Tomorrow I’m hitting the road once again. On Wednesday, June 29, I’ll be leading a tour of First Bull Run for the Civil War Institute of Gettysburg College‘s Summer Conference. There are a total of 7 tour busses. Four will be led by NPS personnel, the remaining three by Ed Bearss, Ethan Rafuse, and myself. My tour is for people already familiar with the battlefield, and will be a tour in biography, for lack of a better term. This will be an opportunity for me to share those stories I’ve stumbled across over the past 6 years or so. Not your typical battlefield tour, but I hope the brave souls who chose my tour enjoy it.
On Saturday, July 2, I’ll be speaking as part of the Gettysburg Foundation’s Sacred Trust speaker’s series. At 9:30 AM outside the Visitor’s Center I’ll give a presentation on Patrick O’Rorke at First Bull Run. When the Foundation first contacted me they asked for a topic that tied in Gettysburg and First Bull Run, and O’Rorke was the obvious choice for me. It’s a short program, only 45 minutes including Q & A. Afterwards I’ll be available at a signing table, though unlike just about everyone else on the schedule I really don’t have anything to sign – unless someone shoves a copy of America’s Civil War, Civil War Times, or Civil War History in front of me. I kinda doubt that’s gonna happen, though.
So if you’re registered for Wednesday’s tour I’m looking forward to meeting you. And if you’re in town on Saturday morning, please stop by the Visitor’s Center. I’ll also be strolling about town and battlefield on Thursday and Friday, so if you see me please say hi!
Harry Smeltzer
Bull Runnings 
Good luck Harry..sounds like quite a tour.
LikeLike
[…] you can see, the topics range far afield from Gettysburg. Even Harry Smeltzer will be there making a pitch for his First Bull Run […]
LikeLike
Can’t wait to finally meet you on Wednesday’s tour!
LikeLike
Best of luck, Harry, although I know you won’t need it.
Teej
LikeLike
Hello Harry,
My wife, Jacque, and I chose your tour at CWI to Manassas. Thanks. We enjoyed your approach and the information you shared. At the Conference this year, a fellow attendee looked at my name tag which read “Topeka, Kansas”. He asked what in the world would anybody from Kansas want to learn anything about the Civil War. My answer was – not much, except that it was in Kansas that the Civil War really started, in 1856, which the eastern press simply called “Bleeding Kansas”. Yes, we have an interest in the Civil War. It is also alleged that the third largest cavalry battle in the Civil War took place in Kansas – the Battle of Mine Creek. Look it up. Great tour Harry.
LikeLike
It was nice meeting you and thanks for choosing my tour. I’m glad I was able to work Jim Lane and Kansas at First Bull Run into the program!
LikeLike
I’m jealous. Despite my great interest and study of 1st Bull Run I’ve never had the oppotunity to visit, and what a great time it would be to do so for the 150th Anniversary, especially to trace the (not so glorious) footprint of the 1st. Conn Regt. on the ground. I actually work for the National Park Service and have always wondered how to get myself transferred for a week or so. Maybe they need a paleontological inventory?
Have a great program and please post details!
LikeLike