On the day July 1 1863

[GritsRgreat]

The forces of the Army of Northern Virginia met the Union Army of the Potomac in the 1st stage of the great battle of Gettysburg. Southerners won the town by pushing the Blue Coats back to a new defensive line along Cemetery Hill. Rebel forces failed to follow up on the days hard fought victory leaving the Union Army in excellent position for the next days fighting...

"General Lee understood the defensive potential to the Union if they held this high ground. He sent orders to Ewell that Cemetery Hill be taken "if practicable." Ewell, who had previously served under Stonewall Jackson, a general well known for issuing peremptory orders, determined such an assault was not practicable and, thus, did not attempt it; this decision is considered by historians to be a great missed opportunity."

hell to pay

[The Saltman]

Gettysburg was a great fuking movie.

[GritsRgreat]

One of my top 5 war movies.

[Panthro]

I went to see it in High School and remembered being surprised that there was an intermission

[bleys]

The forces of the Army of Northern Virginia met the Union Army of the Potomac in the 1st stage of the great battle of Gettysburg. Southerners won the town by pushing the Blue Coats back to a new defensive line along Cemetery Hill. Rebel forces failed to follow up on the days hard fought victory leaving the Union Army in excellent position for the next days fighting...

"General Lee understood the defensive potential to the Union if they held this high ground. He sent orders to Ewell that Cemetery Hill be taken "if practicable." Ewell, who had previously served under Stonewall Jackson, a general well known for issuing peremptory orders, determined such an assault was not practicable and, thus, did not attempt it; this decision is considered by historians to be a great missed opportunity."

hell to pay

Richard Stodard Ewell is my great, great, great, great, etc grandfather...

[Panthro]

Could explain why you lost to this yankee on the bball courts

[GritsRgreat]

Richard Stoddard Ewell is my great, great, great, great, etc grandfather...

Dude no SH^T?!?!?!

[bleys]

yeah.. my dad's mom's family are Ewell's.. came from the Maryland area. I want to do more research (my great aunt knows more about it), but came from a part of Maryland known as Ewell Island.. (now under water)

edit: actually, it only went under the last 20 years.. getting info from my pops now..

[GritsRgreat]

Cool, according to my family tree we had people fighting on both sides. My immediate line were all rebs of low rank, a handful were killed. But we did have a high ranking Yankee officer who went on to make a name for himself in the Indian Wars.

Samuel Davis Sturgis (being whipped in the field by Nathan B Forrest) was sent west to fight indians. The town of Sturgis South Dakota is named after him.

[bleys]

that's pretty cool lol I always think I want to make a trip for that, but then quickly realize I do not have a bike, nor feel like I might fit in up there.. other than loving the scenery..

apparently it takes an incredible amount of time to track your family tree, but always something I've wanted to do. My aunt was tracking some my mom's side of the family and last thanksgiving thought we had ancestors from the mayflower.. I think she found out we married into one of the families, so we weren't direct decedents..

fascinates me to think about what my ancestors were like, personalities/character traits/daily mood/outlook on life/etc..

there is a big ass book on General Ewell I want to buy.. hard to find though.

[Mvp2014]

Benjamin Martin from the Patriot is my great, great, great, great, great grandfather

[GritsRgreat]

Benjamin Martin from the Patriot is my great, great, great, great, great grandfather

Thought he was based on the Swamp Fox?

[Mvp2014]

Thought he was based on the Swamp Fox?

No, it was our distant relatives that lived in Edgefield, SC.

[GritsRgreat]

that's pretty cool lol I always think I want to make a trip for that, but then quickly realize I do not have a bike, nor feel like I might fit in up there.. other than loving the scenery..

apparently it takes an incredible amount of time to track your family tree, but always something I've wanted to do. My aunt was tracking some my mom's side of the family and last thanksgiving thought we had ancestors from the mayflower.. I think she found out we married into one of the families, so we weren't direct decedents..

fascinates me to think about what my ancestors were like, personalities/character traits/daily mood/outlook on life/etc..

there is a big ass book on General Ewell I want to buy.. hard to find though.

Yeah back in the 80's we did a big family track down. Even had a huge get together with people from here to California. Lots of people from Pennsylvania.

The going joke was that our great great grandfathers prolly shot at each other on a number of occasions.