Stories at the Crossroads of History and Connection
By Lisa Cordiano
Among the many compelling interpreters of Gettysburg today are podcasters and content creators who translate its stories into modern formats. Their common goal: to emphasize the relevance of Gettysburg’s history so we can continue to learn its lessons. The most reputable podcasters and content creators who are not Licensed Battlefield Guides themselves make sure to include those experts in their conversations. From microphones and cameras to walking tours, these voices are expanding the ways people engage with the battlefield, whether standing on Little Round Top or listening on their Airpods hundreds of miles away.
Building a Community of ‘Gettysnerds’
Matt Callery, Addressing Gettysburg
Matt Callery approaches his podcast with a focus on the human experience of history.
Founder of Addressing Gettysburg, Callery launched the podcast in 2018 to make the Battle of Gettysburg immersive, emotionally resonant and accessible—especially for those who might otherwise find history intimidating. The podcast’s catchphrase is “History is not boring.”
Callery engages his guests with curiosity. “I am a student, not the teacher,” he says. “I have learned so much from this that I didn’t know before.” Among his guests have been Licensed Battlefield Guide (LBG) Garry Adelman (also interviewed for this article) as well as other LBGs.
Callery emphasizes empathy on his show. He often pauses historical discussions to ask listeners to imagine themselves in the position of a soldier—wounded, afraid and far from home. He says the exercise helps put his own life in perspective. “These guys (the soldiers) didn’t have a chance to see their 20s or 30s—they didn’t get to grow ear hair in their 40s—and I did. I have nothing to complain about,” he says. “Too much history is all head and no heart. We need to find the human story and the lesson in it.”
That approach resonates with a wide audience, from seasoned enthusiasts to newcomers, all of whom he affectionately refers to as “Gettysnerds.” His community-driven model welcomes “newbies” and discourages elitism, creating a space where questions are encouraged and shared discovery is the goal.
The podcast has grown support organically. Thanks to its popularity as well as a small team, many volunteers and a growing nonprofit structure, Callery is able to do this work as a full-time job that goes beyond the podcast episodes. Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Addressing Gettysburg expanded programming to include “Get Out of the Car” tours and live field talks, where Callery encourages visitors to engage physically with the landscape—stepping off the road to discover hidden corners of the battlefield. The developing nonprofit arm of the business will aid in funding growth of the tours.
“There is so much to see,” he says, “and staying in your car the whole time is only slightly more effective than watching TV.”
For those who can’t make a physical pilgrimage to Gettysburg, Callery recognizes what visual media can contribute to his storytelling. Next steps include a partnership with Coronation Media to launch a pilot for an educational video series that he hopes to premiere in August as part of the ongoing America 250 celebrations.
Depth, Detail and Dedication
Jim Hessler, The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast
Where Matt Callery emphasizes emotional connection, Jim Hessler brings a deep well of scholarly expertise.
Hessler’s own journey to Gettysburg began with a job transfer to Pennsylvania in his financial services career in 2000. A push from his wife to consider living in the town was enthusiastically welcomed. In 2002, he passed the rigorous exam to become a Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide, which was his entrance into the public history field. Since then, he has written four books on the Gettysburg campaign (with at least one more on the way). Podcasting was a natural extension of his public history work. He retired from his financial services career in 2024.
Hessler helped launch The Battle of Gettysburg Podcast in 2019 to fill what he saw as a gap: a lack of serious, in-depth audio content devoted specifically to the battle. He currently co-hosts the show with Jody Wilson.
“We felt we could reach an audience who wanted deep-dive conversations,” he says.
That audience, he notes, is global and diverse—ranging from first-time learners to seasoned historians. What unites them is a desire for nuance: the debates, controversies and complexities that define the Battle of Gettysburg.
Despite its depth, the podcast avoids academic stiffness. Hessler describes the tone as informal, even humorous.
“People hear ‘deep dive’ and think ‘Oh, this is some stuffy academic lesson.’ Nothing could be further from the truth,” he chuckles. “We’re not some Howard Stern joke fest, but there may be an occasional pro wrestling reference.”
He cites a good-natured style that also gives the topic the gravity it deserves.
For Hessler, Gettysburg’s relevance is both timeless and urgent.
“The Civil War occurred because of a colossal failure by our people to compromise on key issues,” says Hessler. “Gettysburg is a focal point in the American story … History is a cautionary tale, but one can also look to the past to hopefully solve [the challenges of] our present and future.”
