The Battle of Gettysburg stretched from July 1st through 3rd, 1863.  It was one of the most horrendous battles that was ever fought in the Western hemisphere and it occurred between two sides of Americans – the North versus the South.  Most of it was hand to hand.  The sort of combat that lives most horrifically for those who fight these battles – the soldiers.

Franklin Aretas Haskell was a Union Army officer who wrote a vivid account of this battle which is included as part of the American Historical Documents collected in this Harvard series as must reads of American history.  I believe that it might be included for a very simple reason understood by those of us who have fought on behalf of our country.  If more people understood just how horrific was and is, even the most patriotic of us would be very careful in considering putting American blood and treasure toward this end – war.  It might be accidental in how illustrative the fact is that the account by Haskell was published posthumously.  He was killed in the later Battle of Cold Harbor.

I am not suggesting there are not times when there is something worse than fighting war.  That part which I have done, I would do again – regardless of the costs to me and those who were my brothers in arms.  it is, however, to strongly suggest that war is a particular kind of hell that should never be regarded lightly.

Haskell’s account of the Battle of Gettysburg can be read in its entirety here:

http://www.bartleby.com/43/3501.html

An animated map with narrative explaining the developments of the battle can we viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUKreep2P1M

It should be noted that Haskell is the Union officer that single most is credited with repulsing General Lee’s Pickett’s Charge.   Yet, those who remember his service remember it most for his written account. Fate can be an interesting thing.  Can’t it?

If any of the readers here would like to get a different sort of sense for 1860s America and the Civil War, Second Life has a great role play sim for this.  A friend of mine who cannot quite understand why I won’t participate in this runs the location.  It is a virtual environment, but, if you are interested, it’s a well run and interesting way of gaining perspective.