Travels with Smedley - July 2006

Saturday 15 July; 7:00 am ct - Schaumburg, IL: Packed and almost ready to leave for Shanksville, PA (United 93), Gettysburg, PA (the battlefield), East Greenville, PA (The Irelands), Woodstock, VA (the Mays), Washington, D.C. (The Foundation Center seminar), back to Woodstock (the Jones, and the reenactment of Bull Run), when...either Baltimore or New York, then home. The high today on the first leg of the route (here to Wheeling, WV) is forecast to be in the mid-90s and clear. That's good traction and visibility weather. More tonight. jb

Saturday 15 July; 8:30 pm et - Cranberry, PA: 484 miles and 11 hours later. Hot, clear, dry weather all the way over on I-80 & I76. Tomorrow Shanksville (about 1 hour further SE) and then Gettysburg (2 hours further ENE). For the hot weather riding, I bought this long-sleeve solar yellow "UnderArmor" shirt...it fits like a think coat of paint, but the microfiber's wicking feature and the complete freedom from annoying flapping of excess fabric is very nice. The vivid yellow is very visible too, a good thing for motorers.

Sunday 16 July 11:00 am et - Shanksville, PA: The National Park Service ranger here recounted the reports of witnesses who saw United 93 approach Shanksville that day at over 500 mph, then twist upside down and hit the ground at a reclaimed strip mine. THe impact was so shattering that nothing larger than 2x2 feet was recovered - even the engines and landing gear were smashed to bits - giving rise to fringe theories that the airplane did not really crash there...visitors cannot approach the actual impact site, which is in view about 1,000 feet from the temporary visitors center.

Sunday 16 July 5:00 pm et - Gettysburg, PA: The road around the south side of the battlefield is the nicest part of the battlefield. The ride from what was the far right of Lee's line to what was the far left of Meade's goes through heavily wooded countryside to the saddle between the Round Tops, and up the south side of Little Round Top. This time, I had a good camera, so since it is a battlefield I spent most of the afternoon shooting the many 1863-era farmhouses and barns that are located on the battlefield.

Monday 17 July 8:30 am et - Gettysburg, PA., on Seminary Ridge: At one place on Seminary Ridge, you can stand at the place where Pickett's Charge began, and see the small clump of trees 3/4 mile away across the valley, on Cemetery Ridge, that Longstreet told Pickett to use as an aiming point during the charge. The actual trees are still there, On an impulse, I started walking from the crest of Seminary Ridge, through the fresh-cut pasture grass, straight toward the clump of trees across the way, along the line across that shallow valley that the 14,000 rebel troops used at about 3pm on July 3, 1863. It took me a short 20 minutes to get to the spot called the Highwater Mark of the Confederacy - just across the low stone wall at the place called The Angle. It is hard to imagine 14,000 men walking 3/4 of a mile into the muzzles of about 100,000 guns of all sizes and calibers. I think only about 2,000 made it to The Angle, and about 500 avoided death or capture to straggle back to Confederate lines on Seminary Ridge.

Longstreet told Lee repeatedly that it was insane to charge that blue line, but Lee ordered the attack anyway, and destroyed his army for all intents and purposes. It is hard to walk the attack route, and back, and still feel any admiration for Lee.

Monday 17 July 3:00 pm et Gettysburg, PA., at Meade's Headquarters: Shelby Foote's account of the Battle of Gettysburg includes a description of a meeting called by Meade late on the night of July 2. There were about 8 generals in a room that Foote describes as being about 10x12 feet, with only a few chairs, a waterpitcher stand, and a bed. No one was anywhere around when I arrived, so I walked up in the porch of the little house (that was hit by a cannonball the following day, in the pre-assault bombardment), and looked in the window of room where the meeting was held. Sure enough - it was small, and it took no imagination at all to envision the council of war that Meade held that night.

Sunday 23 July 10:00 pm ct Schaumburg, IL., at home, after 2,145 miles.