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How Weather Affected the Gettysburg Campaign | Jon Nese & Jeffrey Harding | Gettysburg163
07/13/2026
How Weather Affected the Gettysburg Campaign | Jon Nese & Jeffrey Harding | Gettysburg163
Gettysburg history is HOT this week. Once you dig deep into the Battle of Gettysburg, one thing leads to another. Today, we are led to WEATHER! ***A brief departure from Ask A Gettysburg Guide for the 163rd Anniversary week*** Was the Battle of Gettysburg even more miserable than we’ve been led to believe? In this episode of Addressing Gettysburg, we’re joined by Jeffrey J. Harding, licensed battlefield guide, and Jon M. Nese, meteorologist, co-authors of The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign. Their book takes a fresh look at the Gettysburg Campaign through something every soldier experienced but most battlefield narratives don’t fully explore: the weather. Heat, humidity, storms, mud, swollen rivers, brutal marches, and suffocating battlefield conditions all shaped what happened before, during, and after the fighting at Gettysburg. Using historic accounts, 19th-century weather observations, and modern meteorological reconstruction, Harding and Nese reveal how extreme conditions affected strategy, endurance, movement, morale, and survival during the campaign. From heat indexes that may have reached staggering levels to the torrential July 4th rains that complicated Lee’s retreat, this conversation shows that Gettysburg’s weather was not just background scenery. It was an active force in the campaign. Was Gettysburg hot as hell? Yes. But the real story is even more interesting. 📖 Book featured in this episode: The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign by Jon M. Nese and Jeffrey J. Harding 🔴 163 Gettysburg Anniversary: The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign - Jeffrey Harding & Jon Nese June 29 2026 Topics Discussed: The study of weather in 1863 Finding the source documents for weather observers in 1863 Instruments used by weather observers Rebuilding weather maps What is Sun Temperature? How cloudy was it during the battle Using soldiers accounts to help determine the weather June heatwave Previous interest in history for Jon and Jeff Purpose of studying weather in 19th century How did the rain on July 4th and 5th effect the weather? Have weather patterns changed from 19th century? The reliability of the Farmer’s Almanac Show References: The Weather Gods Curse the Gettysburg Campaign - Jeffrey J Harding & Jon M Nese Civil War Weather in Virginia - Robert K Krick The Weather at Gettysburg - Weatherwise Magazine 1960 Vol 13 Issue 3 - David Leedlum Philadelphia Area Weather Book - Jon M Nese & Glenn Schwartz National oceanic and atmospheric administration https://www.noaa.gov An Environmental History of the Civil War - Judkin Browning & Timothy Silver The Medical And Surgical History Of The War Of The Rebellion (1861-65) Support the Show: For the Historian https://forthehistorian.webstoreplace.com - Mention Addressing Gettysburg to get 20% off JOIN OUR COMMUNITY! www.patreon.com/addressinggettysburg HELP PRODUCE CREATIVE HISTORY VIDEOS www.dhpioneers.com Addressing Gettysburg: Little Ground Top Coffee https://www.addressinggettysburg.com/cafe/ Sincerely, Jeffrey Pasnik AG LOTY 2025 Subscribe for more conversations about Gettysburg, the Civil War, battlefield history, and the stories you don’t always hear in the textbooks.
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