Lightning Strikes at Chickamauga

"This is a white man's nation... This is a white man's republic!... Do you want these northern abolitionists to take away your Constitutional right to your own property?!?"

"Long live the Constitution!"

"Long live the Constitution indeed! And long live the Union! It is your choice, good people of Georgia, who you want to represent you as the next President of the United States."

"Do not let these bickering Democrats confuse you. The platform of the Constitutional Union party is very simple; Maintain the primacy of the Constitution, uphold the sovereignty of the Union, and enforce the laws democratically passed by our people."

It was with such exhortations that visitors were greeted as they stepped off the bus for the special "timeline" program at Chickamauga during the 150th anniversary commemoration of the battle. The program was truly unique, taking visitors on a journey through north Georgia from 1860-1864. The timeline began with 1860 political stump speeches with representatives of John Breckenridge, Stephen Douglas, and John Bell making statements like the ones you just read, and then moved through recruitment into the Confederate Army in 1861, the homefront in 1862, the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863, and the aftermath of battle in 1864. It was a fascinating way to present the information that truly stood apart from anything else I have seen as part of the sesquicentennial.  I am working on a series of videos of the timeline, but had to put the project aside when the government shut down on October 1 and have been unable to pick it back up since returning. 

This program was far from the only thing that was new and unique about spending a week in north Georgia. It was a part of the country I had really only driven through before and a great chance to learn more about a crucial Civil War battle and campaign that I was far too ignorant of.

It could well be argued that the Battle of Chickamauga, despite being a Confederate victory, was actually the death knell of the Confederacy. Events leading directly out of this battle culminated in Lee's surrender to Grant nineteen months later. It is also second only to Gettysburg in regard to casualties sustained in a single battle. Yet it is largely unknown and unreferenced in the eastern theater of the war. I too was largely ignorant of much of its story before spending ten days helping to tell it.

I split my time between photography and video, successfully producing these four videos during the time that I was there.

Artillery Demonstration

Killed at Chickamauga

What the Monuments Speak to Us

Lightning Strikes at Chickamauga

Eight more videos are in process and I will hopefully be able to turn my attention back to them after finishing a promotional video for the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

Although most of my focus during programs and tours was on video, I did take some pictures as well. You can see some of them in this Album from the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga. As was the case at Vicksburg and Gettysburg, my favorite images were captured when I went out at sunrise or sunset. Although trees abound at Chickamagua, making it quite difficult to capture the sun, I ended up with some pretty decent images from my various attempts to photograph the light and the clouds.




















Spending ten days in Chickamauga was not without its complications. It was no simple thing to miss an entire week of school, especially sine I am taking three classes this semester and was already feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work. Indeed, had it not been for The Government Shutdown, I don't know how I could have recovered from the trip and gotten everything done. Despite the impact it had on my schoolwork, I am very glad I got to be a part of it, especially since the event was most likely my My Last Battle of the Sesquicentennial. I have said it before, but in light of the recent abuse directed toward the Park Service, it bears saying again: I get to do some pretty meaningful things and work in some pretty special places as a National Park Ranger!

The Fruition of a TwentyYear Dream

It is appropriate that this is the 150th post on this blog, as it reflects both the zenith of the Civil War Sesquicentennial and a twenty year dream come true for me. 

In 1993 the United States commemorated the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. At that time I was ten years old and living in Phoenix, Arizona, about as far away from the battlefield as you can get. Yet I was captivated by what I saw on tv and wished I could be there. Knowing that was not possible, I concluded that if they were making that big a deal out of the 130th anniversary, the time I would really want to be there would be for the 150th. That summer I determined that, no matter where I was living or what I was doing in life, I wanted to be present on the Gettysburg battlefield from July 1-3, 2013.

That same year Ron Maxwell and Ted Turner produced the film "Gettysburg," an account of the battle based on the largely unknown book "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara. The film propelled the book to the bestseller list and drew a great deal of attention to the battlefield, particularity to the fighting that took place on and around Little Round Top on the Second Day. In the years that followed the previously unregarded Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain became a common name associated with the story of Gettysburg. Like many others, my interest was piqued by his story and I made a point to learn more about the professor turned infantry officer.  

