DECEMBER 2013

Editor's Letter
The holiday season approaches once again in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Those of us at The Gettysburg Experience are ready to help you celebrate, and bring a touch of nostalgia with our newest array of articles, recipes, and our updated Calendar of Events. From Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, there is plenty happening – be sure to check out the events, beginning on page 11.
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Christmas And The Civil War
It is interesting to note as we prepare for another holiday season, how old we think many of our American Christmas customs and traditions are. Many would be surprised to learn that they are relatively recent, compared to the last two centuries of American society. It was actually the Civil War that was the catalyst for the Christmas season becoming the mesmerizing holiday that we know, love, and sometimes disdain for its often crass and commercialized sentiments.
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John Buford: A Sorrowful Farewell
December 1863 was a harried and busy one in the Union capital. Mary Lincoln's Southern sister, Emilie, was visiting at the White House, and Lincoln was researching possible amnesty plans for the South in an attempt to get the war to come to an end. After the North's costly victory at Gettysburg and Grant's more recent victories in Tennessee, the tide had slowly turned in the favor of the Union. There was, however, a sorrowful scene at the home of General Stoneman in Washington. On December 16, 1863, a Union general who had proved irreplaceable at the Battle of Gettysburg was dying.
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Codori's On The Square: A bit of the old country
Historic Gettysburg has always celebrated old-time traditions during the holidays, many of them stemming from the mother lands of Pennsylvania's earliest colonists, from the original Marsh Creek settlement during the mid-18th century. The old-fashioned Christmas is still remembered at Codori's on the Square, located at 2 York Street in downtown Gettysburg. The shop's original owner, Rick Codori, died in 2005; and customers despaired that the unique store would close its doors forever. Jodi Schwartz, the current owner of the popular gift shop, purchased the business in 2007. For years, she was a long-time customer, and could not bear to lose the popular traditional storefront in Gettysburg. "I wanted to carry on the legacy," she says when asked why she decided to buy Rick's store. "And I wanted it to stay as Codori's."
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December 1863: "A Sad, Cold Christmas"
As the chill in the air sent armies North and South -- from the East and West -- into winter camps, the politicians in Washington and Richmond worked feverishly to prepare for the spring. With the Union wins at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, the tide had definitely turned in favor of the Federals.
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Remembering Martin Luther
A little known inscription is found on the western edge of the battlefield at Gettysburg, an inspiration to those who find it: "Truth is Mightier than Eloquence, The Spirit Stronger than Genius, Faith Greater than Learning."
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Recipes, Yesterday, & Today >