Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer: East Cemetery Hill Part 5
January 3, 2012
Lieutenant General Richard Stoddert Ewell (1817-1872) commanded the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Gettysburg Campaign. Some of his actions near the end of July 1, 1863 are controversial. This view is courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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 and Coming Home was released in the fall of 2011. 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 provides some background on Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Ewell and his arrival in the Borough of Gettysburg.
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 #10-15 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.
John Archer’s Map of the area between Ewell’s Overlook near High Street and East Cemetery Hill. During the filming, John was 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.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is the host for this series on East Cemetery Hill. He is standing on Baltimore Hill at the spot he has designated as “Ewell’s overlook.” The large white structure washed out on the right is an postwar extentsion of the Gettysburg Borough Building, which at the time of the battle was the Adams County Prison. Just to the left of the washed out building is the sloped roof of the High Street School, as it was known in the 1860s. This view was taken facing north at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #13 (Videos #1-12 were shown in our previous John Archer East Cemetery Hill posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is standing on Baltimore Hill, south of East High Street. He provides some pre-Civil War background on Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Stoddert Ewell. This view was taken facing south at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is the host for this series on East Cemetery Hill. He is standing on Baltimore Hill at the spot he has designated as “Ewell’s overlook.” The large white structure washed out on the right is an postwar extentsion of the Gettysburg Borough Building, which at the time of the battle was the Adams County Prison. Just to the left of the washed out building is the sloped roof of the Gettysburg Public School or Common School or High Street School, as it was known at various times. This view was taken facing north at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
The photograph of the area around East High Street and Baltimore Hill. The photographer was standing on East Cemetery Hill. This view, courtesy of the Library of Congress, was taken facing north in July, 1863.
Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer is standing on East High Street. The High Street School Building is on the left. The Trinity United Church of Christ Church (at the time of the battle the building housed the German Reformed Church) is in the right background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #14 Licensed Battlefield Guide John Archer provides Civil War background (pre-Gettysburg) on Confederate Lieutenant General Richard Stoddert Ewell. This video was taken facing south at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
John Archer is standing along Wall Alley. He is pointing in the direction from which Lieutenant General Richard Ewell might have rode as he left Baltimore Street to ride to the area of “Ewell’s Overlook,” to the left (south) of where John is standing. The closest stop sign to the camera is at Schoolhouse Alley. The stop sign farthest from the camera position is on Baltimore Street. This view was taken facing west at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
In Video #15 John Archer describe’s Ewell’s arrival in the Borough of Gettysburg and how he reached this position to get his first look at East Cemetery Hill. This video was taken facing facing south to west to south at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, July 29, 2011.
