75th Anniversary of Gettysburg

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

As the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg just passed us by, we might pause for a little reflection on anniversaries past. Today I offer footage from the 75th anniversary, an event that included veterans from both armies, a speech delivered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and the unveiling of the Eternal Peace Light Memorial. At the dedication ceremony, an entirely scripted reconciliationist event, FDR noted, "all [Civil War veterans] we honor, not asking under which flag they fought then, thankful that they stand together under one flag now."

There is so much one can say about this event and the context(s) within which the proceedings played out. But I think you know how I feel...so I will open the floor for discussion. But whatever you think - please enjoy the video.

Peace,
Keith

A Thought (or two) on Turning Points

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Gettysburg, my place of residence for the next few days, is a wonderful place to contemplate turning points. Not because I believe the battlefield represents one (or the, as it were), but precisely because the field persists as the culmination of the Confederate war effort in public memory - as the turning point of the Civil War.

I find this troubling primarily because nobody thought this in July 1863. The "high water mark" is a post war construction - written into history by those looking retrospectively for the exact moment when the Rebel cause came at last crashing down...never to rise again. I suppose if you tilt your head to the side, squint, and ignore 1864 entirely, you might arrive at a similar conclusion. But even then the logic is more than slightly flawed.

It might be instructive at this juncture to provide my definition of Civil War turning points - so as not to ruffle too many "high water mark" feathers. A turning point represents a contemporary sea change in opinion, attitude, strategy, or tactics. The battle of Gettysburg does not suggest this to me - nor did it suggest it to the soldiers who fought there (for the most part).

As part of the Civil War Institute Conference, I will be speaking on - and leading a discussion about - turning points in 1862. My talk, titled - strangely enough, 1862: A Year of Turning Points, will cover topics from Ironclads to Emancipation...but not the Battle of Gettysburg  There is also an analytical component to the talk that might surprise the audience. I do not want to give away too much before the fact, so I will save the slam dunk for the debriefing next week.

Until then - be sure to follow the Civil War Institute Twitter feed at #cwi1862 and as always - Peace,

Keith