Reunions of old soldiers, such as the one I just attended in Gettysburg, invariably bring forth reflections on mortality. You see your old comrades in arms, once so young and strong, vainly fighting the last battle with a foe they have no hope of beating — father time. Civil War reunions were, I am sure, no different.
By chance I came across an annual student Civil War essay contest sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute in New York and the New York Civil War Round Table. Some of the essays are very good, especially for high school students. So remember the names — like Jean Dahlquist, Yusuke Asai, Drew Williams, and Ashley Nelson. These are the ones who will be writing Civil War history when we are gone.
As an aside, I’ve had nothing but postive experiences with Gilder Lehrman. They have an exensive collection of Civil War manuscripts and are very helpful.
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