Any time I have been on the Gettysburg battlefield I have paid a visit to Little Round Top where a monument to the 20th Maine (Chamberlain's regiment) marks the left flank of the Union position. When I worked on the National Mall I did several first person living history programs as Chamberlain.

Last fall when Alison and I were traveling through New England, I insisted we stop in Brunswick so that I could see Chamberlain's house on the edge of Bowdoin College and visit his final resting place nearby. A few years ago I was given a shirt for Christmas that is emblazoned with Chamberlain's silhouette and the words "Joshua Chamberlain is my homeboy." I think it is safe to say that I am, indeed, a fan of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. 

When I was living in Oroville and started thinking about working for the Park Service, the first thing I did was to go out to Gettysburg to talk to one of the rangers there about how to go about doing it. Gettysburg is, without question, on my short list of top parks I would love to work at.

I have greatly enjoyed each of my experiences serving as a part of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Interpretive Media Team, but the one battle that I was most looking forward to was unquestionably Gettysburg. It is very difficult to get a job at Gettysburg, and the chance to work there in any capacity was a pleasure I was very much looking forward to. Last November I had the opportunity to be a part of the 149th anniversary of the dedication of the National Cemetery and meet Steven Spielberg, which was pretty special. 
But to be there for the 150th anniversary had an even deeper significance. It was, quite literally, the realization of a twenty year dream.


My primary job at Gettysburg, like at all the events I have worked, was to provide coverage of the commemorative events via social media outlets for those who could not be there in person. It is exactly the sort of thing I would have loved as a ten year old, following the 130th commemoration from across the country. In addition to its scope and scale, Gettysburg would also be different because I would be focused exclusively on video rather than on photography. This was an exciting prospect, as I greatly enjoy the creative opportunities that video provides, but it was strange to not be a part of the photography process after being at the center of it in so many other instances.

Our experience began with a Planning Visit on June 20 to gather the team together so we could both familiarize ourselves with details of the battlefield, and also strategically plan how we would attempt to capture particular elements of the commemoration. Jason and I returned on June 25 to get some initial B-roll video and to interview various park staff so that I could use clips of what they said in the production of videos during the event. All of that was merely a prelude, however, to the event itself, which officially began for us on Saturday, June 29.

That first day I checked another personal goal off the list, which was to photograph and capture timelapse of a spectacular sunset from Little Round Top. It turned out to be the most dramatic sunset of the commemoration, so I was glad I seized the opportunity. Since we were going to be out at Little Round Top for sunset anyway, and programs had not yet started in earnest, I asked the other guy that was doing video with me if he could film a short interview with me telling my story (as relayed above) by the 20th Maine Monument.

Although this footage didn't make it into one of the videos I produced, it was still very meaningful to me to have the opportunity to record it. It was quite difficult to film actually, because people kept coming up and asking questions. I was a ranger wearing a flat hat, standing by the 20th Maine Memorial on Little Round Top, so people naturally assumed I could tell them what they wanted to know. Luckily, almost without exception, I could. By the time we were finished I had given at least four informal interpretive programs about Chamberlain, the 20th Maine, Little Round Top, and the fighting on July 2 and answered countless additional questions. It was a special moment for me. Even if I never set foot in Gettysburg in uniform again, I can now say that I have interpreted the battle where it occurred as a Park Ranger.

June 30 began with a beautiful parallel of the night before, with a glorious sunrise over the battlefield. Although I went out for sunrise two more times over the next three days, the most impressive was unquestionably the morning of June 30. Gettysburg is a truly beautiful and tranquil place in the early morning.





Later that morning we had an all employee meeting which included an address by none other than Jon Jarvis, the Director of the entire National Park Service. Since this was potentially the only time our entire team would be in one place I had already planned to take a group picture following the meeting. On a whim, as we gathered for this picture, I asked Jason if it would be appropriate to ask the Director to be in the picture with us. What you see below is the result: the Gettysburg 150 social media team along with Director Jarvis, the Northeast Regional Director, and the Superintendent of Gettysburg with Little Round Top behind us.

