This past Sunday, the sound of cannon fire boomed across the valley between the Confederate Mule Shoe Salient and the Landrum House Ridge. The modern day version of the Stafford Light Artillery stood by their bronze Napoleon, executing the battle drills of a bygone era. The noise, smoke, and confusion of a misfire clearly demonstrated the battlefield ordeal of a Civil War gun crew. All that was missing was an enemy bent on their capture or destruction.
If we multiply this single cannon by a hundred, add the continuous rattle of musketry, the shouts of men, and the explosion of case shot, we might have witnessed the carnage of 12 May 1864.
Fire! The noise is deafening. Flame leaps from the cannon muzzle. Smoke rolls across the landscape. Imagine a case shot bursting over the heads of charging Union soldiers. Or canister exploding in their faces as they close the distance to the Confederate trenches. If we close our eyes, we can see into the past and hear the exploding shells, the zip of lead balls fired from a thousand rifled muskets, the dull thump of rounds striking home on poor, unsuspecting soldiers.
But to imagine the horrors of past battlefields, we must visit them. We must stand where soldiers fought, where our ancestors fought. As I watched the Stafford Light Artillery with my wife and youngest son, I could hear the ghosts of Spotsylvania Courthouse calling to me. I could see my great-great grandfather standing in the trenches with the 14th North Carolina Infantry Regiment. I could see the past and the sacrifices made on both sides. I could understand the roar of battle just a bit more.
Preserve their memories by protecting battlefield land today. We are the last generation capable of securing these sacred Civil War Sites. Let us not fail.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Technology and History Part 2
Having recently re-read an article on the L.A. Fire Department's use of Web 2.0, I found myself looking at applications for past events. If we tell a simple story using the context of the past, then maybe we can better design solutions for the present.
Close your eyes and step into H.G. Well's time machine with me. We are bound for 1862. We find ourselves on the banks of Antietam Creek on the 17th of September. The Armies of Blue and Gray surround us and America's Bloodiest Day is about to begin. We bring with us the social networking and webification technology of the 21st Century. Our mission: To provide dynamic, web-based updates on the historic 1862 battle for an American History Class in 2008.
We start by roaming the battlefield with our digital camera. We capture images of dirty soldiers, inspiring leaders, troop movements, rifle and artillery fire, startled civilians, death, and destruction. We post these images using Flickr on our laptop with a wireless internet connection through time. We use Real Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds to update our American Civil War Blog. The Blog is easily accessed via the History Class's Web Site. We also use Google’s web-based Blogger software with FeedBurner, an RSS feed to deliver real-time imagery via Podcasts to History Classes across the world. The images provide a dynamic view of the battle's progress and its impacts on the land and the men involved.
At the same time, our roaming correspondents use Twitter to provide short burst updates on the battle. We embed our correspondents with Union and Confederate Units. The Twitter updates track progress as units move, engage, and fall back in the mighty struggle for the Cornfield and the West Woods. We utilize Twitter's Short Message Service (SMS) to provide updates to subscribers with cell phones. We provide Instant Messaging (IM) updates via the web. We include links using tiny URLs in the Twitter updates for access to Flickr images, battle maps, troop orders of battle, and casualty reports. In an instant, thousands can track the battles' progress and focus on units or people of interest. Our History Class and other subscribers can visualize themselves on the battlefield at each critical point in time. We can watch the battle unfold, in real-time, from either side's perspective.
As the battle progresses, and chaos overtakes the smoldering landscape turned red, we switch to Jott and use our cell phone to convert voice messages to text and deliver the messages to our subscribers using RSS feeds. The feeds are accessed via the History Class Web Site and are published to external web sites.
We quickly develop mapping mashups using Google Earth and Google Map to display troop movements, battle lines, headquarters locations, hospitals, roads, bridges, and other lines of communication. We embed information about each location in the mashup and develop Java applications to replay the battle for class discussion and after-action analysis.
As the sun sets on the rolling fields of Washington County, Maryland, we use BlogTalkRadio to facilitate a class discussion on the battle, its role in the American Civil War, and its outcome.
We make the return trip to 21st Century America, hoping to have proven the utility of today's web for those non-believers amongst us. Somewhere in the sands of time, we could have used Web Alerts, Online Groups and Distribution Lists, Translation Services, and possibly even MySpace or Facebook. Could you imagine a Robert E. Lee MySpace page?
