RSCC Computer Art I: September 2018

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Dr Charlie Fennel is a historian with concentrated expertise in the American Civil War in general and in particular with the battle of Gettysburg. He has been an adjunct professor at the Gettysburg campus of Harrisburg Area Community College for the last 28 years.

He has authored a textbook and numerous journal articles. He is a licensed battlefield guide and a frequent speaker at civil war round table meetings and other forums. He has appeared on many TV shows and in YouTube clips.

He earned his PhD from West Virginia University in 1992. In 1993 the movie “Gettysburg” brought about a renewal of interest in civil war history. The movie paid special emphasis to the battle activity on the left end of the union line. As a result that location, Little Round Top, is still the most visited part of that national park.

But Dr Fennell did his PhD work on the importance of the activities on the right end of the union line. Fennell contends that area, Culp’s Hill, and the nearby Cemetery Ridge (very near where Lincoln gave his address later that same year…. 1863) was much more strategic to the outcome of the battle.

As supporting evidence to his theory Fennell offers photographs taken shortly after the war. They are taken at Culp’s Hill and show local business advertising painted on boulders that are still there today. No such advertising photos are available from that period at Little Round Top. Fennell says visitors shortly after the war understood the battle and knew where the important events occurred. They visited Culp’s Hill as evidenced by the photographs. He says, “There’s no advertising on the moon because no one goes there.”

My wife and I have known Dr Fennell for several years. We have attended his speeches and tours. We really love the man. So I depict him as a raving lunatic. That’s what friends do.