i see this all the time on the battle of gettysburg. on that battlefield the majority of the more than 1,000 monuments and markers remember the union regiments and units that fought there. and there are some, there are some peculiar union monuments. there's a monument to the 42nd of new york very close to the angle on cemetery ridge -- [laughter] that that shows an indian chief and a tepee. you're thinking, wait a minute, they've got the wrong war? the answer is no, this was the tamany regiment raised by tammy hall and, of course, the symbol is chief tamany. people look at it and they say 42nd of new york. when that was put up, the dedication ceremonies preached the justice and righteousness of the unionon cause and of people who weree there saying, yes, that's right. we were in the right, it was a moral cause, it was marvelous and wonderful, and we embraced it.ca it's a memorial to our troops. all right. that generation dies off. another generation, they come to gettysburg, they look at that monument and they say that's a monument to t

it was a close run thing at gettysburg. it's also true about gettysburg. he came very very close to success. it was not a rash decision and it was not an unprincipled and thoughtless decision. it almost worked and i have say this bluntly i for one and grateful that it did not because the consequence of that if we had been successful at gettysburg oh my goodness the army of the potomac having been beaten on so many fields so many times could very likely have gone to pieces. lee had a full and open field in front of him. there would have been a demand for peace negotiations. alexander stevens the vice president of the confederacy was on the boat in the chesapeake day waiting to come to washington and what would he have said the abraham lincoln if he had and we would have had a balkanized north america. if the north and the south divided do you think it would have stopped there? no. there would have been a civic confederacy and we would have had in north america almost a repeat of always on the balkans in the 1990s and then, and then what would have been avai

i see this all the time at the battle of gettysburg. on that battlefield, the majority of the more than 1000 monuments and markers, they remember the union regiments and units that fought there. and there are some peculiar union monuments. there is a monument to the 42nd new york, very close to the angle on cemetery ridge. the 42nd new york shows an indian chief in a tp, and you are thinking, wait, have they got the wrong war? and the answer is no. this is the new tammany regiment raised by hall and of course the symbol of tammany's chief and you've got a monument there and people say, okay, 42nd new york. when that was put up the dedications come out for that. and they preach the justice and righteousness of the union cause. and the people who directed that monument where the event runs of the regiment. and they said, yes, that's right, we were in the right and it was a moral cause and it was marvelous and wonderful and it's a memorial to our troop. all right, that generation dies off. followed by another. then their grandchildren of t

i see this all the time on the battle of gettysburg. on that battlefield the majority of the more than 1000 monuments and markers remember the union regiments and units that fought there there are some acutely or union monuments. there's a monument to the 42nd new york very close to the angle on cemetery ridge and the monument to the 42nd new york shows an indian chief in a tv at your thinking wait a minute, did they get the wrong war and the answer is no. this was the tammany regiment raised by tammany hall and of course the symbol of tammany hall is chief tammany so you've got a monument anthere and people look at it and they say 42nd new york. the dedication ceremonies for that preached the justice and righteousness of the union cause and the people who directed that monuments were the veterans of the regiments and they were there saying yes, we were in the right. it was a moral cause. it was marvelous and wonderful and we embrace it. it's a monument to our troops . followed by the grandchildren of those soldiers. they come to gettys

i see this all the time in the battle of gettysburg. on that battlefield the majority of the more than 1,000 monuments and markers remember the union regiments and units that fought there. there are some peculiar union monuments. there's a monument to the 42nd new york very close to the angle on cemetery ridge. the monument to the 42nd new york shows an indian chief and a tepee. wait a minute. did they get the wrong war? the answer is no. this was the regiment of taminy hall. you have a monument there. when that was put up, the dedication ceremonies for that preached the justice and righteousness of the union cause. the people who erected that monument were the veterans of the regiment. it was a moral cause. we embraced it. it's a memorial to our truth. that generation dies off. followed by another generation. grandchildren of those soldiers. they look at that monument and they say, that's a monument to the 42nd new york. my grandfather fought in the 42nd new york. they don't have quite the fizz about things that the original soldiers d

we don't have time to get into gettysburg. let's focus specifically on that third day when the battle was truly lost. it arrived and i'm sure a lot of people in this audience have been to gettys burg. you really see the exact expanse it was expected to cover. it'll really pretty breathtaking when up there. long street says this is crazy. 15,000 men could not take this position. he does it any way. can you talk about what was he thinking in that battle. what was his strategic decisions. what figured into that moment in the war. >> a lot of people ask this question. they are at the angle looking out towards seminary ridge and the virginia monument. they say what could he have been thinking. you're going to send soldiers across that open area and they will get slaughtered. what was the result. the result was defeat. people think what could lee have possible been thinking. maybe there was something that was in thiz thinking. people suggested lee was suffering health problems and that effects his clarity, those decision making proc