The rest of the commemoration passed in a blur as I ran from one event to the next or sat in the office with headphones on editing video. My fellow videographer and I were able to produce a separate recap video for each of the five primary days of the commemoration even as the events were taking place. Anyone who has edited and produced video knows this is no small feat! Those five videos, along with a special video for the Pickett's Charge program can be found on the Gettysburg YouTube Page. All of the footage you see in these videos was filmed by either myself or Michael (the other videographer) and he and I worked together to edit the six videos below.

June 30 - The Eve of Battle

In this video you see timelapse of the sunrise that I described above as well as of the opening program that occurred the evening of the 30th. You also see and hear footage that I filmed of various different speakers including Director Jarvis and Doris Kearns Goodwin. Alison came up to the battlefield that afternoon and attended that program as well as several the next day. It was very fun to have her be there as a part of the events along with me.

July 1 - The First Day

July 1 began with a program about the last march of the Iron Brigade, as they entered into the fighting when the battle began in earnest that morning. It was one of the most impressive programs I have ever seen as living historians dressed as members of the Iron Brigade led the way as nearly 1,000 people streamed across the fields of Gettysburg. I was sprinting through the fields trying to get one shot after another with Alison right beside me. She stayed with me despite being attired in shorts and sandals, which was most impressive. Unfortunately it also meant that she exposed herself to poison ivy, which she has been dealing with for this past week!

July 2 - The Second Day

On July 2 I followed in the footsteps of the Confederate advance in two separate programs, both of which are featured in this video ("In the footsteps of Captain Johnston" and "The Valley of Death). I also managed to capture some memorable footage of Confederate living history demonstrations, which is likewise featured in the video.

July 3 -The Final Day

The highlight of the third day, and really of the commemoration, was Pickett's charge. More than 15,000 visitors followed in the footsteps of the 12,500 man charge, crossing the same fields along the same paths taken by the nine brigades that made the charge on July 3. It was an impressive sight, and all told roughly 40,000 people were present for the program, making it by far the largest of the sesquicentennial. You can see additional footage of the program in the Pickett's Charge Program video as well.

July 4 -The Aftermath

Among the programs focused on the aftermath of battle was a fascinating presentation about the dead, given on the Rose Farm with 3D pictures and glasses to help visitors more fully appreciate the experience. Even I donned the glasses as I filmed the program.

Being a part of the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg was, without a doubt, one of the high points of my Park Service career. It was an honor and privilege to help tell the story of what happened there so many years ago. It was a dream come true and the fruition of 20 years of learning and study. It was an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.




For more of the pictures I took of the commemoration check out This Album of My Favorites. You can also see many of my pictures featured in This Final Album on the Gettysburg Facebook Page that I put together.

Since returning from the commemoration I have dedicated nearly every moment to producing a final video for the entire commemoration. I finished it this morning, only hours before departing for Phoenix. You can view that video on the Gettysburg YouTube Page or directly at This Link.

I can think of no better way to conclude than with the words that Joshua Chamberlain spoke at the dedication of the 20th Maine Monument on October 3, 1889:

"In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls...And reverent men and women from afar and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder and dream; and lo, the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls." 

Defending the Mississippi: Remembering the Siege and Battle of Vicksburg

Despite the early hour I was quite comfortable in a short sleeved shirt. In fact, it was actually near-perfect weather, which only added to the serene and cathartic predawn atmosphere. It was an unusual way for most people to begin their 30th birthday, but for me, setting up cameras to film and photograph the soon to be rising sun over Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi really wasn't that strange. Given that I had to be away from my wife and any other family and friends and spend my 30th birthday working, I felt blessed indeed to begin my day in such a beautiful setting. I would have loved being in Vicksburg for the park's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the famous siege no matter what, and I always enjoy watching the sun rise, but there was something special about that morning. Perhaps it was the knowledge that I was getting paid overtime for every minute I spent out in the field on my birthday (that certainly didn't hurt), but I think there was something more. National parks are all about connecting to the resource and as I watched the sun rise on May 25, 2013 Vicksburg and I experienced a significant connection.

I had ended the previous evening by photographing the full moon as it rose over the battlefield, and despite the few hours of sleep in between, I had decided it was worth getting up early the next morning to try and catch the moon as it set and the sun as it rose. It turned out that it was too overcast where the moon was setting, but as I drove toward Fort Garrott (a favorite spot in the park, if for no other reason than the noteworthy similarity in name), I knew the sunrise was going to be something special. I had been out two days earlier with a similar purpose and captured some beautiful pictures and video and it was easy to tell that I would be able to do so again.

