This week, a rare opportunity to walk
the fields of Gettysburg with close friend and Founding Member of the Wall
Gang, Bucky Weber. This trip is something we have talked about for years and
now, thanks to the patience, understanding and humor of our wives we finally
get to do it.
Buck and I are both history buffs
although I think he has been interested in the American Civil War longer than
I. He has visited Gettysburg once before, just one day in a severely limited
capacity, and has longed to return. I am so pleased that we got to go together.
Mrs. Leeway and I have visited
Gettysburg annually for eight years. This is the sixth year for me at the Civil
War Institute at Gettysburg College, a tremendous, 5-day conference featuring
some really great presenters. The theme of this year’s CWI is Reconstruction.
One part of my CWI experience this
year will be a tour with brilliant Civil War historian Susannah Ural. We’ll
follow the steps of the 4th Texas Infantry at Little Round Top. It
just doesn’t get much better than that.
Funny thing this year: I worked in New
Jersey this past weekend and drove by the Gettysburg cutoff on the way home
today. We’ll drive back there Wednesday but this time we’ll TAKE the cutoff.
Darn right.
Amy and I have two restaurants we like
it Gettysburg and the three of us will make our pilgrimages this year. Regan
and Erik plan to come down to see us Sunday and we’ll probably hit the pub
GarryOwen (sic) on that day.
My battlefield equipment: Heavy
walking boots, a large-billed sun hat, jeans, lots of sun screen and bug
repellant, dark glasses and photo gear. One very light windbreaker in case of
rain (it’s usually a warm rain in June, so I use the windbreaker to protect my
camera). Oh, I usually bring the map, too.
Maps
of the battlefield are available at the Visitors Center and I get one for every
visit in order to mark various vantage points. Multiple batteries for each
camera, a monopod and a tripod. My gear fits in one large camera bag. I have
walked all over the battlefield with
that bag.
I
usually arrive at a battlefield with a detailed plan for my field walks but
this year my plan is to go where my buddy wants to go, since it is really his
first visit. We’ll look at his check list, plan a route and go. We have
Wednesday afternoon/evening and all day Thursday at the battlefield. The CWI starts
Friday afternoon and runs through Tuesday. Another day and a half on the
battlefield after that before we head home.
One
thing I’d like to show Bucky, if there is time: The location where the Maryland
regiment of Union soldiers defended Culp’s Hill against the charge of the
Confederate Marylanders.
Mrs.
Leeway is smarter than Mr. Weber and I. She spends much of our Gettysburg stays
in the air-conditioned hotel room, sometimes venturing across the hotel parking
lot to the movie theater or to the outlet mall. There is very inexpensive
public transportation that stops at our hotel roughly every hour. She’ll join
us for the ice cream social at the CWI and for the big dinner on the final
night of the Institute.
Hard to explain how
excited Amy and I are about Bucky’s visit and our trip to Gettysburg. One thing
for sure, we’ll all be posting on various platforms. Hope you can look us up.
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