Since 2013, AGS has taken a group of students, faculty, and fellows on a staff ride to Gettysburg during the fall semester. Participants tour the battlefield, deliver presentations as historical figures from the battle, and end the weekend with a deeper appreciation of the complexities of the conflict.
See below for photos from past Gettysburg staff rides and some student reflections from this year’s trip.
Student Reflections
2024 - Lauren Strauch '26
I had a great time joining AGS on the staff ride to Gettysburg earlier this month. As a junior studying biomedical engineering, I have not had very much room in my schedule for history classes, so it was a joy to briefly step away from my problem sets and take a deep dive into this significant event. The students, fellows, and staff were very kind and welcoming.
The battle site has been extremely well maintained, with every cannon and fence present because they had been there during the battle. This care to the area made it easier to imagine ourselves back in time, with wounded and dying on the same fields where we stood. It was very powerful to walk up the hill of Little Round Top, picturing soldiers from my home state of Texas who had scaled that slope in vain as the Union shot down on them, keeping a position that was critical for their victory. Later that day, following the path of Pickett’s charge and hiking the mile from the confederate to the union side was also heavy and meaningful.
Overall, the trip gave me a greater appreciation for our country, especially for the military who protects it. It is easy to think back on the battle with hindsight 20/20, but there were some critical, courageous decisions made, whether the bayonet charge on Little Round Top or the Union artillery strategy on Day 3, without which the Confederates may have had a much larger chance of winning. With our guide and the fellows connecting what we learned to modern-day leadership and strategy, I reflected with gratitude on the bravery, resilience, and sacrifices of the people who died so that our country could survive, of those who have done so since, and those who are willing to do so today.
We had heard a lot in the weeks leading up to the election about how divided our country is, so going to Gettysburg and learning about this turning point back towards unity when our country was the most divided ever, while sad, was also a reminder of the perseverance and strength this country and its people have been and continue to be capable of.
2024 - Garrett Simons '28
My name is Garrett Simons, and I am a freshman at Duke University. recently participated in the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy Gettysburg Staff Ride. We traveled to Gettysburg to immerse ourselves in the Battle of Gettysburg, and explored each o the three days of the battle.
Each participant was assigned a part, and these parts were associated with either the Union or the Confederacy. Some parts were: Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln, Gen. George Meade, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and other major military leaders in the Battle of Gettysburg. Hearing about these individuals’ strategies in the Battle of Gettysburg really helped us understand why they took the actions that they did.
My part was Major General Abner Doubleday, a Union General in the 1st Army of the Potomac. On the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1st, 1863, Major General John Reynolds, the commander of the 1st Army of the Potomac, was killed and I took command. My troops held Cemetery Hill for 5 hours and then eventually retreated, which other generals called running away and led to me losing my command shortly after.
Being on the battlefield of the Battle of Gettysburg helped put the information we were reading into perspective, which was the goal of the staff ride. By walking up Little Round Top we were able to understand the difficulties that the soldiers faced in trying to attack and defend it. Seeing exactly where fighting took place helped explain the results of the fighting.
An expert on the Battle of Gettysburg from the US Army War College led the Gettysburg Staff Ride, which was so interesting as he filled in a lot of the information missing from our speeches and answered a lot of our questions. Another valuable part of the staff ride was the opportunity to interact with some of Sanford’s Counterterrorism and Public Policy Fellows, other undergraduate students, a masters and PhD student, and an AGS staff member. We were able to learn so much from the CTPP fellows about their experiences before Duke, and the graduate students and fellows were knowledgeable about the very specific details of the Battle of Gettysburg which I was able to benefit from significantly.
This was my first time participating in a staff ride but I really like the learning style and immersion into the history. I am grateful to have had this opportunity because of both the historical learning and the interaction with so many awesome Duke students and staff. I plan to continue my participation in the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy events and hopefully go on more staff rides throughout my time at Duke.