History Through Biography -- The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to 3, 1863, was a key turning point in the Civil War. Covered in this episode are Major General John Fulton Reynolds, Gettysburg citizen John Burns, and Colonel John White Geary.  The guys discuss why Reynolds declined President Lincoln's invitation to command the Army of the Potomac, only to fall on the first day of battle. Would he have trapped Lee? Would Grant have become the leader of all Union forces? Who would have become president? Regarding Burns, his prior exploits and age are discussed as well as his appearance on the battlefield. At one point, he was a national hero, only to be a derelict near the end of his life. John White Geary was the first Post Master of San Francisco during the Gold Rush, the mayor of that city, the governor of the territory of Kansas during "Bleeding Kansas," and twice the governor of Pennsylvania in addition to his military service.