About two years ago, BGES member Joe Heiberger told me of an interesting organization he was volunteering with. It had restored a 19th century coaching inn – a stagecoach-era hotel for man and beast – and was now involved in commissioning and erecting an equestrian statue of its hometown general, William Starke Rosecrans. Sunbury, Ohio, … Read more
In this season of giving thanks, we’re grateful for our members!
BGES may be a small organization, but our members’ generous support allows us to go beyond our battlefield tours and make even more of a difference in preserving America’s rich heritage.
One of the most famous ideas in history – “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” – begins the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. This idea informs all … Read more
For the past several years, members of the Rosecrans Headquarters Unit and the Big Walnut Area Historical Society in Sunbury, Ohio have been raising funds to place an equestrian bronze statue of Major General William Starke Rosecrans on the northwest quadrant of Town Square. Rosecrans was born in Kingston Township near Sunbury. Two weeks ago, … Read more
Some moments in life remind you with perfect clarity why you do what you do. During our most recent tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield for wounded warriors, such moments were plentiful.
The day after concluding the “Hancock at Gettysburg” tour, BGES Executive Director Len Riedel and BGES volunteers were ready to repeat the experience – this time with our Yellow Ribbon Fund partners and 25 service members undergoing treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
America’s premier battlefield storyteller was born on June 26, 1923, in Billings, Montana. He grew up on a ranch where he caught the Civil War bug early and – true story – named the animals after Civil War generals and battles. Like his father in World War I, Ed also served as a Marine. He … Read more
A true staff ride rests on preliminary background study of a battle or campaign before stepping foot onto the field itself. We provide carefully selected materials – such as maps and biographical and personality information on significant leaders – to get you started.
April 25, 1994 is Founder’s Day at BGES. That’s when Executive Director Len Riedel, then a soon to be 40-year-old Air Force retiree, fulfilled his dream to help preserve some of America’s most important history by incorporating the BGES as a non-profit tax exempt organization. The mission then as today was “Revealing Our Past for Our Future.”
Call forth the mighty warriors! BGES’s April 15 tour of Gettysburg was unforgettable for those of us privileged to host wounded warriors undergoing treatment at Bethesda Naval Hospital and their family members. We’re proud that members’ donations completely fund such events. No one makes a penny and all money we receive goes to cover the … Read more
[box]by Charles M. Blackford Warwick House Publishing, Lynchburg, Reprint 1994 Reviewed by Len Riedel, Executive Director, BGES Danville, Virginia January 25, 2012[/box] Charles M. Blackford was a distinguished citizen of Lynchburg who served in the Army of Northern Virginia; however, he did not participate in the battle or campaign of Lynchburg. A highly regarded speaker … Read more