Close your eyes and step into H.G. Well's time machine with me. We are bound for 1862. We find ourselves on the banks of Antietam Creek on the 17th of September. The Armies of Blue and Gray surround us and America's Bloodiest Day is about to begin. We bring with us the social networking and webification technology of the 21st Century. Our mission: To provide dynamic, web-based updates on the historic 1862 battle for an American History Class in 2008.
We start by roaming the battlefield with our digital camera. We capture images of dirty soldiers, inspiring leaders, troop movements, rifle and artillery fire, startled civilians, death, and destruction. We post these images using Flickr on our laptop with a wireless internet connection through time. We use Real Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds to update our American Civil War Blog. The Blog is easily accessed via the History Class's Web Site. We also use Google’s web-based Blogger software with FeedBurner, an RSS feed to deliver real-time imagery via Podcasts to History Classes across the world. The images provide a dynamic view of the battle's progress and its impacts on the land and the men involved.
At the same time, our roaming correspondents use Twitter to provide short burst updates on the battle. We embed our correspondents with Union and Confederate Units. The Twitter updates track progress as units move, engage, and fall back in the mighty struggle for the Cornfield and the West Woods. We utilize Twitter's Short Message Service (SMS) to provide updates to subscribers with cell phones. We provide Instant Messaging (IM) updates via the web. We include links using tiny URLs in the Twitter updates for access to Flickr images, battle maps, troop orders of battle, and casualty reports. In an instant, thousands can track the battles' progress and focus on units or people of interest. Our History Class and other subscribers can visualize themselves on the battlefield at each critical point in time. We can watch the battle unfold, in real-time, from either side's perspective.
As the battle progresses, and chaos overtakes the smoldering landscape turned red, we switch to Jott and use our cell phone to convert voice messages to text and deliver the messages to our subscribers using RSS feeds. The feeds are accessed via the History Class Web Site and are published to external web sites.
We quickly develop mapping mashups using Google Earth and Google Map to display troop movements, battle lines, headquarters locations, hospitals, roads, bridges, and other lines of communication. We embed information about each location in the mashup and develop Java applications to replay the battle for class discussion and after-action analysis.
As the sun sets on the rolling fields of Washington County, Maryland, we use BlogTalkRadio to facilitate a class discussion on the battle, its role in the American Civil War, and its outcome.
We make the return trip to 21st Century America, hoping to have proven the utility of today's web for those non-believers amongst us. Somewhere in the sands of time, we could have used Web Alerts, Online Groups and Distribution Lists, Translation Services, and possibly even MySpace or Facebook. Could you imagine a Robert E. Lee MySpace page?
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Gettysburg - 1 July 1863
Today is the 145th Anniversary of the opening engagement of the Battle of Gettysburg. Was this the South's missed opportunity to crush the Army of the Potomac and win the American Civil War?
On several occasions, the Army of Northern Virginia was presented with an opportunity to defeat a significant portion of its adversary. Gaines' Mill, Glendale, Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, and North Anna come to mind. Some might even argue for Fredericksburg to be included in this debate. But the first day in July, 1863 may have been the best missed chance.
What was always elusive to the Southern Cause was total victory on the battlefield. The Confederates needed to destroy a large portion of the Union Army. They had to eliminate the Army of the Potomac as a fighting force. They needed a complete victory to fan the fires of dissent across the Nothern states. This dissent would force a change in executive leadership in 1864 and bring both sides to the peace table. We must accept the fact that International Recognition was never a feasible goal following Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Only battlefield success would bring peace and the recognition of a Confederate States of America.
Gettysburg was a classic meeting engagement with two Armies bumbling into one another. Even though the Union Cavalry did a spendid job in delaying the Confederate advance, the South was able to bring more troops to bear at the critical time and place on the battlefield. But did the South lose a chance to destroy the Union First and Eleventh Corps? Would this have resulted in the desired end state of complete victory?
Reality is that the Union First and Eleventh Corps were in effect destroyed on 1 July 1863. They were never again a capable fighting force. But could the Confederates have attacked with better coordination? Could they have saved some precious daylight to completely rout the First and Eleventh Corps? Could they have reorganized their forces to attack and defeat elements of the Union Twelth and Third Corps that were approaching Gettysburg?
What should Lee and Longstreet have done on the afternoon of 1 July 1863? Much has been made of Longstreet's desire to fight a defensive engagement and slide around the Union left, but should he have been more aggressive? What would Stonewall Jackson have done if he was leading the old Second Corps on this field?
