Trip to DC Area

I will be heading to the DC area Thursday, April 2, for seven days of business and pleasure (which for me, mix well). Accompanying me will be my Watson--D.T. (Demetrious Theodore) Savas. Now 13, when he was 11 he joined me for a trip to Mammoth Cave and Shiloh, where we unveiled the Cunningham/Joiner/Smith Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862. It was his first battlefield; he was not impressed. He was, though, only 11.

One of the requirements for joining me on this trip over spring break was that he read Killer Angels to prepare for our day at Gettysburg. He is only 20% into the book. Thus far he is not impressed. (Sigh)

I am excited that we will be joined in Gettysburg by J.D. Petruzzi and Steven Stanley (authors of the soon-to-be-released The Complete Guide to Gettysburg (May 22), as well as Silent Sentinels author George Newton, and soon-to-be-released author of Sickles at Gettysburg (later summer 2009), Jim Hessler. Since I have never met any of these guys, it will be good to put personalities and comraderie to the emails and voices. We will be spending some extra time on the Third Corps front, with Jim handling Sickles and George the artillery. Both are Licensed Battlefield Guides. I explained that to my son. He shrugged. He's 13, so . . .

The following night my son and I will be picking up a Washington Nationals/Baltimore Orioles game. We have (what I thought were ) good seats 12 rows behind the Visitor dugout. Since we have access to seats right on Third base line at Pac Bell Park for the Giants, my son asked whether we needed to purchase binoculars to see home plate. (Come to think of it, I might just leave him at home.)

I am also excited because I will finally get to meet Brad Gottfried, author of our Maps of Gettysburg and Maps of First Bull Run (May 22), and on another night thereafter, blog raconteur Dimitri Rotov.

There are several others I will be meeting (bookstore owners, etc.), but my time will be pulled in many directions, and I never get the opportunity to do as much or see as many people as I would like.

Update: My son just came down to tell me goodnight, and that . . . "Killer Angels is starting to get sort of interesting." He also recently watched a show on the Military Channel about Pickett's Charge. I told him we could walk it. He smiled, braces and all. There is a God in Heaven.

(No posts until after April 11.)

Stay well.

--tps