Talk on Saturday night

[Eric Wittenberg]

This past Saturday, I received one of the greatest honors of my life, real dream come true stuff--I was asked to give a lecture on the Civil War at my alma mater, Dickinson College. I also got to share the stage with the lectern that was on the dais when Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. That's it in the photo with me. The chair was used that day by Edward Everett, who gave the lengthy keynote address before Lincoln spoke. If you look carefully at the screen behind me, you will clearly see a bareheaded Lincoln right in the middle of the photo. Everett is using the lectern to speak.

I know some of you here always want to know when one of my lectures is available, which is why I'm posting this, although I don't like tooting my own horn--please don't construe this as such, as it's not my intent. The talk was titled "Battling the Myths of Gettysburg," which is linked below. The whole thing, with questions and answers, is just over an hour in length, so it's not terribly long.

Enjoy!

.

 

[Gary Morgan]

Wicked cool! Congrats!

 

[major bill]

Sounds like a real honor.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

Congratulations on achieving that dream. Very few folks can say they achieved such a dream.

I'm not big on lectures, but this reminds me I need to buy one or two of your books.

 

[rpkennedy]

Congratulations, @Eric Wittenberg! Those are remarkable historical artifacts and it must've been incredible to share the stage with them.

Ryan

 

[rgtaylor61]

Where is the lectern normally kept?

 

[John Winn]

My compliments, sir ! I look forward to seeing the video. I very much enjoyed your company in 2016 at Gettysburg. I think you have received recognition you well deserve.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Congratulations, @Eric Wittenberg! Those are remarkable historical artifacts and it must've been incredible to share the stage with them.

Ryan

It really was, Ryan. Spine chilling stuff, if the truth be told.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Where is the lectern normally kept?

It's in the hands of a private collector named Craig Caba. He brings it out once or twice per year.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

My compliments, sir ! I look forward to seeing the video. I very much enjoyed your company in 2016 at Gettysburg. I think you have received recognition you well deserve.

Thank you very much for those kind words. I really appreciate them.

 

[rgtaylor61]

It's in the hands of a private collector named Craig Caba. He brings it out once or twice per year.

What an amazing artifact.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

What an amazing artifact.

Indeed it is. I got chills just being there next to it.

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Regarding your answer about Gettysburg Day 1 not being a Meeting Engagement: it certainly looks like one the way both sides funneled newly arriving units into the fight over the course of the day. It's certainly a contrast to Antietam, Stones River, and other classic battles where both sides are mostly or completely deployed prior to fighting. However, you make a reasonable argument why Gettysburg is not a Meeting Engagement.

Would you consider Chickamauga Day 2 to be a Meeting Engagement? Due to the actions of Minty and Wilder on Day 1 it seems both sides were at least somewhat aware the other was in the area. However, both sides were feeding in brigades and divisions piecemeal throughout the day as they arrived on the scene and those units kept stumbling into each other in the thick terrain.

 

[lupaglupa]

What a great honor and one I know you deserved!

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Regarding your answer about Gettysburg Day 1 not being a Meeting Engagement: it certainly looks like one the way both sides funneled newly arriving units into the fight over the course of the day. It's certainly a contrast to Antietam, Stones River, and other classic battles where both sides are mostly or completely deployed prior to fighting. However, you make a reasonable argument why Gettysburg is not a Meeting Engagement.

Would you consider Chickamauga Day 2 to be a Meeting Engagement? Due to the actions of Minty and Wilder on Day 1 it seems both sides were at least somewhat aware the other was in the area. However, both sides were feeding in brigades and divisions piecemeal throughout the day as they arrived on the scene and those units kept stumbling into each other in the thick terrain.

I think that the same analysis that I used as to July 1 is equally applicable to Chickamauga, Josh. And for the same reasons.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

What a great honor and one I know you deserved!

Thank you!

 

[infomanpa]

Dickinson College in Carlisle? Excellent. That was really a honor. I'll bet you made some trips down the road to visit Gettysburg when you were a student.

 

[Eric Wittenberg]

Dickinson College in Carlisle? Excellent. That was really a honor. I'll bet you made some trips down the road to visit Gettysburg when you were a student.

Yes, sir. Dickinson College in Carlisle. I'm a member of the class of 1983.

Yep, sure did. I had a friend from home who was a history major at Gettysburg College, and I would periodically call him up to see if he was free, and I would then drive down, pick him up at his fraternity house, and we would choose a corner of the battlefield, park the car, and get out and walk. That's how I really learned the battlefield.

 

[infomanpa]

Yes, sir. Dickinson College in Carlisle. I'm a member of the class of 1983.

Yep, sure did. I had a friend from home who was a history major at Gettysburg College, and I would periodically call him up to see if he was free, and I would then drive down, pick him up at his fraternity house, and we would choose a corner of the battlefield, park the car, and get out and walk. That's how I really learned the battlefield.

That explains it!

 

[danny]

Outstanding!