Wonderful Music Video

Fitting with the patriotic theme of this week, I am posting this music video I was e-mail a while back. It a beautiful country song that needs to be spread around!

So without further ado...

In God We Still Trust

by Diamond Rio

Happy Fourth of July!

Today is July 4th, also known as Independance Day. Most people, when they hear "The Fourth of July", think of fireworks, brabecues, campfires and the like. Some may remember that this is the day that the United States of America proclaimed it's independnce from England. Civil War buff's will also recal that on this day in 1863, the Confederate town of Vicksburg surrendered to the Union Army after a year of resistance. A bit of trivia - the town of Vicksburg did not celebrate Independance Day for approximately 70 years after the surrender.



Of course, depending on who you are, this day may hold other memories for you. After all, a lot of things have happened on July 4th. But today, here in the US, is the day that we, as a country, celebrate our Independence and our Freedom.



I don't doubt that there are people who would say, after reading the above sentance "Freedom's? What freedoms? All our freedoms are being taken away!" I also don't doubt that there are more radical people out there who ignore today's celebrations for just that reason, or are at least tempted to. I am sure there are those who think that because our freedoms are being taken away, we should not celebrate the birth of our nation or love our country.



I, however, disagree with that. I know full well that many of the freedoms that we, the people of America, used to have are now being taken away. Our country is no longer the country it used to be; it's morals and values have changed drastically. But I do not see this as an excuse to stop standing by, or loving my native land. I look at it this way, if someone you love, who was once very good, had good morals, good values, but has become corrupt and no longer the good Christian they used to be, would you stop loving them for just because they aren't the good person they used to be? Love the sin, hate the sinner... I mean hate the sin, love the sinner! (I always say that backwards. Hmm, wonder why?)



In my mind, I look at my devotion to the United States in this light: it is not the corrupt values, leaders and government that I love. It is not the evil and corrupt laws that have been passed that I love. It is the beautiful landscapes - the awe inspiring mountains, gorgeous lakes, the bountiful prairies - that I love. The wonderful people who still live here that I love. It is the vibrant and fasinating history of the land that I love. It is what our Country was founded on - the Christian ideals, values and principles - that I love. It is what our country once was, in some hidden ways still is, and could be again that I love.



So that, in a nutshell, is the reason that I gladly celebrate Independance Day and always will. So... Happy 4th of July everyone!

The Battle of Gettysburg - Day 3

The High Tide at Gettysburgby

Will Henry Thompson

A cloud possessed the hollow field,

The gathering battle's smoky shield;

Athwart the gloom the lightning flashed,

And through the cloud some horsemen dashed,

And from the heights the thunder pealed.

Then at the brief command of Lee,

Moved out that matchless infantry,

With Pickett leading grandly down,

To rush against the roaring crown

Of those dread heights of destiny.

Far heard above the angry guns,

A cry across the tumult runs:

The voice that rang through Shiloh's woods,

And Chickamauga's solitudes:

The fierce South cheering on her sons!

Ah, how the withering tempest blew

Against the front of Pettigrew!

A Khamsin wind that scorched and singed,

Like that infernal flame that fringed

The British squares at Waterloo!

A thousand fell where Kemper led;

A thousand died where Garnett bled;

In blinding flame and strangling smoke,

The remnant through the batteries broke,

And crossed the works with Armistead.

"Once more in Glory's van with me!"

Virginia cried to Tennessee:

"We two together, come what may

Shall stand upon those works today!"

The reddest day in history.

Brave Tennessee!

In reckless way Virginia heard her comrade say:

"Close round this rent and riddled rag!"

What time she set her battle flag

Amid the guns of Doubleday.

But who shall break the guards that wait

Before the awful face of Fate?

The tattered standards of the South

Were shriveled at the cannon's mouth,

And all her hopes were desolate.

In vain the Tennesseean set

His breast against the bayonet;

In vain Virginia charged and raged,

A tigress in her wrath uncaged,

Till all the hill was red and wet!

Above the bayonets, mixed and crossed,

Men saw a gray, gigantic ghost

Receding through the battle cloud,

And heard across the tempest loud

The death cry of a nation lost!

The brave went down! Without disgrace

They leaped to Ruin's red embrace;

They only heard Fame's thunders wake,

And saw the dazzling sunburst break

In smiles on Glory's bloody face!

They fell, who lifted up a hand

And bade the sun in heaven to stand;

They smote and fell, who set the bars

Against the progress of the stars,

And stayed the march of Motherland!

They stood, who saw the future come

On through the fight's delirium;

They smote and stood, who held the hope

Of nations on that slippery slope,

Amid the cheers of Christendom!

