You are going to embark on a great journey.

A little corny, huh? Not really. Your class is going to have the chance to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield before the battle starts. You are not going to just see the battle, but experience it through the eyes of a soldier, a real soldier who marched to Gettysburg in 1863.

There will be a list of 36 men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War and who fought at Gettysburg. Your teacher will assign one of these soldiers to you, and you will follow him via the internet, from his camps in Virginia, across the Potomac River, and into Pennsylvania. You'll live the life of a soldier, share in his thoughts and hopes, read his words, and experience the Gettysburg Campaign through his eyes.

This is a unique chance for you to experience the Civil War, not just the battle. You'll find out what the soldiers were thinking about their officers, the causes of the war, and why these young men did what they had to do. This really is a great journey... through time

So how do you get ready for this trip? Ask your teacher to help you prepare your journal for your soldier. You must keep a daily log on your soldier and where he will be. Beginning one month before the broadcast, read the new editions of two newspapers, which will give you information on what has occurred in 1863 as well as the progress of the armies in their march to Gettysburg. These newspapers are The Yankee Gazette and The Southern Defender. Read one per week until the broadcast and follow your soldier's march to Gettysburg!

After you have viewed the broadcast, you should check the follow up post below where you'll find out whether your soldier survived the terrible three days at Gettysburg or not. Was he wounded? Was he captured? Was he killed? Check the "Post Battle" pages to find out!

Soldier Biographical Sketches- Biographies of 36 Soldiers who marched to Gettysburg.

1863: A Grim Year- Newspapers North and South; follow your soldier to Gettysburg!

Soldier Biographies After Battle of Gettysburg- What happened to your soldier at Gettysburg?