Episode 24: Alfred Iverson at Gettysburg - Part One

The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast

Jim Hessler and Eric Lindblade

History

4.8 • 950 Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2020

⏱️ 84 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast, Eric and Jim start Season Three off with a look at one of the most controversial figures associated with the battle: Brigadier General Alfred Iverson.

In Part One, they take a deep dive into the native-born Georgian as they detail his life and military service up to July 1. As they often do, the hosts challenge long-held views on Iverson, especially the accusations he was drunk on the battlefield, and attempt to give a complete picture of this often unpopular and maligned officer.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome everyone to the Battle of Gettysburg Podcast. I am your co-host
0:04.2	licensed battlefield guide Eric Lindblade and as always I am joined by my
0:08.1	co-host licensed battlefield guide Jim Hessler., what's today's episode?
0:13.0	Eric, super-fans, we start season 3 with a heel turn.
0:19.6	You know I often say there were many disastrous moments during the Battle of Gettysburg, especially for the Confederates.
0:26.0	One of those, almost a miniature Pickets charge, occurred on the afternoon of July 1st,
0:31.7	when Brigadier General Alfred Iverson's North Carolina Brigade launched a rather
0:36.5	unfortunate attack against Union forces on Oak Ridge.
0:41.1	The resulting attack was a fiasco for the Confederates, but the backstory is a fascinating one.
0:47.5	Iverson was a Georgian and his tar heels were unhappy to be serving under him and beyond that there were questions
0:54.4	about Iverson's command fitness that linger to this day. Was he drunk?
0:58.8	Why were there no skirmishers? Why did the attack go so badly and what are Iverson's Pitts? Find out the answers to these questions and many more as we launched season 3 with another difficult personality,
1:13.6	General Alfred Iverson, and the attack in defense of Oak Ridge.
1:17.8	Eric, I think we're starting the year off with a bang.
1:20.5	We got controversy, we got human interest, and're even going to throw a little
1:24.0	local folklore into all of this as well.
1:27.0	Absolutely and I think when we look at the battle
1:30.0	there's a lot of controversial characters.
1:32.0	Heels. Heels, absolutely, but I don't think there is a bigger heel at Gettysburg than Alfred Iverson.
1:38.0	Well, what's the number one thing we hear on tours when his name is mentioned? Why was he drunk? Yes, I mean there is I've never had anybody on the tour
1:46.5	defend Alfred Iverson. Exactly. We'll get people that defend Dan Sickles. We defend Dan Sickles.
1:51.7	Almost to an onslaught. But I've never had somebody say you know that Iverson guy he's all right he's all right. I'm from I'm from Clinton Georgia like I'veerson and he's my people. No, you never get that on doors.
	...

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