A small farm town 7 miles north of the Mason-Dixon line has drawn a lot of attention over the last century and a half. From books and movies, to documentary’s and magazine articles, Gettysburg is arguably the most written-about conflict in the world. With the amount of information readily available and easy to access, it leads me to one of the most painful questions I have ever had: How many more times will Gettysburg get mangled before someone gets it right?
I am writing this in the wake of the Memorial Day airing of “Gettysburg” on the History Channel. When I first heard/saw that this was going to be a 2 hour documentary, I was excited beyond belief.
Maybe this is the documentary I’ve been waiting for. Maybe this will be the foundation for future documentary’s. Maybe I won’t get mad during this documentary like I have with others in the past.
I still thought that up to 8:59PM. The clock struck 9:00PM, and the program started. The fate of a 2 hour documentary hung in the space of 5 minutes, as the narrator promptly leads us into the first day’s fighting. July 1st, 1863 - 10:00AM.
WHAT?
Question: Where is the best place to start a story? The beginning. Ridley and Tony Scott think differently. You might be thinking, Gettysburg has been done so many times that everyone knows how the battle started. I fall into that category as well. But, you have to assume that there is at least 1 person in this world that hasn’t heard a thing about Gettysburg. Because of that, you have to tailor the program to that one person. Anyone who tuned in to this program without prior knowledge of the battle now thinks that the battle started with the Iron Brigade fighting towards the Railroad Cut. There are two facts that cannot be overlooked when talking about the fighting on the morning of July 1st:
- Cavalry commander Gen. Buford holds off Confederate attacks for nearly 2 hours, outnumbered 2 to 1.
- First Corp. commander, Gen. Reynolds, is killed while deploying his troops on McPherson’s Ridge. I don’t know how this can be overlooked, as Reynolds is the highest ranking officer to die at Gettysburg.
So, we slog through the Iron Brigade fighting in and around the Railroad Cut. Then, inexplicably, we jump to 4:30PM.
WHY?
The Iron Brigade didn’t stop at the Railroad Cut. Why not stay with the Iron Brigade as they slug it out with Pettigrew’s Brigade? You’ve already roped viewers in by talking up how awesome the Iron Brigade was, and as soon as they start to make sense of what’s happening, the program just leaves them in the dust of the Railroad Cut. The next thing we know, Union soldiers are “running” (which is portrayed by walking, zombie-like actors) through the town, with the Confederates on their heels. Oh, the Confederates…
Before I continue, I must address the Confederate impressions. If I had to sum up their uniforms in one word, I would have a hard time choosing which word to use. Awful. Terrible. Disgusting. Embarrassing. Imagine clothes that might have been worn during the gold rush, mixed with a touch of “cowboy”. Where were the jackets? Why were most of the Confederate soldiers hatless? HOW DID THESE UNIFORMS PASS ANY TYPE OF REGULATIONS? I’ve seen bad impressions before, but this program just set the bar lower than it could ever go in the reenacting community.
Now that I’ve addressed the “uniforms”, let’s get back to the fighting through town. The program now focuses on Amos Humiston. It’s a reasonable choice, as the story of Humiston will become one of the biggest human interest stories to come out of Gettysburg. But please tell me, how do we know Humiston engaged in some epic hand-to-hand combat while being “totally” surrounded. I doubt that Humiston penned an entry into a diary as he lay dying in town. Engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat before getting shot. Have no time to write name to identify myself. See ambrotype.
Do you know what would have been great? Explaining why the Union’s 1st and 11th Corp were pouring back through town! Again, if you knew absolutely nothing about Gettysburg, you’re left with the image of the Union army simply giving up and running away. The program does mention Ewell’s Corp driving the Union soldiers from their position, but the viewer never really knows why. Were they outnumbered? Did Ewell’s troops simply outfight the 11th Corp? Did the 11th Corp even put up a fight? Pick one. Your answer is better than the Scott’s.
The first day at Gettysburg is complicated. I understand that not everything can be addressed. You could have a 10 hour documentary dedicated to the fighting between 7:00AM and 6:00PM, and still not be able to fit everything in. The program highlights some locations not normally discussed, such as the fight at the Railroad Cut and the fighting through town. Ultimately, the program falls victim to itself, and can be summed up by a quote the narrator makes about the Iron Brigade‘s fight at the Railroad Cut: Dawes’ win is the exception in a day of defeats.
I will be focusing on the programs interpretation of July 2nd in my next entry. Check back soon!
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