I first became interested in the American Civil War when, in the 5th grade, my family watched a CBS miniseries called “The Blue and The Gray.” I’m not sure what it was about the show, since it’s not particularly accurate, that captured my attention, but I went on to study the life of Clara Barton for a project in 6th grade, read John Jake’s “North and South” Trilogy, and then began reading non-fiction history books. However, it wasn’t until I was able to visit Gettysburg National Military Park in 2021 that I really began to understand the devastation that war caused. My partner and I returned to Gettysburg in 2023 and added Antietam to the trip. That led to more reading and a desire to revisit those sites and spend more time at each place of significance on the battlefields. I am so grateful for these opportunities to visit these sites because I can now imagine what Barksdale’s men saw as they fought across the Peach Orchard or what the Irish Brigade encountered when they approached Bloody Lane. The more I read, the more I understand how that war continues to impact American culture. I support the American Battlefield Trust because everyone should visit at least one of the battlefields pivotal in American history and study the people who lived and died there.
It started with a miniseries…
