‘2013 US Civil War Tour’ Category

The Witness Trees

Some trees from the Civil War era are still alive, of course. In some cases, trees that were present at key battles and still survive today can be identified from photographs or written accounts that mention them; they are known as “witness trees”.  They are well-known, and sometimes controversial.  Well, the two trees shown here […]

Pickett’s Charge

  Today we spent much of the morning learning about and walking the route of Pickett’s Charge.  Now it’s a large field, but in 1863 it was a noisy and nervous walk that ended badly for about 13,000 Confederate soldiers.  This action took place on the third day of the battle, and it was the […]

Burnside’s Bridge and Bloody Lane.

  Burnside’s Bridge and Bloody Lane.

Shooting at Close Range

  Shooting at each other – at close range.  Next step is to fix bayonets . . . but we’re too polite for that.

Teaching, Walking, Learning

  During the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg), a few thousand Confederates had to hurry from Harper’s Ferry to Sharpsburg – 17 miles – in just a few hours so they could join the fight.  Well, we haven’t had to walk 17 miles yet, but everyone’s feet were hurting by the end of the day on […]

Starting Where it Started – And Ended

Most of the Civil War was fought far away from D.C. – but Washington was, in a way, where it started, and of course it was the scene of Lincoln’s assassination at the end.  We started with a day in D.C., spending some time talking about the Potomac and its importance throughout the war; visiting […]

James McPherson

James McPherson is an energetic guy.  We’re busy chasing him around Mid-Atlantic battlefields this week.  And we’re learning all manner of things – from the manufacturing techniques of battlefield ordnance to the relationships between different characters in the Civil War story.  Here, we’re talking about how to load and fire a field rifle (apparently they […]

2013 U.S. Civil War Tour

Gustavus alumni, parents, and friends are experiencing Antietam, Gettysburg and Washington D.C. with Gustavus Alumnus and Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War Historian Dr. James McPherson from October 20 to 26, 2013. This 7-day Gustavus study tour combines learning, exploring, leisure, lecture, and food with special touches, all led by a distinguished alum. This seven day experience […]

U.S. Civil War Tour Faculty Leader

A native of Saint Peter, Minnesota, Dr. McPherson graduated magna cum laude from Gustavus in 1958. From there, McPherson went on to earn his Ph.D. in 1963 from Johns Hopkins University. He eventually earned the title of George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University, where he taught for 42 years. Upon […]