Time to revisit your GHB/BOB

[DerBiermeister]

I wish that movie followed the book more closely. They did a fantastic job following The Killer Angels book, not so much Gods and Generals.

I'm a huge fan of Jeff Shaara. I thought the movie was good. And don't forget, he consulted in the making of the movie. The basis of the book was the importance of Fredericksburg in the war. Of secondary note, was the importance of Jackson. For all practical purposes, had Burnside not run into the flooded Rappahannock, and had he listened to Hancock to cross the river 15 miles upstream at Ellys Ford, instead of delaying for weeks (allowing Lee to capture the high ground at Marye's Heights), the war would have ended right then and there. As it was, Lee and Jackson destroyed the Union army, further aided a few months later by the Condederate victory at Chancellorsville with Jackson's Flank March where he wiped up Hooker's army. There is a solid argument to be made that had Jackson not been killed at Chancellorsville, Lee would not have lost at Gettysburg. Which of course would have only delayed the war longer.

I cannot explain how thrilling it was to see the whole event unfold on the screen after I have spent many days in touring the various battle sites. I also thought that the casting of Steven Lang as Stonewall was brilliant. You were truly seeing Jackson on the screen. Here is his famous speech to the First Brigade.



One of the sad things is that Ted Turner backed out of finishing the movie trilogy, with the decision to not make the movie The Last Full Measure -- they were all ready to start shooting when he cancelled the project. He did it based on the lackluster performance of God's & Generals in the theatres.

I am pretty close to all those events having lived right next to Chancellorsville (in Lake Of The Woods which was developed right in the middle of what was the famous Wilderness battle). The Parks people have done a great job of preserving much of the battle areas in and around Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Jackson's Flank March.

Geezums -- I think I'm going to go watch the movie again!

[BlackDog]

I have a friend who was an extra in that movie. I also have a friend who lives in Lake of the Woods. I believe on the corner of Liberty and Independence if I recall. A true Southern Gentleman. We got him a concrete cannon for his yard one birthday.
Next time you're up Harpers Ferry way the coffee is on me.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

[Inor]

I'm a huge fan of Jeff Shaara. I thought the movie was good. And don't forget, he consulted in the making of the movie. The basis of the book was the importance of Fredericksburg in the war. Of secondary note, was the importance of Jackson. For all practical purposes, had Burnside not run into the flooded Rappahannock, and had he listened to Hancock to cross the river 15 miles upstream at Ellys Ford, instead of delaying for weeks (allowing Lee to capture the high ground at Marye's Heights), the war would have ended right then and there. As it was, Lee and Jackson destroyed the Union army, further aided a few months later by the Condederate victory at Chancellorsville with Jackson's Flank March where he wiped up Hooker's army. There is a solid argument to be made that had Jackson not been killed at Chancellorsville, Lee would not have lost at Gettysburg. Which of course would have only delayed the war longer.

I cannot explain how thrilling it was to see the whole event unfold on the screen after I have spent many days in touring the various battle sites. I also thought that the casting of Steven Lang as Stonewall was brilliant. You were truly seeing Jackson on the screen. Here is his famous speech to the First Brigade.



One of the sad things is that Ted Turner backed out of finishing the movie trilogy, with the decision to not make the movie The Last Full Measure -- they were all ready to start shooting when he cancelled the project. He did it based on the lackluster performance of God's & Generals in the theatres.

I am pretty close to all those events having lived right next to Chancellorsville (in Lake Of The Woods which was developed right in the middle of what was the famous Wilderness battle). The Parks people have done a great job of preserving much of the battle areas in and around Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Jackson's Flank March.

Geezums -- I think I'm going to go watch the movie again!

The movie was okay. Admittedly, Jeff Shaara bit off a much bigger bite with Gods and Generals than his father with The Killer Angels. (I am a HUGE fan of both Shaara boys.) But still, the book was basically the story of how Gen Lee came to command the Army of Northern Virginia and the battle of Fredericksburg. The movie was a milquetoast version of the history of Gen Jackson. I did not like that.