The Confederate attacks on the opening day were piecemeal, uncoordinated, and lacked effective command and control. Poor leadership was the story of the day with Ewell, Heth, Oneal, Rodes, Iverson, Pettigrew, Daniel, Davis, and others demonstrating how not to lead a Confederate corps, division, or brigade command. Confederate losses were heavy, but should have been avoidable. Coordination and leadership by example were missing. The effects on an attacking force were clearly demonstrated in the pounding that Heth's and Rodes' divisions incurred.
Just becuase one might unite his army on the battlefield before his opponent, does not guarantee total victory. Gettysburg's opening day is the prime example. For the most part, Northern leadership and command and control at the divisional and brigade level complemented by Yankee resolve and sacrifice held the day. Yes, two Union Corps were wrecked, but the losses inflicted on the Confederates and Southern leadership failures mitigated the level of tactical defeat. If the South could do it all over again, maybe they would take an operational pause to develop the situation, coordinate their movements and battlefield maneuver, synchronize their fires and flank attacks and exploit success with a sizeable reserve.
Then again, history tells us that the South lost its fighting spirit on the fields of Adams County, Pennsylvania. That spirit was embodied in the thousands of irreplaceable Southern soldiers lost due to failed leadership, failed command and control, and a lost cavalry commander.
On several occasions, the Army of Northern Virginia was presented with an opportunity to defeat a significant portion of its adversary. Gaines' Mill, Glendale, Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, and North Anna come to mind. Some might even argue for Fredericksburg to be included in this debate. But the first day in July, 1863 may have been the best missed chance.
What was always elusive to the Southern Cause was total victory on the battlefield. The Confederates needed to destroy a large portion of the Union Army. They had to eliminate the Army of the Potomac as a fighting force. They needed a complete victory to fan the fires of dissent across the Nothern states. This dissent would force a change in executive leadership in 1864 and bring both sides to the peace table. We must accept the fact that International Recognition was never a feasible goal following Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Only battlefield success would bring peace and the recognition of a Confederate States of America.
Gettysburg was a classic meeting engagement with two Armies bumbling into one another. Even though the Union Cavalry did a spendid job in delaying the Confederate advance, the South was able to bring more troops to bear at the critical time and place on the battlefield. But did the South lose a chance to destroy the Union First and Eleventh Corps? Would this have resulted in the desired end state of complete victory?
Reality is that the Union First and Eleventh Corps were in effect destroyed on 1 July 1863. They were never again a capable fighting force. But could the Confederates have attacked with better coordination? Could they have saved some precious daylight to completely rout the First and Eleventh Corps? Could they have reorganized their forces to attack and defeat elements of the Union Twelth and Third Corps that were approaching Gettysburg?
What should Lee and Longstreet have done on the afternoon of 1 July 1863? Much has been made of Longstreet's desire to fight a defensive engagement and slide around the Union left, but should he have been more aggressive? What would Stonewall Jackson have done if he was leading the old Second Corps on this field?
The Confederate attacks on the opening day were piecemeal, uncoordinated, and lacked effective command and control. Poor leadership was the story of the day with Ewell, Heth, Oneal, Rodes, Iverson, Pettigrew, Daniel, Davis, and others demonstrating how not to lead a Confederate corps, division, or brigade command. Confederate losses were heavy, but should have been avoidable. Coordination and leadership by example were missing. The effects on an attacking force were clearly demonstrated in the pounding that Heth's and Rodes' divisions incurred.
Just becuase one might unite his army on the battlefield before his opponent, does not guarantee total victory. Gettysburg's opening day is the prime example. For the most part, Northern leadership and command and control at the divisional and brigade level complemented by Yankee resolve and sacrifice held the day. Yes, two Union Corps were wrecked, but the losses inflicted on the Confederates and Southern leadership failures mitigated the level of tactical defeat. If the South could do it all over again, maybe they would take an operational pause to develop the situation, coordinate their movements and battlefield maneuver, synchronize their fires and flank attacks and exploit success with a sizeable reserve.
Then again, history tells us that the South lost its fighting spirit on the fields of Adams County, Pennsylvania. That spirit was embodied in the thousands of irreplaceable Southern soldiers lost due to failed leadership, failed command and control, and a lost cavalry commander.
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