GDG- "Gettysburg Retreat: Cavalry in the Spotlight": Uggghhh!

[J. David Petruzzi]

George,

I just read the article last night, too, and nearly threw up.  It's
horrible.  I don't know Jay either, but it's obvious that at least cavalry
and the retreat are NOT his forte.  In discussing the article with Eric
Wittenberg last night, we came to the conclusion that perhaps editor Chris
Lewis needs to have some stuff fact-checked a bit more.  Having recently
completed an entire book dedicated to the cavalry during the retreat, I,
Eric, and Mike Nugent would have been more than happy to have checked Jay's
work prior to publication.

J.D.

J. David Petruzzi
My blog: http://petruzzi.wordpress.com
My book: http://www.stuartsride.com

>>Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


I am not a big fan of CIVIL WAR TIMES. But my
daughter gave it to me for my birthday this year.
The latest issue is devoted to Gettysburg. Yea!
But there is a bad - no, terrible - article by
Jay Wertz entitled "Gettysburg Retreat: Cavalry
in the Spotlight".

I dont know Jay. And I dont have anything against
him. But I read the article with interest several
times. It is just full of errors and
inaccuracies. Really bad.

I offered to write an article on Falling Waters
for the magazine and CWT's said they didnt need
anything - a couple of years ago (thus my article
will be in STRATEGY & TACTICS). And I know that
both JD P and Eric W are the Cavalry experts here
- with another pending book on this very topic.
Why didnt CWT use them? Or others who at least
know what they are talking about?

One case in point - as most, if not all of you
know - much of the Falling Waters, Maryland
battlefield area is NOT within the boundries of
the NPS's C&O Canal Historical Park area. It is
nearly two miles up Falling Waters Road on both
sides of the road. Not according to Mr. Wertz. He
seems to equate where markers are with where the
action took place. And in fact a good chunk of
the land at the tip of Falling Waters Road that
he writes about is a private fish and game club -
NOT NPS property.

It is for all these very reasons that we
submitted Falling Waters, MARYLAND to the CWPT as
anendangered Civil War battlefield. Ironically,
it is listed in the front of the same issue of
CWT in an article on the CWPTs 2007 MOST
ENDANGERED battlefields. Development is gobbling
up what is left of the land where the last
engagement of the Gettysburg Campaign was fought
on July 14, 1863.

And throughout the article there are many more
errors.

It seems said when there are great writers and
true experts (I exclude myself - and highlight
Eric W and JD P) it is sad that such poor
historical journalism is published for
consumption by mass Civil War enthusiasts.

What are your thoughts on Mr. Wertz's article?

Respectfully,

George Franks
Bethesda, Maryland>>




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