This Photo Album on the Vicksburg facebook page was the last one I posted. It is made up entirely of shots that I captured of the moon rise on May 24 and the sunrise the morning of May 25.

I also filmed and edited this Video of the Sunrise that same morning. In it you see 45 minutes of video sped up x 4500. It was the first time I had ever tried anything of this nature, and I thought it turned out pretty well.

The trip to Vicksburg was a unique one in many ways. to begin with, we flew instead of driving, which brought with it a whole host of new concerns and complications. We did manage to arrive in one piece with all of our luggage despite having to fly to Orlando in order to switch planes to fly to Jackson, Mississippi. I really wasn't sure what to expect when we got to Vicksburg. I knew very little about the park and did not have especially high expectations for what it would have to offer.

Thus I was genuinely amazed when we arrived and discovered that Vicksburg is truly an unknown gem of the National Park System. It is a stunningly beautiful park that encompasses much more land than I expected. To give you some perspective, the tour road through the park is sixteen miles long. The park has more than 1500 monuments and markers, more than any other battlefield, including Gettysburg. There are, quite literally, photographic opportunities around every corner.

Vicksburg also had a much more low-key schedule than many of the events I have covered and we were there for nine days, which gave us ample opportunity to take advantage of unique photographic and video opportunities much more so than we have at other events. 

I did a lot more video work at Vicksburg, and consequently took far fewer pictures. It was a lot of fun to get to do video again though, something I haven't done since living in Oroville. I am continuing to work on several more videos concerning different elements of the event, but here are four of the videos that one of the other member of our team and I put together so far:

Placement of Flags in the National Cemetery


In Honor of Memorial Day


Artillery Thank You


Portraits of Vicksburg


It was a fun and interesting week filled with memorable scenes and moments. Those moments began even before we set foot in the park itself. I knew we were staying in a hotel, and I figured that would mean sharing a room with one of the other rangers. I was quite surprised upon checking in to discover that I had, not only my own room, but a suite all to myself for the duration of our stay. It was, without question, the nicest accommodation I have experienced thus far!

Another gem of Vicksburg is the U.S.S. Cairo, an old Union ironclad that was pulled from where it had sank in the Yazoo River and put on display in the park. We had a lot of fun photographing and videoing the ship and came away with some special images, including these two, in which I appear in the pilot house of the ship.

We also had a chance to see the mighty Mississippi River in all its glory, which immediately made it clear why Vicksburg was so important to the Confederacy.

Special guests for the weekend included Doug and camels Richard and Abraham of the Texas Camel Corps to represent Douglas the Camel, the famous Mascot of the 43rd Mississippi at Vicksburg.

Among the interesting people I met and photographed were the Governor of Iowa and former Governor (Haley Barbour) of Mississippi. We additionally convinced country music star Trace Adkins to pose by the Louisiana State Memorial for us (you may have noticed him in the Portraits of Vicksburg video), since his ancestor was a member of the 22nd Louisiana Infantry.

It was a memorable week and stands out as a highlight of my Park Service career thus far. Now we are only a few weeks away from Gettysburg!

For more images of the commemoration take a look at this album of Vicksburg Pictures.

The 2013 Civil War Sesquicentennial Begins!

The month of May, 2013 has been marked by memorable events. As described in my Previous Post, it began with me finishing a major research paper in order to complete my third semester of graduate school. I turned that paper in the night before departing for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chancellorsville. The weekend after Chancellorsville, Alison and I escaped for a brief retreat in Cape May, NJ, which you can read about in the Previous Post mentioned above. That adventure was followed by a white water rafting trip on the Potomac River on May 18 (which you can read about in the Next Post), before I left for a ten day trip to Vicksburg, MS to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the siege of that city (which you can read about in the Post After That).

But first, a bit more about the first sesquicentennial anniversary of 2013, on the fields of Chancellorsville...

