THURSDAY, Sept. 26

· Bus leaves from Hampton Inn

· Lunch on your own at Lincoln Social

· Return by 7 p.m.

· Dinner at Dobbin House Tavern

8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Bus Tour in Gettysburg with Historians Brad Gottfried, Deb Novotny and Dean Shultz

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8:30-11 a.m. Historic Gettysburg: A Detailed Town Tour led by Brad Gottfried

This combination walking/bus tour will cover the highlights of Gettysburg, including its founding, the decisions civilians were forced to make before and during the battle, the fighting in the streets, Lincoln’s visit, Eisenhower, and a whole lot more! You know the battlefield, now learn more about the town and its unique history.

11 a.m. -12 p.m. Tour of Evergreen Cemetery led by Deb Novotny

Deb is the leading expert on Evergreen Cemetery and the civilians buried there—you will not want to miss this!

12-1:15 p.m. Lunch on your own at Lincoln Social

1:30 pm The Lost Avenue & more led by legendary Dean Shultz

Neill Avenue (Lost Avenue) is a 40’ wide, grass covered, stone fence lined avenue located on Wolf Hill.  It is the most isolated area on the GNMP battlefield and only accessible by walking through fields on Dean’s property.  Many historians consider this the most pristine and least visited area still remaining on the battlefield. Here, on July 3, Gen. Neill’s brigade engaged and stopped some of the 2nd Virginians who were making their way toward the Baltimore Pike.  There are four regimental Union monuments on the avenue marking the location of the Union troops, and a marker  that states “The Far Right of the Infantry of the Army of the Potomac.”

Dinner at Dobbin House Tavern

7-9 p.m. Bookseller Civil War & More on site in Hampton Inn Conference Center for shopping. Conference room is open for informal meet & greet

FRIDAY, Sept. 27

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8:30  a.m.—12 p.m.  Morning Lectures

· Lectures held at Hampton Inn’s Conference Room

· Book Vendor Civil War & More on site

Lectures include:

· Welcome & Overview of Civil War Preservation Project by Karen Lowry

PART 1: The Gettysburg National Soldiers Cemetery: Its Founding and Dedication by Brad Gottfried PART 1

The Gettysburg National Soldiers Cemetery was one of our nation’s earliest national cemeteries. Forming the cemetery has been likened to the “Second Battle of Gettysburg,” but good-will prevailed and the cemetery was developed. In this presentation, you will learn about the challenges of getting the cemetery off the ground and planning its dedication. Lincoln figures mightily in the ceremony and this presentation will cover all of the mysteries surrounding his visit.

*Brad must leave the conference immediately following Part 2 of his talk. Please ask questions and request autographs before the second talk begins.

PART 2: The Gettysburg National Soldiers Cemetery: Its Founding and Dedication by Brad Gottfried

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12 - 1 p.m. Lunch provided at Hampton Inn

1 - 4:30 p.m.  Afternoon Lectures at Hampton Inn Conference room

"Civil War Murder Mysteries of York County, PA” by Scott Mingus

Four interesting murder stories from York County, PA – a Louisiana Confederate soldier, a Union courier, a dead man in a field, and the killing of a black Confederate slave. Whodunnit?

"Placing Gettysburg and the Big Battles in Strategic Context: Diplomatic, Economic, and Informational Reasons for Confederate Defeat” by Dr. Chris Keller

Why the Confederacy failed in its bid for independence has been a topic of debate since 1865. Generations of historians have argued about lapses in political and military leadership, defeat in key campaigns, the erosion of home front support, and other factors, but few have examined the phenomenon of rebel disaster in its totality at the strategic level of war.  Utilizing classical and modern strategic theory as interpretative lenses, Dr. Keller will evaluate the critical diplomatic, economic, informational, and military mistakes that, when coupled with the Union's better strategic acumen and plain old fashioned luck, resulted in the historical outcome. This presentation is largely based on the conclusions he and his contributors arrived at in his most recent book, Southern Strategies: Why the Confederacy Failed.

"The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign, June-July 1863” by Scott Mingus

The story of one of Robert E. Lee’s most feared fighting brigades, the soldiers whose reputation later led to LSU naming their sports teams the Tigers. Colorful, sassy, and brave in battle, the Tigers made a daring night attack on the second day of the battle of Gettysburg.

4:30—7p.m. Dinner on your own

7 p.m. "Soldiers of Fortune and Foreign Fighters at the Battle of Gettysburg” by Wayne Motts

Did you know at least two soldiers fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg were members of the Pope’s papal guard? Some men were filibusters in Nicaragua, at least one served in Egypt, while others were professional soldiers from Europe who traveled to the United States to fight in the American Civil War. Join historian and author Wayne Motts as he highlights the fascinating careers and lives of just some of these men who served both in the Union and Confederate armies in the Battle for Gettysburg.

SATURDAY, Sept. 28

· Bus leaves from Holiday Inn

· Lunch included

· Return by 6 p.m.

· Dinner on your own

8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jubal Early’s Expedition to the Susquehanna River  by Scott Mingus

Bus Tour Description:

On June 26, 1863, Maj. Gen. Jubal Early’s Confederate division chased away almost 1,000 Pennsylvania emergency militia infantry and cavalry from Gettysburg in a series of skirmishes that saw only one militia cavalryman killed and 175 militia infantrymen captured. The next day, Early sent Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon’s brigade, fronted by Virginia cavalry, through Gettysburg on the turnpike toward York.

Sites to visit:

· Gettysburg (site of June 26 skirmish)

· Hanover Junction (Lige White’s Raid)

· York’s Penn ark (site of US Army General Hospital occupied by Avery’s CSA brigade)

· Wrightsville (follow Gordon’s June 28 March)

· Riverbank (burning of the Columbia bridge)

· Zion Hill Cemetery (Black defenders of Wrightsville / 54th & 55th MA)

Dinner on your own.

7-9 p.m. Mix & Mingle

Enjoy an informal evening chatting with guests, light refreshments and book shopping with Civil War & More. BYOB

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SUNDAY, Sept. 29

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· Bus leaves from Hampton Inn

· Lunch on your own

· Return by 12:30 p.m.

7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Unique Sites of Gettysburg

Bus Tour Description: We will enjoy an early morning tour with Dean Shultz taking us to the Fairfield Cavalry Action site where the 6th U.S. cavalry clashed with Grumble Jones’ Virginians on July 3.

We will then venture to Adams County Historical Society’s Gettysburg Beyond the Battle Museum. The museum opened in 2023 and was ranked “Best New Museum” in the country by USA Today. The facility tells the story of ordinary eyewitnesses and their extraordinary experiences before, during and after the Civil War.

Upon arrival at the museum will be the following:

“Debris of Battle” talk by Timothy H. Smith

From bullets to artillery shells, authentic objects found in and around Gettysburg form the backbone of this hands-on program. Participants will have the opportunity to handle original Civil War artifacts and learn about the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, including how area residents faced the dangers of gathering and selling these remarkable artifacts to early tourists."

Following the talk, the group will have free time to explore the museum before returning to Chambersburg.

Conference Completion by 12:30 p.m.

*Early Bird Pricing - Save $30 when you register for the Members or Non-Members Conference Package by June 26, 2024. Use code EARLYBIRD33 for Members, code EARLYBIRD34 for Non-Members when registering online.

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