American Battlefield Trust Mourns Passing of Gettysburg College's Peter Carmichael

(Washington, D.C.) —The American Battlefield Trust joins an outpouring of grief in the Civil War community and mourns the sudden passing of Dr. Peter Carmichael, renowned Civil War scholar, director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College and the Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Era Studies at the College for 14 years. 

Paying tribute to the Trust’s friend and colleague, President David Duncan made the following statement:

“Working with Pete in any capacity was always a memorable experience. His enthusiasm for history was infectious and he yearned to share its import with the widest of audiences. He consulted with the Trust on innumerable preservation efforts in Gettysburg, videos, books, tours, conferences and more. He championed the battlefield and its unique influence as an outdoor classroom like no other. The loss to his students, staff and Gettysburg is immeasurable. Our deepest condolences are extended to his family for whom his loss is surely unbearable.”

Dr. Carmichael also served on the Board of Directors and the Historians’ Council of the Gettysburg Foundation, and previously as a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians, as Gettysburg National Military Park’s first scholar-in-residence and as co-editor of the Civil War America series from the University of North Carolina Press.

His esteemed bibliography includes authorship, editorship and contributions to more than a dozen books, including Lee’s Young Artillerist: William R.J. Pegram. University of Virginia Press, 1995; The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion. University of North Carolina Press, 2009; and The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies. University of North Carolina Press, 2018.

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 155 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org. 

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