I always look forward to Gettysburg’s Sacred Trust program. I usually am asked to give a presentation on Gettysburg, and then I sign books for awhile. This year was a bit different, as they had plenty of speakers, so I just signed book for awhile on July 4. I met some great people from all over the U.S. They all had one thing in common– a passion for Gettysburg. I am always so pleased to learn that many people carry my Maps of Gettysburg around the battlefield. One visitor also mentioned that a ranger at the Antietam battlefield was carrying around my book during a tour. That’s why I am writing these books. Not only do I learn so much about a campaign, I am able to share my new insights with others. Few Civil War historians make a ton of money on their projects– they do it for the passion to learn and to share.

What I found so odd this year was that the vast majority of presentations (21 out 26) were not on Gettysburg.  I may be wrong, but I think most people go to Gettysburg to learn about Gettysburg and the same is true of Sacred Trust.  Check out the list of presentations:  http://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/149/sacred-trust-event-schedule

What do you think?  Am I wrong?