BGES 
A field report from Sandy Horton: Just finished up the “Lee’s Retreat from Gettysburg” tour with BGES and enjoyed it immensely. Eight of us were guided by Parker Hills along the two avenues of Lee’s retreat from Pennsylvania, through Maryland, and into the safety of Virginia on this five-day excursion. Contributing to its success … Read more
A field report from Joe Knapp: The Blue and Gray Education Society sponsored “A Historian’s Reflection on the First Day of Gettysburg” on July 9-11, 2021. What a great experience, especially with all the unexpected problems that occurred. Fortunately, Len Riedel and Scott Hartwig managed to overcome and provided a first-class experience. We had … Read more
by Doug Smock On Wednesday, May 12, I escaped my 15-month pandemic-imposed confinement in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and arrived in Tennessee for an introductory evening talk by Greg Mertz, a recently retired National Park Service historian. He distributed three-ring binders full of battle information, including maps, mostly made by Civil War cartographer Hal Jespersen, who … Read more
As any good writer knows, you’re never really sure what you’re getting into when starting a new project … until you’re ready to submit it. Even then, there are always more surprises awaiting you, and the final product often looks different from how you originally envisioned it. Paul Magid learned this lesson first-hand when he … Read more
As we head into spring with the hope that sooner rather than later, we’ll be back in the BGES bus exploring the battlefields, we must consider the legal and insurance guidance that is being applied to Covid. We were curious what our liability would be if we resumed programs using vans or buses or if … Read more
Fort Blakeley, in Spanish Fort, Alabama, may not be as famous as Shiloh or Gettysburg, but it remains one of the Civil War’s best preserved battlefields with important stories to tell. “Rarely do stories of national importance happen entirely ‘somewhere else,’” says Mike Bunn, director of operations of the 2,000-acre site. “By learning the specifics … Read more
2020 was a challenging year for everyone across the board, but for an organization like BGES, which relies heavily on in-person tours, the hit was especially hard. Barbara Noe Kennedy of the BGES Blog caught up with BGES Executive Director Len Riedel to discuss what’s in store for the organization after this tough year. Some … Read more
With news of a vaccine, we are looking forward to getting out and touring again. But what are the risks? Is it safe? Will we still need to wear masks anyway? The BGES Blog caught up with Dr. Gary Wilson to learn his take on the challenges and hopes as we enter into a new … Read more
Fort Branch is a nearly forgotten Civil War site near Hamilton, North Carolina. Built in 1862 by the Confederate Army, the fort served to protect a nearby railway bridge considered a weak link in the “Lifeline of the Confederacy,” and it also protected the nearby construction site of the ironclad CSS Albemarle. BGES recently completed … Read more
I am excited to update the membership of the Blue and Gray Education Society about the progress being made on our interpretive project at Fort Branch, North Carolina. As you may recall, BGES partnered with Fort Branch to create and install six large and 12 small signs at the fort to enhance the visitor experience. … Read more
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