The book Gods and Generals was what turned me into a Southerner. I bought it within a week of it coming out. Until the time that book came out, I had only heard the northern perspective of the war, having lived my entire life in Minnesota. I read that book and found myself agreeing with Gen Lee more and more as the book went on. After reading it I dove way deep into the subject, reading literally dozens of "real" history books and came away with the firm conviction that Gen Lee and President Davis were 100% right. And the rock solid conviction that lincoln was an absolute monster.

[DerBiermeister]

The movie was okay. Admittedly, Jeff Shaara bit off a much bigger bite with Gods and Generals than his father with The Killer Angels. (I am a HUGE fan of both Shaara boys.) But still, the book was basically the story of how Gen Lee came to command the Army of Northern Virginia and the battle of Fredericksburg. The movie was a milquetoast version of the history of Gen Jackson. I did not like that.

The book Gods and Generals was what turned me into a Southerner. I bought it within a week of it coming out. Until the time that book came out, I had only heard the northern perspective of the war, having lived my entire life in Minnesota. I read that book and found myself agreeing with Gen Lee more and more as the book went on. After reading it I dove way deep into the subject, reading literally dozens of "real" history books and came away with the firm conviction that Gen Lee and President Davis were 100% right. And the rock solid conviction that lincoln was an absolute monster.

You may be right on the emphasis that Shaara put in the book -- it has been probably 15 years since I read the book. I'll have to go back and read it again. BUT, having said that -- I have for decades come to realize that Jackson was the best general the south had - and that includes Lee. If you want a modern day equivalent, it would be Patton, without Patton's penchant for causing trouble. When Jackson got killed, Lee changed dramatically. He had trusted Jackson whole-heartedly and with him gone, he never really completely trusted any of his other generals, and that includes Longstreet (who he should have).

So, you and I Inor are going to have disagree a little bit, which is no problem. IMO, Jackson was THE star at Fredericksburg, as well as Chancellorsville. The movie brings that out if the book didn't.

An interesting side story -- I probably passed the obelisk at the Chancellorsville battlefield where Jackson was shot ten thousand times, in all the years I lived in Wilderness. The Obelisk is only about 100 feet from the highway and stands tall maybe 50 feet in the air. He was shot accidentally at dusk by a Confederate soldier from A.P. Hill's brigade.
Anyway, they quickly moved Jackson about 4 miles west toward the Wilderness, and had him housed in the Wilderness Tavern for treatment by a surgeon. They amputated his arm and actually buried the arm in a cornfield behind the tavern. Today, there is a grave stone marking where the arm is buried. Shortly after that, Stonewall's brigade became worried that they were too vulnerable for Yankee armies just sitting there waiting for Jackson to improve. So they went on the march some 50 miles away (southeast) to a little town called Guinea Station. There he was put in a little farm house where he contracted pneumonia and died. This is all covered in the movie and was filmed right there on location. I had talked to some park rangers about the filming, and they told me that the death scene was filmed in the actual room, but the only thing they changed was that the real bed was too fragile to take a chance on getting damaged, so they substituted with another bed.

Back to my story once again -- it is in the late '70s and the Natl Park Service is getting real close to opening the Wilderness Tavern as an historic site. Somehow there was some power lines in the basement that shorted out and caused a very bad fire. This was right in the middle of a weekday. I was Asst Fire Chief for the Lake Of The Woods FD, and me and one other guy immediately responded to the fire call. Others came later, but it was hopeless as the structure was fully involved when we arrived. Here is a picture of me (white hat) and the other guy fighting the fire.



https://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2010/0...ns-amputation/


All that remains today is parts of the chimney fenced off. This site is right next to Rt 3.
https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/photo...dia/tavern.htm

[Kfilly]

I live in a city of about 50k people. I am about 6 blocks from the edge of town, and I am in farm country after that. My primary plan would be to bug out for most circumstances. There would more than likely be too many unprepared to stick around my house. I do have a BOL about 90 miles by car. Seeing that my primary plan is to bug out, I go through my bag regularly. Everyone should check their bags at least twice a year. Once when it starts to warm up in spring, and check it again when the weather starts to cool off in fall. It takes minutes to do. I also store Eneloop rechargeable batteries in my pack. I recharge those batteries, check my clothes, and check my food supply.

