I have been involved with Road Scholar programs for the past few years. For the five-day Gettysburg, Antietam, and Harpers Ferry program, I offer an introductory lecture, town tour, and Antietam battlefield tour.

I also provide several online lectures as part of the Road Scholar study at home program.

I have one coming up on Tuesday, June 9 entitled, “The Women of Gettysburg: The Unsung Heroes.” There is a small fee for this program.

I am always inspired by the women who assisted in so many ways. Some were soldiers, many were nurses, and some baked for the men. Many died or their health was broken because of their commitment to the men.

My interest in the Women of Gettysburg began even before I became a Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide. We so often only consider the armies, the men, the fighting, and the leaders, but we seldom think of women who did so much for the war effort.

If you are interested in attending this program or would like additional information, please use this link:

https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/25737/Online-Lecture-Women-of-Gettysburg-Unsung-Heroism

Linda and I have collaborated on another project. This one explores the complex relationship between U. S. Grant and George Meade. During the late winter of 1864, Grant was considered the savior of the Nation; Meade was under a cloud despite his victory at Gettysburg.

Grant realized he could not maintain his headquarters in Washington and residing with the Army of the Potomac was the next best approach.

Meade initially welcomed Grant and even volunteered to resign and allow the new General-in-Chief to select his own man. Grant demurred and the two forged a complex working relationship.

Grant initially promised to take a hands-off approach to Meade’s army. He would plan the strategy and Meade would implement it using the tactics he deemed best. However, the army’s showing at the Wilderness discouraged Grant and he gradually exerted more control over both the army’s strategic and tactical approaches to beating Robert E. Lee.

The story of the two men’s relationship is fascinating. The book covers the seminal campaigns of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, and the Petersburg/Appomattox Campaigns.

The book uses a wealth of first-person accounts to illustrate the relationship between these two officers that ultimately led to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.

Just over 200 pages, it is filled with illustrations and maps.

We are selling the paperback book for $19.99 (plus $2 for shipping). The first 50 purchasers will receive a signed and numbered copy. If you are interested, please send me an email (bradgottfried@yahoo.com).

I’m working on several projects and hope to finish two within the next few months.

First, I am finishing up the “Maps of the Peninsula and Seven Days.” There will be about 120 map sets, beginning with Fortress Monroe and the fight at Big Bethel. The book will then cover Yorktown, Williamsburg, Seven Pines/Fair Oaks Station, Hanover Junction, and the Seven Days Battles. It will feature several well-known generals, such as McClellan, Johnston, and Lee. It will be the 10th book in the maps series. It should be available in late 2026 or early 2027.

I am proofing the manuscript and awaiting comments from reviewers before I send it to Savas Beatie for editing.

I am also again working with Linda on a smallish book that examines the relationship between Grant and Meade during the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns. Fascinating stuff. The book should be available in 2026.

After I have completed these activities, I will get back to writing “The Maps of Chancellorsville,”

My wife always tells me I should post more on this site, but between tours and trips to Civil War Round Tables, I have been very busy.

During the past few months I have ventured far and wide to give talks.

It started in May when I visited the largest Civil War Round Table in the country– the Brunswick CWRT that boasts over 1200 members. The meeting was held in a large mega church, and my talk attracted over 400 members.

In October, Linda and I embarked on a road trip to New England. Here was the itinerary:

• October 8: Merrimack CWRT (Salisbury MA)
• October 9: Joshua Chamberlain CWRT (Brunswick ME)
• October 10: The Civil War Round Table of New Hampshire (Epping, NH)
• October 11: Green Mountain CWRT (VT)

After a few day’s rest, we headed to Scottsdale Arizona to speak that their round table (big!).

If that wasn’t enough, we headed to East Tennessee for three presentations there:

• November 10: Kingsport CWRT
• November 11: Knoxville CWRT
• November 12: Cumberland Mt. CWRT (Crossville)

We are done for awhile!

Here are a few photos:

Here I am speaking to the Knoxville CWRT

A photo of the audience at the Cumberland Mountain CWRT– big group– photo doesn’t do it justice.

As always, Linda, was a constant companion. Don’t know what I would do without her!

I am no longer giving Harpers Ferry tours. As an Antietam Certified Battlefield Guide I can give Maryland Campaign tours of Bolivar Heights and Camp Hill. However, I learned last month that if I go into Old Town (or give the battlefield components of Harpers Ferry outside of an Antietam tour), I must have a Commercial Use Permit. I wrote to the ranger in charge of these permits at Harpers Ferry and he confirmed it, so I asked him about how I would go about securing such a permit, but have not heard back from him– I suspect because of the cuts to the NPS budget. I have stopped giving Harpers Ferry tours for compensation, as I respect the NPS’ regulations.

I was only going to provide 1-2 Harpers Ferry tours a month, so it is probably not worth going through the process and expense anyway. I am also not interested in becoming a Harpers Ferry Licensed Guide for that reason.

Bottom line, if you want a full Harpers Ferry tour, contact their bookstore. If you want to join me on a non-paid stroll down the streets of Harpers Ferry, well, I can still do that.

This has been a busy summer as I am giving lots of tours. In addition to Antietam battlefield tours (as a Certified Antietam Battlefield Guide) and Gettysburg Town Tours (as a Gettysburg Licensed Town Guide), I am now giving Harpers Ferry Tours.

Harpers Ferry is such a neat place to visit, but unfortunately, few who visit ever see the “real” Harpers Ferry. That includes Storer College– the first African-American college in America, Camp Hill and the Bolivar battlefield. Most head over to the Old Town, but how many see the remains of the old Cotton Mill along the Shenandoah River, hear the story of how Merriweather Lewis visited Harpers Ferry, or the floods that ravaged the town, and the many odd and wonderful folks who made Harpers Ferry special, such as Peter Stevens, Robert Hall, John Hall, Nathan Brackett, and of course John Brown.

Contact me if you are interested in one of the tours I mentioned above. With my ongoing back issues, I am not giving longer walking tours, but hopefully, next year.

Those of you who have purchased my Second Bull Run book may have noted that it is smaller than others in the series. Here’s what it looks like on my self:

I was able to fix this in a simple way:

I took some cardboard strips and placed it under the book on the shelf. It now looks like this.

It may not bother you, but I like all of my map books to be the same height. Can you tell which ones I have pulled out for research purposes? Hint– one is from 1862 and the other from 1864.

Ted Savas just send me some copies of my newest book: The Overland Campaign for Richmond: Grant vs Lee, 1864. It is a small volume in the Casemate series on the Civil War with lots of photos and graphics. I was also able to use some of my maps.

Hope you enjoy it!

I was delighted to learn that my Maps of Spotsylvania through Cold Harbor book received the 2023 Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award in the “Reference” category.

I have won several smaller awards for my writing, but this is my first national award.

I have almost completed the first draft of my Maps of the Peninsula and Seven Days Campaigns and then onto the Maps of Chancellorsville!

Guess who just bought our book, Lincoln Comes To Gettysburg? Old Abe himself, in Gettysburg for the Dedication Day festivities. Special thanks to Jim Schmick for sending me the photo.