Gettysburg Power Tour: 2010

I made a quick stop in Gettysburg in April after a visit to the National Archives in D.C., where I researched the history of several Union soldiers. That's another post for another day. I have been to Gettysburg at least 50 times, and every time I go I see something different. I concentrated on shooting some of the many battlefield monuments on this trip. They are beautiful, almost works of art. It's too bad they memorialize death and destruction. Speaking of death and destruction, I almost pulled the trigger on the purchase of a shell with a Bormann fuse. It seemed liked a good buy for 250 bucks, but I wasn't convinced I could persuade Mrs. Banks that it was a good thing. Maybe next time. Here are some of my favorite shots from the Gettysburg trip.

Civil War Power Tour: 2010

These reenactors were up and at 'em early at the Gaines Mill.

Cannon on the Gaines Mill battlefield.

The Watt House was just behind Union lines at Gaines Mill.

Snake rail fence at Gaines Mill battlefield.

Park sign at Gaines Mill

I was on the Gaines Mill battlefield at 6:15 a.m. today to kick off my yearly Civil War tour in Virginia. Today was the 148th anniversary of the battle, and reenactors were on site to give living history demonstrations. The temperature hit 100 later,  so I imagine they were suffering a bit in their wool uniforms.

The Confederates won this battle, one of the Seven Days battles around Richmond. For one of the few times during the war, Robert E. Lee outnumbered the Union forces.

The second-from-last photo below  is a shot of the Beaver Dam Creek battlefield, much of which has been lost to history because of development. Sadly, that's the case with many battlefields in the Richmond area. Seven Pines, for example, has been largely obliterated.

I also stopped by the Cold Harbor battlefield. I am especially interested in the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery, which lost 330 men killed or wounded on June 1, 1864, at Cold Harbor. I am researching a 2nd Connecticut soldier, Capt. Luman Wadhams, one of three brothers killed within a three-week span in Virginia during the Civil War.

2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery monument at Cold Harbor.

Beaver Dam Creek battlefield has largely been lost to development.