The Battle of Gettysburg

Tonight, I had the chance to watch the movie "Gettysburg" for the first time in a few years. It tells the complete story of the battle, based on Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels." Great movie-it stars Martin Sheen (Robert E. Lee), Tom Berenger (Gen. Longstreet), and Sam Elliott (Gen. Buford, the Union cavalry commander). I first saw it at the theater when it came out, back in 1993. All I can remember was watching the part towards the center of the movie, the engagement at Little Round Top with Col. Joshua Chamberlain (played by Jeff Daniels), and the screen went dark. We thought it was over, until we saw the word "Intermission" on the screen.

I am going to be a Civil War reenactor after I graduate law school. I have always been a history buff, ever since I can remember. The first time I saw a reenactment, I was at Hale Farm, near Akron. I was little, maybe about 8 or 9, but I was taken by the uniforms, the lines of troops, and the loud artillery. I knew when I got older that this was going to be something I could really sink my teeth into, where I could find a hobby that I could do the rest of my life.

I have been to some websites on reenacting, and read up on it, and it seems like if you want to be a reenactor, you can choose to be as committed or as part-time as you like. It all depends on the unit you join. After I graduate, I plan to start by going to a couple of events, to observe, maybe talk to some reenactors, and learn how everything is done. The nice thing is that they will probably be able to use me. I plan to be a Union soldier, and from what I hear, most reenactors want to be Confederates.

After that, I plan to either find a unit to join, or sign up for events as my schedule allows, depending on how it is done and how much commitment is required. Realistically I will probably look to go to events a couple of times a year, and being a litigator, my schedule will vary depending on the demands with which I am faced under the litigation process. So signing up ahead of time will be difficult, but I will see what happens.

On a related note, I hope to visit some more battlefields soon. A few summers ago, I took a trip down to Virginia, and visited Fredericksburg. I stood on Marye's Heights, where the Confederate army was dug in against the Union advance. Looking down at the Rappahannock River, you can see why the Union army got slaughtered. It's a steep hill, and at the time there was almost no tree cover-the bluecoats were like sitting ducks. Today it's a busy downtown area with trees and buildings everywhere, but the trenches and stone wall are still there. And there is a house near the wall that is still standing-and riddled with bullet holes from guns fired in 1862.

I also got to visit Chancellorsville, the Wilderness battlefield, and New Market in the Shenandoah Valley. The saddest thing I saw was the modern encroachment. I realize that not every square inch can be preserved, but we ate at a McDonald's at Chancellorsville where some Union or Confederate soldier might have been shot or bayoneted 130 years ago. It's inspiring to me, as someone who loves history, to walk fields where men fought and died to keep this country together. I hope we can keep at least some of these battlefields preserved, so my children's children can see them unspoiled, and remember what happened all those years ago. I know if I ever hold office, there will be no one who supports preservation more.

And I am planning on going back to Gettysburg. Watching the movie makes me want to see it all again, and I am planning on getting over there sometime, maybe after I graduate.