I'm currently reading The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study In Command by Edwin Coddington thanks to the recommendation of Capt. Kirk, who asked me for a suggestion for his friends who want to visit the Battlefield sometime soon. Turns out it's not one of the many volumes I've read and has a very balanced perspective in its presentation. For those of you interested in the Battle, I'd also suggest it as a good read, whether you're a newbie, a vet, or someone in between in knowledge of the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. I've actually got a reproduction of the map that's illustrated to the left in the Grey Havens, flanked by a picture of my two favorite Confederate generals, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, who started out the War as a solid Christian and Nathan Bedford Forrest, who ended up getting saved on November 15, 1875...76 years to the day prior to my shuffling onto this mortal coil!! Underneath the map is a picture of Jacob and Hannah Antes, my great grand parents, one of whom volunteered and served in the 119th Pa. Infantry, fought at Fredericksburg, got frozen feet that December 13, 1862, went in the hospital, and subsequently missed the fun at Gettysburg.I've currently got the soundtrack of the movie "Gettysburg" running on my computer for the umpteenth time simply because it's great music. One of the things about this battle that most history books don't include...except for my brilliantly researched, written, and publisher rejected work, God Caused the Civil War...is the fact that this battle was key in the personal upbraiding of Christian General Robert E. Lee for his firm belief that he and his Army of Northern Virginia were 'invincible,' to use his phrase. I actually observed that the general who bragged the most before any major battle usually got whupped as God's way of breaking his pride...the sin God says in Proverbs 6:16-24 is one of the ones He most hates. If you want to read more on this hypothesis, give me a yell and I'll email you the chapters!
As for me, I hear the sound of virtual gunfire and am about to retire from my writing to take up my artillery firing computer mouse to do battle in Civil War Generals 2. Can't decide if I want to go against myself at Gettysburg or continue the "Great Battles of the Civil War" at Shiloh.
Got coin to flip?
No comments:
Post a Comment