Gettysburg—Battle, Speech & Gov Doc

November 18, 2015

024-005-00196-4On a chilled November morning, holding a hand-scrawled copy of a well-crafted oration, President Abraham Lincoln spoke those iconic words, “Four score and seven years ago…”

Before Lincoln even penned one line of his immortalized Gettysburg Address, delivered 152 years ago at the dedication of the cemetery for the fallen, so much had happened earlier that summer. National Park Service’s work Gettysburg National Military Park, authored by Frederick Tilberg, describes the events that spawned both battle and address.

The attack-counterattack stratagem of commanding generals Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army and George Gordon Meade of the Union Forces resulted in three days of struggle, shelling, and shattered bodies. Both sides bore heavy losses. Columns of valorous cavalrymen became matted fields of fallen blue and gray. Pickett’s Charge, Little Round Top, and the High Water Mark of the Confederacy marked the gore and glory of the Gettysburg campaign.

The Alexander Gardner portrait of Lincoln, taken 4 days before the Gettysburg Address.

The Alexander Gardner portrait of Lincoln, taken 4 days before the Gettysburg Address (excerpt from publication).

What makes this publication so distinct is that it draws a wider circle around the conflict. Beyond the battlefield maneuvers and artillery fire, those hellish days in the Pennsylvania farmland left a whirl of aftereffects. The work touches upon the burden of care shouldered by the war-weary townspeople and the establishment of the burial ground.

Included within the narrative are quite a few examples from the great gallery of artwork inspired by daring infantry assaults and cannonade. The gallantry is dazzling in the famous cyclorama painting “The Battle of Gettysburg” by French artist Paul Philippoteaux that forms the book’s cover.

In his famed speech, President Lincoln carefully expressed the crisis—and unfinished work—that confronted a divided nation. As the author writes, “Lincoln gave meaning to the sacrifice of the dead—he gave inspiration to the living.” The deeds of battle and the words of an American president resonate today as they did so long ago.

How do I obtain this publication?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Center of Military History, Civil War, U.S. Army | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

“Out of Many, One”: Citizenship and the Constitution

September 17, 2014

September 17 is Constitution Day, thanks to the efforts of the late Senator Robert C. Byrd, who always carried a copy with him on and off the floor of the Senate. Last year, I blogged about the various editions of the Constitution available as Government publications. This time around, I’ve been thumbing through another publication that helps to put the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a variety of other documents, speeches, and even songs and poetry, into the bigger picture of what it means to be – or become – an American citizen.

The Citizen’s Almanac: Fundamental Documents, Symbols, and Anthems of the United States, a handsome and very useful little book from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services correctly states that “both native-born and naturalized citizens will find important information on the rights and responsibilities associated with United States citizenship.” It’s an extremely useful collection of songs (The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, God Bless America), poems (The Concord Hymn, I Hear America Singing, The New Colossus), symbols (the Great Seal of the United States, including an explanation of that impressive but somewhat mystifying “pyramid with an eye in it” device), complete texts or extracts from notable American speeches (the Gettysburg Address, John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream, Ronald Reagan’s Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate), notable Supreme Court decisions (Marbury v Madison, Brown v Board of Education) and much more.

Although the complete text of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other documents are not included, the brief sections on each put them into context so readers can perceive the continuum of American democracy through time. For new and aspiring citizens, a series of brief biographies of famous Americans who were not born in the U.S. makes for interesting reading. In the entertainment world alone, how many of us think of Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope, and Celia Cruz in their roles as citizens of the Republic?

The Citizen’s Almanac is a terrific, well-illustrated source for all kinds of information about American history and citizenship. It’s also an interesting read and a book that’s perfect for Constitution Day or any other day when you need information about this country of ours. You can browse through The Citizen’s Almanac here, buy a single copy or a package of 25 for schools and civic organizations, or locate it at a library.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

In addition to clicking on the links in the article above to find the publication, you may find this publications from the following:

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy this and other print publications related to citizenship (with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide) from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore website at http://bookstore.gpo.gov:

Order by Phone: You may also order print editions by calling GPO’s  Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

About the author: Adapted by Trudy Hawkins, Writer and Marketing Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division in Washington, DC, from an original post by James Cameron, former Government Book Talk Editor in support of the U.S. Government Online Bookstore (http://bookstore.gpo.gov).

4 Comments | Teachers and teaching, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by govbooktalk

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