favorite has been and always will be Bruce Catton. For me at least, he has the turn of phrase, the mind's eye of the written word, that let's me see and feel, sometimes it seems even to <i>know</i>, what it was like to be them, to be there, to be back then.


Sincerely,

Lt Dwight McBride
Union Army of the Potomac
1st Brigade/II Div/V Corps
Author:  dradams2 [ Sun Jul 03, 2005 12:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Doug, Thank you.

Last summer I walked across that field on July 3rd at 3:00 pm. As I walked I tried to imagine what it was like to the soldiers under terrific fire from the rise in front of them. I looked at the ground I was walking over and wondered how many bodies were laying in this area, if someone was crouched in this shallow ravine trying to hide, what the sound of the battle must have been like. Once across I stood there at the angle and looked back across that field trying to visualize the picture painted by the words you have posted here. As grand and glorious a picture it makes, it had to be complete and total horror to the men on both sides knowing what was in the process of happening. We hear so much about the men of Pickett's charge, but it should be noted that not only Rebels died that day. Many fine Yankee soldiers died that day also. I can only take my hat off in humble admiration of what those men of both sides did that day.

Lt. Gen. Don Adams
5th Texas "Lone Star" Cavalry Brigade
I/III ANV
http://www.rootsandsaddles.com/index.htm
Image
Author:  Jim Gleason [ Tue Jul 05, 2005 4:29 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Doug!!!
I cut my teeth on Bruce Catton back in the 50's and haven't stopped since. There are few to come close to him, although Shelby Foote did. His works are great reads for anyone, particularly those of us interested in the Civil War.
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