Gordon/Barlow story of Gettysburg

[8thvacav]

What do you think about Gordon/Barlow story of Gettysburg? True or false?
8thvacav

[gary]

The editor of LSU edition of Gordon's memoirs says its false. He points out that Gordon's memoirs were penned during the height of the reconciliation period and that the two never met on the field of battle.

[johan_steele]

I believe Desjardin also calls the story into question. I'm tempted to sayit was a little too good to be true as well.

[8thvacav]

http://www.msnusers.com/CivilWarBivo...ttachments/280
read this Now who do you believe?

[VS on the belt plate]

I believe most today believe it to be untrue.

I guess it is based on the fact that there is no evidence they met...postwar...and the known tendency of Gordon to exagerate and probably fabricate.

VS..etc

[8thvacav]

VS,
If you read the article at the link I posted you will see there is evidence. They even met 25 years later at Gettysburg. Can you show me where Gordan was exaggerating. Your scource please.
8thvacav

[8thvacav]

gary,

The editor of LSU edition of Gordon's memoirs says its false. He points out that Gordon's memoirs were penned during the height of the reconciliation period and that the two never met on the field of battle.

The LSU got their info from Civil War Times Illustrated. The May of 1985 edition. The original 1st edition of Gordans memoir's had a different introduction and was replaced in the reprint. The original one was written by General Steven D. Lee.
8thvacav

[VS on the belt plate]

8thVaCav..I tried to read the article..but couldnt open it for whatever reason.

Can you please mail it to me at:

thunderstruck1@comcast.net

Thanks

I think modern historians feel that CW books penned by participants were sometimes influenced by the passage of time and the inperfection of human memory. To the best of my knowledge Gordon originally told the story of the Barlow incident...The story probably did not /does not have any other source in which to confirm it.

E.P. Alexander's book is NOT one of these..but Gordon's is consider at least a little exagerated. I cant remember where I read this.

Have you read Gordon's book? I always meant to buy it..but seem to find something else that gets priority. So I cant comment on that.

They have a neat diorama at the visitor center at Gettysburg depicting the incident..

If your article sheds new light..great.


I have the May of 1985 CWTI issue..so I 'll see what that article says.

VS

[mobile_96]

8thvacav
{ to VS,
If you read the article at the link I posted you will see there is evidence. They even met 25 years later at Gettysburg. Can you show me where Gordan was exaggerating. Your scource please.} Gordon said they met at Gettysburg-do the muster records of that event show both of them even there?
{to gary The LSU got their info from Civil War Times Illustrated. The May of 1985 edition.}
The CWTI article was written by William F. Hanna, after studing a collection of Barlow's letters donated to the Massachusetts Historical Society, particularly one dated July 7, 1863, with the resulting article in Civil War Times Illustrated.

Gettysburg Magazine, #8, January/1993,
In Edwin Bearss's Introduction to this issue of the Magazine he states " John Pullen introduces "The Gordon-Barlow Story, with Sequel" (article on the story started on page 5 of this issue) as told by that long-lived Confederate folk hero and general, John Brown Gordon, in a lecture titled "The Last Days of the Confederacy" given in Brooklyn Feb. 7, 1901.
The Gordon-Barlow story has, at least since 1901, been an enduring legacy of Gettysburg: as of September 1992, a 1960's National Park Service wayside on Barlow's Knoll still interprets it as a fact.
But Should the Gordon-Barlow story be a part of the Gettysburg legacy, and was General Gordon old soldiering when he recalled events of his glory days in 1901? The responce to the first question is "No!" and to the second, "Yes!"
To read from Barlow's letter from July 7, 1863 and Hanna's conclusion visit
http://www.gdg.org/Research/OOB/Conf...3/jgordon.html
Chuck in IL.

[8thvacav]

I find no where that Hanna gives any info that makes his case. BTW This article was from Jeffrey Keene's book "Someone Else's Yesterday". I think he has gathered enough research to make his case. He had help from Mr. Robert Krick of Fredricksburg, Va., Mr. Gary Gallagher of Charlottesville, Va., Mr. Scott Hartwig of Gettysburg, Pa., and Mr. Gregory C. White of Canton, Ga.
8thvacav