There was a brief reference to the young girl, Jennie Wade, who was the only civilian to be killed in the battle. I have shared her story with you previously.

There are many movies and novels which attempt to romanticize the Civil War, but the truth is that all wars are brutal and gruesome. The account of the Battle of Gettysburg and its aftermath was difficult for me to research and bring to life, and it may prove difficult for you to read. But this too is part of the past that cannot be forgotten. Whenever war can be avoided, it should be. Whenever peace can be chosen, let us choose it.

Compromise and selfless love never leave carnage in their wake.

The weapons of the Civil War were lethal and inhumane. The soft lead mini ball splintered bone and left fragments of clothing in the wound to fester. Often, the only way to save the life of the injured soldier was to amputate the damaged limb. Conditions at the field hospitals were crude and unsanitary. The depiction of the surgeon and his instruments was chilling, but regrettably accurate. However, the human spirit is resilient and discovers courage in times of adversity. Some of the soldiers who endured amputation returned to the battlefield to continue fighting for their cause, while many went home to rebuild their lives and families. The increased need for prosthetic limbs inspired research and innovation which led to creative solutions for these men who were learning to function in new ways with their disability.

While the war certainly brought destruction, death, and broken lives, it also provided the opportunity to find bravery in the face of a myriad of challenges. For the men at war, it was a chance to demonstrate valor in the face of gunfire and grenades. For those left behind, there was the need to persevere and endure until those they loved returned. And for many women, like Cornelia Hancock and Sister Camilla, it was a call to forfeit their own comfort and health in order to demonstrate courageous compassion.

It's been a while since I've given you some fun historical facts to ponder, so today I decided to share about the two regiments of particular interest to me in the Battle of Gettysburg. Although my novel is fictional, my goal was to bring history to life and I spent inordinate time researching to make the facts of the story as accurate as possible.

In my novel ON GROUNDS OF HONOR, the brothers, Jeremiah and Charlie, enlist on opposite sides of the war. Charlie crosses the Potomac and joins the Rebels, while Jeremiah enlists with the Federal Army in Cambridge, Maryland.  

Charlie joined the First Maryland Infantry, Confederate States Army, almost immediately after the war broke out. According to a book entitled MARYLAND IN THE CIVIL WAR, "Determined to join the Confederate States Army, many Marylanders traveled to Virginia in the early months of 1861. At Harpers Ferry, Point of Rocks and Richmond, about 600 of them were sworn into service in May... At Winchester, on September 28, 1862, veterans of the First Maryland Infantry CSA, with additional recruits and some Maryland veterans of other southern units, organized the First Maryland Infantry Battalion. To avoid confusion with the predecessor unit, it was commonly called the Second Maryland Infantry."

Jeremiah enlisted with the First Regiment, Eastern Shore Infantry, Maryland Volunteers USA. The same source cites: "The First Regiment, Eastern Shore Infantry, organized at Cambridge in September 1861... In November 1861, it accompanied General Henry Lockwood's brigade to Accomac and Northampton counties, Virginia, to control active aid to the Confederacy in that area. Requesting duty at the front in June 1863, the unit reached Gettysburg July 3, and immediately went into action with the Twelfth Corps on Culp's Hill, facing among other opponents the Second Maryland Infantry, CSA."

It is highly likely that the brothers would have met on Culp's Hill. But if you want to know for sure that they meet, and what happens if they do, I can't tell you that. You have to read the book to find out.

I'll be at the Tucker House in Centreville on Thursday August 20th at 7:00 pm if you'd like to drop by to learn more about me and have the opportunity to pick up an autographed copy of ON GROUNDS OF HONOR. If you'd like, you can arrive at Wright's Chance at 6:00 pm to see the QAC Historical Society's latest exhibit, "All About Women."

If you're wanting to learn more about my new release, here's your chance! Last week I met with Fred McNeil to talk about his response to my historical fiction novel, ON GROUNDS OF HONOR, set in the town of Centreville, Maryland at the opening of the Civil War.