Study Group

For the last 8 plus years I've been part of the Rocky Mountain Roundtable's study group. Nearly every year we studied a battle or campaign and then followed it up with a trip to that battlefield. In fact following the last trip (Antietam) I decided to start this blog and the first month or so was devoted to recapping that trip. This Wednesday the study group will be going to the Shenandoah Valley and I'll be stuck at my job in Colorado.

In the fall of 2000 we did Shiloh. In 2001 we went to Gettysburg, traveling on October 11th. That was an unique airport experience. We took an extra long study the next year and made the trip in the spring of 2003 to Chickamauga and Chattanooga. In fall 2004 we were in Spotsylvania County doing the four major battlefields in that bloody county; Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotyslvania Court House. In fall 2005 we were in Middle Tennessee covering Stones River, Tullahoma, Franklin and Nashville. Spring 2007 found us back east again, this time at Antietam, following another extra lengthy study. And now for the first time I'll be missing a study group trip. There is now only one guy who has made every single trip, my dad. A couple guys have only missed one trip, I'll now join that list.

I'm a bit sad. I always looked forward to spending those 4-5 days in the field with a bunch of like minded guys. Our smallest group was 4 and our largest was 13. But we always had a great time. Its one thing to visit the battlefield alone and quite another to be in the company of someone who shares your passion. I've been lucky in that I've had quite a few of those kind of trips because my dad has joined me on many of my other excursions.

I told dad that there are two things I want him to do for me while he's gone. First he has to take a ton of pictures. Second if he gets to Gettysburg (which I think the group will get there) I want him to buy me one of these:

I saw it on Harry's blog and knew right away I had to have one too.