I have a jar of peanut butter I know have to replace in mine. It is a week past due. Plan to swap it out soon. For people relying on just the emergency rations, you might want to add some peanut butter to get some protein into your diet. Your muscles will thank you if you have to do a lot of hiking. Plus, peanut butter can be used to bait traps and snares.

[Kfilly]

My emergency bag needs re-evaluated, but I have no BOL, so no BOB.

I need to empty and rebuild my water storage too . . . but I'm trying to avoid that.

It is still a good idea to have a BOB. It is a good idea to diversify your plans. You might be able to go to a like minded friend's or family member's house after certain events. I bet a lot of people leaving hurricane zones, wildfire areas, etc are glad they have bags packed and ready to go.

[Inor]

I live in a city of about 50k people. I am about 6 blocks from the edge of town, and I am in farm country after that. My primary plan would be to bug out for most circumstances. There would more than likely be too many unprepared to stick around my house. I do have a BOL about 90 miles by car. Seeing that my primary plan is to bug out, I go through my bag regularly. Everyone should check their bags at least twice a year. Once when it starts to warm up in spring, and check it again when the weather starts to cool off in fall. It takes minutes to do. I also store Eneloop rechargeable batteries in my pack. I recharge those batteries, check my clothes, and check my food supply.

I have a jar of peanut butter I know have to replace in mine. It is a week past due. Plan to swap it out soon. For people relying on just the emergency rations, you might want to add some peanut butter to get some protein into your diet. Your muscles will thank you if you have to do a lot of hiking. Plus, peanut butter can be used to bait traps and snares.

With all of the wild turkey and deer you have around La Crosse, the last thing you need to worry about is having enough protein. If anything, you might lay in a supply of laxative due to too much protein. Mrs Inor and I have some friends in Caledonia, MN. I have never seen so many wild turkeys in my life as the times we have been down there visiting. (Until last August, I had lived my entire life just outside the Twin Cities.)

[Kfilly]

With all of the wild turkey and deer you have around La Crosse, the last thing you need to worry about is having enough protein. If anything, you might lay in a supply of laxative due to too much protein. Mrs Inor and I have some friends in Caledonia, MN. I have never seen so many wild turkeys in my life as the times we have been down there visiting. (Until last August, I had lived my entire life just outside the Twin Cities.)

Yes, there are tons of wild turkey and deer in my parts. I would prefer not to shoot one just to feed me and a couple dogs. It would also take awhile to clean, process, and cook any wild game caught. Where as, I can open my jar of peanut butter, eat a spoonful or two, and keep on moving. The goal of my BOB is to get where I am going as fast as possible.

[juskom95]

It is still a good idea to have a BOB. It is a good idea to diversify your plans. You might be able to go to a like minded friend's or family member's house after certain events. I bet a lot of people leaving hurricane zones, wildfire areas, etc are glad they have bags packed and ready to go.

I don't have any friends/family who think like that or whom I would trust. Add to that my family (wife and daughters) do not have the same skills as myself, 'bugging out' to 'live in the woods' is not a viable option.

I am very much on my own, so I have to plan for what is possible today I have plans for a BOL/Cabin, but it takes time to get to that point.

[Kfilly]

I don't have any friends/family who think like that or whom I would trust. Add to that my family (wife and daughters) do not have the same skills as myself, 'bugging out' to 'live in the woods' is not a viable option.

I am very much on my own, so I have to plan for what is possible today I have plans for a BOL/Cabin, but it takes time to get to that point.

It would still be a good idea to have a BOB for each family member. I won't change that opinion. It might not have to be a traditional I am going to live in the woods BOB. It can be one to get you to a friend's or relative's house even if that is by car. You can have a few clothes and some other essentials already packed . In your bag, you could add some extra survival stuff (fire kit, water filter, knife, etc.) while the rest of your family's bag is benign clothing/snack bars. Your packs could be something you use if you had a house fire, storm damage to your house, etc. Your packs could get you to hotel or someone else's house. No one has to know you are even prepping.

Disclaimer...Do not run into a burning building to grab anything.