August 5, 2002

From Thomas Sobottke

While visiting the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park at the end of July I had a most curious experience. An announcement came over the loud speaker in the visitor center that a
re-enactor would present an impression of a New York Times Correspondent who was at the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863. I knew it had to be either L.L. Crounse or you know....Sam Wilkeson. It was Wilkeson.
The man, a retired gentleman by the name of McNight included the touching story of 12-year-old Max Popp of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. He was killed you see on the first day in McPherson's Woods. Sound familiar? I thought so too. It turns out that he got the info. from the 2nd Wisconsin website and from the letter I wrote a few years ago. I set him straight following his presentation that the letter was a work of fiction. He laughed but he must have been dying a thousand deaths inside. I asked him where he got the touching vignette. He told me he got it from the internet. I then asked where....you guessed it. Apparently my writing in the style of the time is a bit more convincing than we had thought. This incident should serve as a cautionary tale of not accepting everything on the internet ast face value. I do not know if the mistake was an honest one, or whether he was just lazy or had some other motive. Incidentally, my traveling companions, three teachers who have seen me in action, all gave me higher marks for my impression and referred to the man as "the fake Wilkeson" for the rest of our trip.

What are the chances of me being there to hear such a thing and that he would do an impression of Wilkeson (and rather badly) and use something fictious from our site.
It is still a small, yes a very small world.

Thomas Sobottke A.K.A. The "Real" Samuel Wilkeson. P.S. Max Popp also may be interested to learn that hundreds of visitors to Gettysburg this summer are hearing of his untimely demise some 139 years ago. One woman sighed deeply and wiped away a tear as she stood next to me in the crowd as the tale was told. I hope Max is doing better than that.
We need a good bugler in Battery B.