Gettysburg Idols Part 5: Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski
October 28, 2010
Major General John Fulton Reynolds (1820-1863) commanded the “left wing” of the Army of the Potomac during the latter stages of the Gettysburg Campaign. His units consisted of his First Corps, the Third Corps, and the Eleventh Corps. This image was taken circa the 1860s.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joseph E. Mieczkowski is the host for our Gettysburg Idols series. A resident of nearby Fairfield, Pennsylvania, Joe is a Civil War living historian and educator. Joe portrays Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Simon Cameron as well as Gettysburg resident, David Wills. In addition Joe is a Licensed Town Guide in Gettysburg. He is also the past President of the Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable.
Educated at Salem College, Salem, West Virginia and at Pennsylvania State University, Joe has been employed for over 30 years with the Social Security Administration. He has served in a variety of locations and assignments including 16 years as a manager and director in Washington D.C. Presently he is the Area Director in Harrisburg PA.
In our first Gettysburg Idols post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski presented United States Major General Abner Doubleday, and some of his actions before, during and after the Gettysburg Campaign.
In the second Gettysburg Idols post, Joe Mieczkowski presents the first day battlefield statues and stories of James Wadsworth, John C. Robinson, and Francis Barlow.
In the third Gettysburg Idols post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski presented information on Brigadier General John White Geary.
In the fourth Gettysburg Idols post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski presented information on Brigadier General George Sears Greene.
In today’s Gettysburg Idols post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski presents information on John Fulton Reynolds and John Buford.
This map shows us the locations taken of the videos for the Gettysburg Idols series. Videos #1-#13 were shown in our previous posts. Video #14 was taken near the John Fulton Reynolds statue near the Baltimore Street entrance of the Soldiers National Cemetery. Video #15 was taken near the statue of John Buford on McPherson’s Ridge. This map was created facing north at approximately 6:00 AM on Saturday, October 23, 2010.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski is our host for this series on Gettysburg Idols. He is standing in the Soldiers National Cemetery near the statue to Major General John Fulton Reynolds. The statue was created in 1871 (dedicated in 1872) by scultor John Quincy Adams Ward (1830-1910) who during the American Civil War, worked for the Ames Manufacturing Company in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Ames was one of the largest brass, bronze, and iron foundries in the United States, and Ward provided models for decorative objects including gilt-bronze sword hilts for Union officers. It might not have been too much of a stretch for him to make this statue of John Reynolds from melted cannon barrels. Ward’s best known work is the statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall in New York City, which he created in 1882. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, August 27, 2010.
In Video #14 (Videos #1=#13 were shown in our previous Gettysburg Idol posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski presents pre-war biographical information on Major General John Fulton Reynolds and how money was raised for this monument. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, August 27, 2010.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski is standing on McPherson’s Ridge near the statue of Brigadier General John Buford. The equestrian statue of John Fulton Reynolds is in the left background. This view was taken facing east at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, August 27, 2010.
In Video #15 Licensed Battlefield Guide Joe Mieczkowski provides biographical information on Brigadier General John Buford. This view was taken facing east to north to northwest to northeast to southeast to east at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, August 27, 2010.
The statue of John Buford was created in 1895 by the sculptor James Edward Kelly (1855-1933). Kelly was known for interviewing his subjects as he sculpted them. Of course John Buford (1826-1863) would be an exception as he died in December, 1863. This view was taken facing east at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, August 27, 2010.
To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides,click here.