a beautiful proclamation which i urge you to go back and read which it was just after the battle of gettysburg and the tide of the war turned and looked like the union was going to win and lincoln talked about americans coming together as one people and celebrating with one voice. it's a lovely image and one that we could heed today. >> totally needed it then and need it now. >> that's right. >> then after lincoln's death hale did not give up. she just continued to write to the presidents for the rest of her life and that was johnson, grant and then hayes, i believe, and they all followed suit and and by then the tradition had caught on. >> powerful woman. that's terrific. let's take questions from the audience. we have a couple questions appear, kiersten has the microphone. >> thank you very much. that was wonderful. you begin by talking about yourself as an author. is this on? in the book you talk about the influence that says just hale had on what it means to be an author in america and i'm wondering if you could talk a little bit more about that. >> yeah, before hale, being an author of a

day in a beautiful proclamation i urge you to go back and read, which it was just after the battle of gettysburg and the tide of the war had turned and looked like the union was going to win. lincoln talked about americans coming together as one people in celebrating as one voice. it's a lovely image in one that we could heed today. >> right. we . we desperately needed then and we need it now. that's terrific. >> and then after lincolns death, hale was indefatigable. she didn't give up. she continued to write to the president's for the rest of her life and that was johnson, grant and then hayes i believe, and that all followed suit. and by then the tradition had caught on. >> a powerful woman. that's terrific. why don't do we take somes from the audience? we have a couple questions appear. kirsten has the mic. >> thank you very much that was wonderful. she began by talking about yourself as an author, and in the book you talk about the influence that sarah josepha hale had being an influence on offer. what if you talk more about that? >> before hale, being an author of the book was usually a pri

in a beautiful proclamation which i urge you to go back and d read, it was just after the battle ofs gettysburg and the tide of the war had turned and it looked like the union was going to win and lincoln talked about americans coming together as one people and celebrating with one voice. it's a lovely image and one that we could heed today. we definitely need it and then and we need it now. >> that's really terrific. >> powerful woman. >> when we took some questions from the audience. we have a quick couple of questions up here. >> he began by talking about yourself as an author. in the book you talk about the influence that sarah josepha hale had on what it means to be an author in america, i was wondering if you could talk a little bit more about that. >> before hale, being an author of the book was usually a private undertaking you either self publish or find somebody who would stake you and publish, for example, ÃÃfirst book of poetry was published by contributions from his fellow cadets at west point. hale's first book was published because of the freemasons, but the money. hale thought

it was just after the battle of gettysburg. and the tide of the warhead turned and it looked like the union was going to win. and lincoln talked about americans coming together as one people in celebrating as one voice. it's a lovely image and one that we could heed today. >> right. that's really terrific. >> hale was indefatigable. that was johnson, grant, and haze i believe. she continued to write them. >> what a woman. why don't we take some questions. a couple of questions up here, we have mics. >> thank you so much, that was wonderful. you begin by talking about yourself as an author. and in the book you talk about the influence that josepha hale had on what it means to be an author. i was wondering if you talk more about that. >> before hale, being an author of a book was usually a private undertaking. it was -- you would either self publish or you would find somebody who would take you and publish. for example, the first book of poetry by poe was published with contributions from his fellow i graduates at west point. --

beautiful proclamation which i urge you to go back and read, which it was just after the battle of gettysburg and the tide of the war had turned, it looked like the union was going to win. >> right. >> and lincoln talked about americans coming together as one people and celebrating with one voice. it's a lovely image and one that we could heed today. >> right. we desperately needed it then and need it now. that's right, that's terrific. >> after lincoln's death, hale was indefatigable. she didn't give up, she continued to write to the presidents for the rest of her life, that was johnson, grant, and then hayes, i believe. and they all followed suit. and by then, the tradition had caught on. >> powerful woman. terrific. all right. why don't we take some questions from the audience. we have a couple of questions up here. kirstin's got the mic. >> thank you very much, that was wonderful. you began by talking about yourself as an author. and in the book you talk about the influence that sarah josepha hale had on what it means to be an author in america. i was wondering if you could talk a little

and a beautiful acclamation which i urge you to go back and read and it was just after the battle of gettysburg and there was a time when the war had turned and it looks like a win and lincoln talks about americans coming together as one people celebrating with one voice. it is a lovely image and ones that we could see today. that is right. but after lincoln's death, he did not give up, she was beginning to write the president for the rest of her light in the consonant printed and take a believe and then they all followed suit and then by then the traditions have caught on. >> is a powerful's woman. horrific and when we take questions from the audience we have a couple of questions appear and there is the microphone. >> thank you very much, that was wonderful and he began by talking about yourself as an author. in the book, you talk about the influence that the helipad on what it means to be an author in america and was wondering if you could talk a little bit more about this yes, before hail, being an author was usually a pretty private undertaking and that it was neither self published or you