His podcast remains intentionally focused on the battle itself, distinguishing it from broader or more tourism-oriented content. It’s a lane he’s comfortable staying in—and one his audience deeply values.
Gettysburg Visitors Today
Rick Kennis, Destination Gettysburg
From the tourism lane, Rick Kennis didn’t set out to become a storyteller of Gettysburg’s history—at least not in the traditional sense. “I don’t pretend to be a historian,” he says plainly.
Instead, Kennis focuses on attracting people to visit and experience Gettysburg today. Launched in March 2023, the Destination Gettysburg podcast has released 31 shows to date, highlighting events, attractions and the many layers of the region beyond the battlefield. Episodes feature everything from Gettysburg’s Restaurant Week to themed trails like the Black History Trail and the Blossom Belt, along with local businesses and seasonal events.
Kennis’ personal path reflects the idea that all roads lead to Gettysburg. After studying broadcasting and working in radio, he returned to the very same building where he once held a radio promotions job with WGTY— this time as marketing director for Destination Gettysburg. “I wonder now how I hadn’t been in the destination marketing industry all my life,” he says. “It’s a great job in a special place.”
Kennis brings that positive tone to the podcast. It’s intentionally light, casual and inviting—designed primarily for visitors, though locals often tune in as well. Future plans include incorporating current “voices of Gettysburg” on the show, honing in on stories of residents who continue to make history today.
Also coming is a foray into video: Kennis acknowledges that video adds value to Destination Gettysburg by capturing the visual appeal of landscapes, museums and historic sites—something audio cannot convey adequately alone. All of this feels particularly important as Gettysburg celebrates America’s 250th anniversary. “You can’t tell the story of America without Gettysburg, and we are proud to remind people of that,” he says. “250 years later, there are still lessons we can learn.”
Enthusiasm and Access
Garry Adelman, BOOM Goes the History
Few people embody the phrase “living history” quite like Garry Adelman.
As chief historian of the American Battlefield Trust and a Licensed Battlefield Guide for more than three decades, Adelman has become one of the most recognizable voices in Civil War interpretation. In addition to the dynamic content he produces on the BOOM Goes the History podcast, he has also authored, co-authored or edited more than 20 books and 50 articles on the Civil War and serves as the vice president for the Center for Civil War Photography. With more than 1 million followers across multiple platforms, Adelman’s work spans formats from 15-second clips to full-length documentaries, all designed to make history accessible to as many people as possible.
Adelman grew up in Chicago and spent the first few years of his career managing restaurants. He had no ties to Gettysburg or its history, but an introduction to photographs of the Battle of Antietam sparked a fascination in him with the passing of time in a place. When he read the book Gettysburg: A Journey Through Time, by pioneering photo historian William Frassanito, the importance of preserving places so that they can be observed over time became a driving force in the work he does today. “I wanted to see what those places looked like now,” he says.
In 1992, he decided he couldn’t escape the pull to stand in the places captured in those 19th-century images. He moved to Gettysburg with no job lined up, just a hope to pass the Licensed Battlefield Guide exam, do some writing and help preserve the battlefields—all of which he has done.
“My passion was sparked by looking at photographs from long ago and comparing them to the places today,” he says. “That couldn’t have happened if these places were not preserved.” Primary sources like journals, diaries and articles are far more useful when you can stand in the places that are being described in them, he explains.
Like Callery, Adelman understands how important it is to see what the soldiers saw and feel what they felt. “We can go to those places, do what they did without danger and understand their words better. Any historian worth their weight in salt will tell you, ‘you can’t have enough primary sources,’ and ‘place’ is underutilized.”
This belief underpins the mission of the American Battlefield Trust, which is to “preserve America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educate the public about what happened there and why it matters.”
Adelman’s approach blends a depth of scholarly knowledge with unmistakable enthusiasm and positivity. Whether standing on a battlefield or stepping into a historic photograph through digital overlays, he invites audiences to connect with the past in tangible, visual ways, and he insists that conversations remain positive. Maintaining a “hospitality industry mentality” on social media, he wants all of his channels to be welcoming.
“I get more interested in this topic every year, and it’s been 42 years,” he says. “If we can inspire the next generation of historians on these platforms, that’s really exciting.”
Many Voices, One Place
All of these voices are rooted in a shared belief: that Gettysburg matters.
As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, that relevance feels especially timely. The questions raised by the Civil War—about division, identity and the meaning of freedom—remain unresolved in many ways.
In a town defined by crossroads, these modern voices ensure that the stories of Gettysburg continue to meet people wherever they are—guiding them, challenging them and, perhaps, changing them along the way.