There have been hundreds of books written about the Battle of Gettysburg. Generalized history, in-depth studies, biographies of commanders, accounts of local civilians, aftermath and care of the wounded, and the Gettysburg Address are just a few of the topics in non-fiction books. Then there’s the fiction category: military fiction is most prevalent, a few civilian fiction stories, and I’ve even seen a couple romance books supposedly set in Gettysburg.

“So why Gettysburg…again, Miss Sarah? Haven’t there been enough stories?” I’ll give you three reasons as we start the “Back to Gettysburg on Tuesday” series.

1. My very first draft of this coming novel was set in Gettysburg. When one of my older cousins told me “you should write a book,” he helped me choose names of characters and dictated a few other details. However, I was very insistent that the story must be in set in Gettysburg. My reasoning at the time: it was a good way to include Lincoln in the story. Throughout the next eleven years, I planned to change many, many things in that original story, but the setting never changed.
   

   Sarah Kay Bierle at Gettysburg National Battlefield (2008)

2. Gettysburg holds a special place in my heart. I was privileged to visit the town and battlefield in 2008 and my thoughts and feelings while touring the battlefield are very deep and hard to put into words. (And if a writer who works with words on a daily basis says that, she means it.)
3. To my knowledge, no historical fiction book about Gettysburg has addressed civilians in a farm/countryside setting. There have been several historical fictions about civilians living in town, but in many ways the farmers and their families suffered more. I believe there’s an old prejudice against these country people going back to the 1860’s (more on that in the future) and now it is time to remember their sacrifices and their care for the wounded in their fields, barns, and houses.

What to expect on “Back to Gettysburg Tuesdays” here on Gazette665? Well, we’ll start in April by looking at primary source quotes by civilians from the battle days. From there, I’ll cover topics I found interesting or that I think you might enjoy more details on. Leave a comment if there’s a topic you’d really like to see and I’ll try to accommodate. 🙂

I’m looking forward to sharing the history about real people who reached out to serve and support those in need. It’s time to tell the story of Gettysburg again – through a new perspective. Faith and courage meet danger and difficulty.

This week I’d encourage you to read through an overview of Gettysburg military history, just to become familiar with the traditional backdrop of information I’ll be sharing.

Join us every Tuesday for history that inspired and supported my coming historical fiction story Blue, Gray & Crimson.

Your Historian (and Author)

Miss Sarah

P.S. Historical themes for each month will continue in the regular Friday blog posts. 😉