God lives! He forged the iron will

That clutched and held that trembling hill!

God lives and reigns! He built and lent

The heights for Freedom's battlement,

Where floats her flag in triumph still!

Fold up the banners! Smelt the guns!

Love rules. Her gentler purpose runs.

A Mighty mother turns in tears

The pages of her battle years,

Lamenting all her fallen sons!

The Battle of Gettysburg - Day 2

Accounts of the Battle, in the words of the men who where there.

I arrived with my staff in front of the heights of Gettysburg shortly after daybreak, as I have already stated, on the morning of the 2nd of July. My division soon commenced filing into an open field near me, where the troops were allowed to stack arms and rest until further orders. A short distance in advance of this point, and during the early part of that same morning, we were both engaged in the company with Generals Lee and A.P. Hill, in observing the position of the Federals. General Lee -- with coat buttoned to the throat, saber-belt buckled round the waist, and field glasses pending at his side -- walked up and down in the shade of the large trees near us, halting now and then to observe the enemy. He seemed full of hope, yet, at time buried in deep thought. Colonel Freemantle, of England, was ensconced in the forks of a tree not far off, with glass in constant use, examining the lofty position of the Federal Army.

...You thought it better to await the arrival of Pickett's Division - at that time still in the rear -in order to make the attack;...

... This movement was accomplished by throwing out an advanced force to tear down the fences and clear the way. The instructions I received were to place my division across the Emmetsburg road, form line of battle, and attack. Before reading this road, however, I had sent forward some of my picked Texas scouts to ascertain the position of the enemy's extreme left flank. They soon reported to me that it rested upon Round Top Mountain; that the country was open, and that I could march through an open woodland pasture around Round Top, and assault the enemy in flank and rear that their wagon trains were packed in rear of their line, and were badly exposed to our attack in that direction. As soon as I arrived upon the Emmetsburg road, I placed one or two batteries in position and opened fire. A reply from the enemy's guns soon developed his lines. His left rested on or near Round Top, with line bending back and again forward, forming , as it were, a concave line, as approached by the Emmetsburg road. A considerable body of troops was posted in front of their main line, between the Emmetsburg road and Round Top Mountain. This force was in line of battle upon an eminence near a peach orchard....

...I found that in making the attack accorded to orders, viz.: up the Emmetsburg road, I should have first to encounter and drive off the advanced line of battle; secondly, at the base and along the slope of the mountain, to confront immense boulders of stone, so massed together as to form narrow openings, which would break our ranks and cause the men to scatter whilst climbing up the rocky precipice. I found, moreover, that my division would be exposed to a heavy fire from the main line of the enemy in position on the crest of the high range, of which Round Top was the extreme left, and , by reason of the concavity of the enemy's main line, that we would be subject to a destructive fire from flank and rear, as well as in front; and deemed it almost an impossibility to clamber along the boulders up this steep and rugged mountain, and, if the feat was accomplished, it must be at a most fearful sacrifice of as brave and gallant soldiers as ever engaged in battle...

...A third time I despatched [sic] one of my staff to explain fully in regard to the situation, and suggest that you had better come and look for yourself. I selected, in this instance, my adjutant-general, Colonel Harry Sellers, whom you know to be not only an officer of great courage, but also of marked ability. Colonel Sellers returned with the same message, "General Lee's orders are to attack up the Emmetsburg road." Almost simultaneously, Colonel Fairfax, of your staff, road up and repeated the above orders...

...After this urgent protest against entering the battle of Gettysburg, according to instructions -- which protest is the first and only one I ever made during my entire military career -- I ordered my line to advance and make the assault...

...As my troops were moving forward, you rode up in person; a brief conversation passed between us, during which I again expressed the fears above mentioned, and regret at not being allowed to attack in the flank around Round Top. You answered to this effect, "We must obey the orders of General Lee." I then road forward with my line under a heavy fire. In about twenty minutes, after reaching the peach orchard, I was severely wounded in the army, and borne from the field....
I am, respectfully, yours,
J.B. Hood

~ General John Bell Hood to General James Longstreet

-----------------------------------------

"Captain, what are your orders?" The captain replied, "Where is General Barnes?" [Colonel] Vincent said, "What are your orders? Give me your orders." The captain answered, "General Sykes told me to direct General Barnes to send one of his brigades to occupy that hill yonder," pointing to Little Round Top. Vincent said, "I will take the responsibility of taking my brigade there." Returning to the brigade, he directed Colonel [James C.] Rice, the senior colonel, to bring the brigade to the hill as rapidly as possible, then rode away toward the northwest face of the hill. I followed him.

