Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer: East Cemetery Hill Part 4
December 27, 2011
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is the host for this series on East Cemetery Hill. He is standing on the south side of East High Street, in front of what is now the Gettysburg Municipal Building. At the time of the battle, this structure was the Adams County Prison. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Though Yankee born and bred, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer dates his interest in the Civil War from his childhood discovery of Confederate ancestors on his family tree. He graduated from the University of Hartford where he received a B.A. in Psychology. After 25 years mixing music as a sound engineer, John rediscovered to his Civil War roots, and moved lock, stock, and barrel to Gettysburg in 1995. He has researched and written articles for Gettysburg Magazine, Civil War Times, America’s Civil War, and Blue & Gray. His first two books, East Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg, and Culp’s Hill at Gettysburg are interpretive guides to these less understood areas of the battle. His first work of fiction, After the Rain: A Novel of War & Coming Home, is due to be released this fall. In addition to serving as a Licensed Battlefield Guide, John is also on staff at Gettysburg College. He resides in Gettysburg with his wife Darlene.
To see the previous East Cemetery Hill posts by John Archer, click here.
In the today’s East Cemetery Hill post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer shows us East Cemetery from Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Ewell’s perspective on Baltimore Hill.
This map shows the location of the videos for the East Cemetery Hill posts. Videos #1-9 were shown in our previous East Cemetery Hill post. Videos #10-12 were taken on Baltimore Hill south of the Gettysburg Municipal Building. This map was created facing north at approximately 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 6, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is standing on Baltimore Hill. The Gettysburg Municipal Building (in 1863 the Adams County Prison) is behind the cameraman. John is pointing to the light green water tank among the trees on East Cemetery Hill. The shorter buildings at the foot of the hill on which he is standing are part of the Lincoln Elementary School (formerly Gettysburg High School). The taller structure in the left background is part of the Gettysburg Middle School. This view was taken facing south at approximately 5:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #10 (Videos #1-9 were shown in our previous John Archer East Cemetery Hill posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer has moved to Baltimore Hill, south of East High Street. He describes how Union soldiers were not very confident as they reached their new position on East Cemetery Hill on July 1, 1863. This view was taken facing south at approximately 5:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is standing on Baltimore Hill at the spot he has designated as “Ewell’s overlook.” East Cemetery Hill is the the area directly above the map, and the light green water tank is visible between some of the trees. This view was taken facing south at approximately 5:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #11 Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer shows us his map which compares this area in 1863 to today. This video was taken facing south at approximately 5:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
A closer view of John’s map. We are standing in the area marked by a “C” with a circle around it near the bottom right corner of the map. This view was taken facing south and is courtesy of John Archer.
In Video #12 John Archer reads a quote describing how even though Confederates had been successful on the fields north and west of town on July 1st, their position in front of East Cemetery Hill was not very good. This video was taken facing facing south at approximately 5:15 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
