Gettysburg Trivia

[O. O. Howard]

Joshua l.Chamberlain wrote:

Oh no I was shocked he would suggest that about the best commander in the Army of the Potomac at that point in the battle. I need to not be so literal but it is not logical to be humorous about Hancock.

I thought it was funny! Alternative theories could also include a rebel soldier picking up the hatched that brown dropped and throwing it at Hancock's saddle or a rebel taking perfect aim at Hancock and then getting distracted by seeing a mad man running into battle with an a hatchet and missing, hitting his saddle by mistake. I do think the image of Brown being angry and striking out at the first available general officer makes for good humor though.The 13th VT would have had no interaction with Hancock up to that point and weren't even in his corps, so it would have definitely been a random act retaliation against higher authority.

Another topic for good humor: The McKinley Monument at Antietam. A whole monument for a guy who was a commisary sergeant and passed out coffee and donoughts under fire. (I guess later becoming president may have had some influence.) I just have visions of him dodging the bullets with his coffee pot and finally reaching the line to pour his first cup and an officer putting out his hand to stop him as her poured. Sergeant McKinley: "But sir,only half a cup?" Captain: "Yes Sergeant, you know caffeine makes me nervous..." It would make a great commercial for decaf.

Humor sometimes just takes logic and twists it to make an alternative story. I hope that Chamberlain isn't too shocked that I would suggest a joke about a former US president and the best commisary sergeant in the Army in September 1862!:woohoo:

[O. O. Howard]

How about this one:

Following intensive market research with the Army of the Potomac during the Spring and early summer of 1863, a forerunner of ADIDAS developed a business plan for supplying a prototype sports shoe to which corps?

[Joshua l.Chamberlain]

I can be humorous but most of my jokes are not nicest.

[Hancock the Superb]

What? No I meant when his saddle was hit by a bullet the splinters shot into him.

Sure I was, I still have the scar... anyway, that Lieutenant was quickly...uh...demoted to a sergent, so no worries.

Hancock's sense of humor was as much a characteristic as his quick flashes of profane anger...

Hey, that sounds like me!

[Kerflumoxed]

O. O. Howard wrote:

How about this one:

Following intensive market research with the Army of the Potomac during the Spring and early summer of 1863, a forerunner of ADIDAS developed a business plan for supplying a prototype sports shoe to which corps?

I can only guess the 11th Corps. Seems I recall a story about one of the General's spending the Battle of GB hiding in a pigsty after the 11th Corps "retreated" before Ewell's Corps. Anyone heard of that?

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

[Kerflumoxed]

To answer my own question, believe it was General Alexander Schimmelfennig. Perhaps that can recreated by Norb and his fine staff! LOL

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

[Little Powell]

Kerflumoxed wrote:

To answer my own question, believe it was General Alexander Schimmelfennig. Perhaps that can recreated by Norb and his fine staff! LOL

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

Hey, if you gave us more time, I could have answered that! :laugh:

That's one of my favorite Gettysburg stories. There's a post on Gettysburg Daily that talks about it:

Some Confederates were climbing the fence behind him, and Schimmelfennig, who was not very tall, crawled under a covered drainage ditch in the yard. There he escaped detection until nightfall. After dark, he backed out of the ditch cover and hid near a woodshed by the Garlach’s kitchen. He squeezed himself between a double stack of firewood and a hog swill barrel.

Here's the post: http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=1740

[Kerflumoxed]

Thanks for the link!

I had his name on the tip of my tongue but couldn't spell it...thank goodness for Google.

BTW, went to the local CW Roundtable this past Monday evening. I didn't know that Picket's Charge contained somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 troops climbing that slope!:woohoo: Now, where exactly was that shoe warehouse that brought on the GB battle?

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE
Little Powell wrote:

Kerflumoxed wrote:

To answer my own question, believe it was General Alexander Schimmelfennig. Perhaps that can recreated by Norb and his fine staff! LOL

Jack Hanger
Fremont, NE

Hey, if you gave us more time, I could have answered that! :laugh:

That's one of my favorite Gettysburg stories. There's a post on Gettysburg Daily that talks about it:

Some Confederates were climbing the fence behind him, and Schimmelfennig, who was not very tall, crawled under a covered drainage ditch in the yard. There he escaped detection until nightfall. After dark, he backed out of the ditch cover and hid near a woodshed by the Garlach’s kitchen. He squeezed himself between a double stack of firewood and a hog swill barrel.

Here's the post: http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/?p=1740

[Joshua l.Chamberlain]

Falling into a pig sty. (chuckle) This is what happened when he got back to his command.
Aide-"General what happened your a mess!"
Schimmelfennig-"I tripped."

[O. O. Howard]

Joshua l.Chamberlain wrote:

Falling into a pig sty. (chuckle) This is what happened when he got back to his command.
Aide-"General what happened your a mess!"
Schimmelfennig-"I tripped."

Schimmelfennig could have been the ADIDAS spokesman if there was a promotional campaign. I can imagine it now. The slogan might have been something like: "Next time, we wear ADIDAS." There could be an image of a lot of guys with red crescents on their hats been lead away as prisoners. They turn to the camera and say, "Next time, we wear ADIDAS." Schimmelfennig could be relating his getting caught behind enemy lines, etc. and then say: "Next time, I vill vear ADIDAS." ".... ADIDAS running shoes give your regiment or brigade the edge you need to outpace and advancing enemy.... Next time... wear ADIDAS..."