I was down at Fredericksburg in December for the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg, so I thought I had a pretty good idea what to expect for Chancellorsville. It turned out that the commemorative events at Chancellorsville, though similar in some respects, had their own unique character and flavor. One big difference was that my two coworkers and I stayed onsite in park housing rather than driving down to the park and back each day as we had done in December. This was much less tiring and also allowed us to be much more productive and make the most of the time that we had available. The events included everything from ranger led hikes, to a fife and drum concert, to a special program at the final bivouac site of "Stonewall" Jackson and Robert E. Lee the night before the former made his famous flank march around the Union forces.

The highlight of the event was a real time program on May 3 that began just before sunrise. That program included the firing of a cannon at dawn to mark the opening of the fighting that day. Because of the early morning air the smoke hung over the battlefield much more than normal. This is the shot I captured of that cannon firing.

Another fun aspect of the event was meeting a father who had pulled his son out of school and brought him out to the commemorative events. The boy's Maternal Great Great Great Grandfather was a Union soldier captured at Chancellorsville during Jackson's flank attack on May 2 and his Paternal Great Great Great Grandfather was killed during the fighting on the morning of May 3. Talk about tangible connections to the battlefield!

It was a great way to begin the month of May and another memorable aspect of my job. I continue to be amazed that the government is paying me to go out and photograph these events. I am, indeed, blessed! It is moments like these that make living on a temporary GS-05 salary worth it!

For more pictures that I took at Chancellorsville check out this album highlighting many of my favorites!

Crossing the River: The Battle of Fredericksburg 150 years later

One week ago today marked both the 150th
anniversary of the Battle of Fredericksburg and the first day following the completion of my second semester of graduate school. The two coincided quite closely. The sesquicentennial commemoration at Fredericksburg began on Friday, December 7 and ended on December 15. My two final papers were due on December 11 and 12 respectively. It was quite a challenge to finish writing both papers and get them turned in in the midst of all the activity at Fredericksburg. I manged to do it though, and just found out that I ended the semester with an A in both classes. That is some pretty nice validation, especially since it was so difficult to get all of the work done amidst everything going on with Fredericksburg!

The events at Fredericksburg were very different from other sesquicentennial commemorations I have photographed. Much of the difference was due to the battlefield itself. The Park only owns the land directly surrounding the Confederate entrenchments, which means that much of the commemoration actually took place outside of park land and in the town of Fredericksburg. This worked very well in this instance since the battle was actually fought through the town itself. That was one of the significant firsts of Fredericksburg: the first time the two armies had made a town a battlefield.

I was down in Fredericksburg six different days and had to drive down to the park and back home each time. That was certainly tiring, but it did allow me to capture a wide range of different moments over the course of the week. 

These are three of my favorites:

Two young girls laying flowers on the historic stone wall to honor the fallen

A bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace" to close the commemoration ceremony

Three brothers standing next to the monument to their Great Great Grandfather: Confederate General Thomas R. R. Cobb, one of the heroes of the battle.























There was no shortage of people dressed in period attire as well. These are five of my favorite "moments out of time."

One of the highlights of the week was a procession that wound its way from the point at which the Union soldiers crossed the river all the way across their path of assault through the town and up to the Confederate defensive line on Marye's Heights.

In this picture you can see the modern fighting 69th New York  followed by the Union 69th New York, a delegation from the Irish Defense League, the 28th Massachusetts, and the 47th Virginia, all marching together and followed by the crowds.

Here are a couple close ups of the 28th Massachusetts and 47th Virginia

During the procession Union and Confederate reenactors fired a volley together to honor the fallen.


These are two of the most unique members of the procession: Irish Wolfhounds that accompanied the 69th New York.


The procession ended with a special ceremony on Marye's Heights that included a 21 gun salute by two modern howitzers

Another significant first of the Battle of Fredericksburg was the fact that the Union soldiers had to cross the river in order to get to the Confederate positions. This was the first amphibious assault under fire in US history.

Normally I do not get to see reenactments of the battles because I am busy taking pictures of NPS events while they occur. Fredericksburg provided me with a a unique opportunity to change that. Since the reenactment happened right in the town I was able to photograph the Union crossing, fight through the streets of town, and assault on the Confederate position on Marye's Heights. I got some really unique shots and a few of my pictures were even featured on the Civil War Trust Facebook Page, which was pretty exciting.

It was a challenging week, but a memorable one that provided ample opportunities for me to capture moments I have not encountered at any other commemoration.