Those who have studied the Civil War know that at some point it takes over your memory of what happened, even though you were born in the 20th century. We spend time (those of us with the fever) talking about units and angles and shots and things that could have happened.
One wonderfully rich conversation is thanks to William B. Styple, whom I welcome for his book Generals in Bronze, a collection of interviews with the commanders of the Civil War. Bill I met a by accident—serendipity, the way all battlefields turn out—at the Gettysburg Museum next to the battlefield, in July of this year. And Bill's book is a revelation, not of the battlefield itself, but of the memories of the battlefield by the men who were there (the generals in particular).
Their memory becomes a record thanks to the quick sketch artist and illustrator James Kelly. We have these notes because of Bill's very careful assembly of the documents that were left unpublished. Generals in Bronze is a treasure of dialog, and at the same time an illustration.
Who was Kelly? What do we need to know about him before we go to his conversations with the aged Union and Confederate generals?
Watch the full conversation above, or listen to an audio version below:
LINKS:
The John Batchelor Show on Apple Podcasts:
The opinions expressed on this website and on The John Batchelor Show are those of John Batchelor and guests, and not those of CBS News.
Share this post