Civil War Preservation Trust Conference, Gettysburg June 4-7, 2009

This year, the Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) will hold its annual conference in Gettysburg on the above dates. I and Steve Stanley will be there providing and signing copies of our new book The Complete Gettysburg Guide. That weekend, we will have 100 of the only copies of the new book available then, which will not go to retailers and the distributors until the following week. Steve, who creates the beautiful maps for the CWPT, has nearly 70 new, original maps in the book as well as over two dozen of his battlefield photographs. Steve and I are donating 10% of the proceeds of all sales to the CWPT for battlefield preservation.

I am also honored and humbled to have been asked to write the Gettysburg Campaign summary that will appear in this year's Conference booklet. Two dozen of Steve's maps will accompany the piece. Much of it is done and I need to complete it this weekend. Steve does a beautiful job with the Conference booklet, which in and of itself is always quite a collector's item.

One more CWPT-related item: those of you who are members, please watch for your new issue of the Trust's magazine, Hallowed Ground. The new issue, which should be in everyone's hands very soon, will feature an article by me and Steve on the June 26, 1863 skirmishes near Gettysburg that precipitated the battle. As Gen. Jubal Early's Division passed through Gettysburg toward the Susquehanna on that date, his cavalry escort (the 35th Battalion Virginia Cavalry commanded by Lt. Col. Elijah White and the 17th Virginia Cavalry under Col. William French) clashed with Pennsylvania militia cavalry and infantry west and north of Gettysburg. Dubbed the Marsh Creek Skirmish and the Witmer Farm (or Bayly's Hill) Skirmish by those of us who have studied these actions, these little scraps are interesting sidelights to the main battle. The Hallowed Ground article is based on the chapter in our book that gives both a detailed narrative and tours of both actions.

Steve and I have many other signing events lined up this summer - including events at the Gettysburg Visitor Center bookstore, bookstores around town, and Sacred Trust and other events during the anniversary. Once we have them nailed down I will post them here.

We hope to see many of our friends at these events and on the field this summer!