... think the regiments which had followed the same route we took, arrived in the following order: Forty-forth New York, Sixteenth Michigan, Eighty-third Pennsylvania and Twentieth Maine. As the head of the column came up, Vincent said to Colonel Rice, "Form your regiment here, Colonel, with the right at the foot of this rock." Colonel Rice replied, "Colonel, in every previous battle in which we have been engaged, the Forty-fourth and Eighty-third have fought side by side. I wish it could be so today." Vincent appreciated the feeling and answered, "It shall be so, let the Sixteenth pass you." The order was sent back, the Forty-forth was halted until the Sixteenth had reached its place, then under Vincent's direction the Forty-forth, Eighty-third and Twentieth took their respective positions and set out skirmish lines to the front.

--Pvt. Oliver W. Norton

-------------------------------

"It was imperative to strike before we were struck... At that crisis, I ordered the bayonet."

"The two lines met and broke and mingled in the shock. The crush of musketry gave way to cuts and thrusts, grapplings and wrestlings. The edge of conflict swayed to and fro, with wild whirlpools and eddies. At times I saw around me more of the enemy than of my own men; gaps opening, swallowing, closing again with sharp convulsive energy; squads of stalwart men who had cut their way through us, disappearing as if translated. All around, strange, mingled roar—shouts of defiance, rally, and desperation; and underneath, murmured entreaty and stifled moans; gasping prayers, snatches of Sabbath song, whispers of loved names; everywhere men torn and broken, staggering, creeping, quivering on the earth, and dead faces with strangely fixed eyes staring stark into the sky."

~ Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

The Battle of Gettysburg ~ Day 1

Today dawned bright and early. My company got up and had breakfast right away, so that we could be out riding and scouting the countryside. We are several miles ahead of our forces, us being the cavalry under General Buford; company E, the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 8th Illinois Cavalry. The rest of the army is down Emmitsburg way. We believe the Confederate Army to be up northwards of us, somewhere.

We have been scouting out the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania since yesterday. When we rode through the townspeople came out of their houses, waving and cheering. We found good ground, up on what is called seminary ridge.

It is now about 7:30 in the morning; we are a few miles west of town on McPhearsons Ridge. All is calms except for… what is that? General Buford has just ordered us to halt and several of the men are looking out with their field glasses. I pull out mine. They are troops, Confederate troops. Out of nowhere, a shot rings out.

“Who was that?” General Buford barked and I am surprised to see Lieutenant Jones step forward.

“I fired the shot, sir”, he confessed.

The General stares at him, and then turns away. “Do not fire again without orders.”
After the sighting of the Confederate troops, they pull back slightly, and General Buford sends for General Reynolds asking for reinforcements.

I dismounted from my horse, and walked to over to my friend, Private Jenkins. “Think they’ll come and fight?” I asked.

A shot echoed from across the field. He nodded in the direction it came from. “It would seem so.” The distant boom of a canon cut off his next words. The orders came for us to take up positions behind the rail fence and ready our guns.

“If they’ve got canon’s over there” I muttered, “I sure hope reinforcements come soon.”

By ten-twenty that morning, the Confederates had pushed us off the ridge, it was then that General Reynolds and his Iron Brigade finally arrived. We began pushing forwards again. I was thick in the fighting and was near General Reynolds. I fired at every Reb I saw, and was in the act of reloading my gun, when I saw General Reynolds fall from his horse. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment. Gathering my wits, I ran to his side, but it was too late. He was dead. He was carried off the field and the fighting went on.

By now we had figured that we were fighting against troops led by General Heth and General Early with more coming. We were doing our best and had some of us gotten to Seminary Ridge, but the facts of the matter were we did not have enough troops. Soon though, the Sixth Corps led by General Howard arrived.

About two-forty in the afternoon I saw my friend again. “The Confederates have just about got us flanked!” he yelled over the din.

“Who and where?” I yelled back, picking off another soldier.

“First and Sixth Corps! North and Northwest of town. Led by Generals Rhodes and Early!”

“And how did you come across all this information?”

He shook his head, “You don’t want to know!”

I shrugged and left the matter aside, for now the orders were coming from General Howard to withdraw from our positions. Retreating through the town of Gettysburg, we took a stand on Cemetery Ridge, south of the town. I thought it slightly ironic that the Confederates were now north of town and the Union troops in the South. The battle had started out that way as well, I reflected.

Darkness fell, and General Winfield Scott Hancock –sent by our new commander General Meade – to control of the troops stationed here in Gettysburg.