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WELCOME TO THE CARTES DE VISITE ALBUM OF THE WEBMASTER

The HTML Writers Guild

GREGG MIERKA

A Member Of The HTML Writers Guild

Longest Serving State of Rhode Island Department Commander Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1994 to 2000
PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY, EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND FILM CREDITS

CmdrGreggMierka
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Gregg A. Mierka
CmdrGreggMierka
You can use this site to contact the webmaster, Gregg Mierka, for involvement in motion pictures, participation in documentaries, performing ceremonies, conducting historical lectures for adults, arranging school visitations about the Civil War such as our "Visitors from the Past" Programs and further information about the Revolutionary War Hero General Nathanael Greene and the General Nathanael Greene Homestead Museum.
Click
HERE for more about Gregg.
HONORING ALL RHODE ISLANDERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE CALL TO DEFEND THE NATION IN ITS TIME OF NEED



Working on the TNT Movie "Gettysburg" Killer Angels, Directed by Ron Maxwell


WithSheen WithDaniels WithSamElliot
With Martin Sheen as Confederate General Robert E. Lee (A.P. Hill's Infantry), Jeff Daniels as Union Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Officer, 20th Maine), and Sam Elliot as Union Cavalry Gen. John Buford (Buford's Horse Artillery).

Fighting with Jeff on Little Round Top
With Skip Cosper's Corps
"Quiet" "PLACES" "Is Anybody Not Ready" "Action"
"Back to One" "Let's Do It Again"
RoundTop RoundTop RoundTop
Comrades

Gregg and his comrades as officers and of the 20th Maine

"That's A Rap For The Day"


WithFirstADKaren Coordinating Union Artillery On Cemetery Ridge For Camera Angle With Karen Collins. OurMakeUpGal Make Up For Little Round Top. MAKEUP! Make Up For Pickett's Charge. BlueGrayComrades Gregg and his close Confederate Comrade. CittngScotty’sHair In the opening scenes of the 20th Maine, Gregg is cutting a fellow Officer's hair.

Skip's Famous Words
"QUIET...PLACES...Is Anybody Not Ready...ACTION"

The photographs above left to right show Gregg and others being made up before a shoot. Gregg also coordinated a hand picked cannon crew to perform firing movements on the Napoleon Cannon in the foreground of several aspects of the scenes of the Union Artillery Response to Lee's bombardment prior to Pickett's Charge. Black powder charges had to be safely carried and handled and the cannon fired, in the midst of some of the heaviest pyrotechnics of the movie.

Gregg fired the last shot of the movie

FiredLastShotofBattle One of the many moving parts of the TNT, New Line Cinema film "Gettysburg" is at the conclusion when the two Chamberlain Brothers (Jeff Daniels and C. Thomas Howell) embrace in thanks that they made it through the ordeal of the battle. Behind them is an Officer of the 20th Maine putting down a wounded horse. That officer is Gregg and he officially fires the last shot of the movie in a humane effort to relieve a badly wounded horse of its misery. "Ron Maxwell had us do 11 takes of that scene. It took 11 takes and I had to pretend to kill that poor horse 11 times. I felt saddened to have to perform this duty. Finally Karen, Skip and Ron said, OK Gregg, that's enough, we think it's dead. Not long after that Skip said, "That's a Rap---That's a champagne rap". At the end of the picture Gregg and a friend were the last two soldiers and members of the movie to strike their tents and leave what was once an encampment of over 8,000 men. In the moon-lit night before leaving the next day both wondered if they would ever see and be a part of such a great event ever again and had choked words about leaving.
End of the movie photograph of Gregg, in the scene behind Jeff Daniels and C. Thomas Howell as the sun is setting, concluding Maxwell's epic..


"Thanks to Ron, Skip, Karen, Brian, Dale, Charlie, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of "Gettysburg" and especially to my wife, Mary, waiting for me to return to the home-front" . . . "it was a grand experience". Gregg


"Fili Veteranorum"


Movie Director, Ron Maxwell at the movie premiere in Newport, R.I. - Gettysburg;
Based on the novel by Michael Shaara, "Killer Angels"


The Premiere of "Gettysburg" in Newport, Rhode Island.

Prior to the premiere of his movie, Ron Maxwell phoned Gregg to organize a group of Rhode Island Civil War Reenactors and the news media to provide a period setting and publicity for the first showing of "Gettysburg" in Southeastern New England. Ron attended and gave a moving speech about the importance of the movie and his experience working with Gregg and many others making the film.

The picture to the right shows Ron with a drummer boy in the lobby of the theater. Ron expressed his amazement that so many people, young and old, are so fascinated with Civil War History---a good sign that the memory of the "Old Fellows in Blue and Gray" will never be forgotten. Ron's newest film project is the "prequel" to the movie "Gettysburg" (Killer Angels). The new movie, currently in production, is called, "Gods and Generals". It tells the story of the individuals in his last movie up to the Battle of Gettysburg. It is based on the book written by Jeff Shaara, who is carrying on in his father Michael Shaara's foot steps as a "first person" Civil War Writer. Anyone who saw "Gettysburg" will remember the lines between Jeff Daniels and C. Thomas Howell (the Chamberlain Brothers) discussing why the younger, Tom Chamberlain, should not call the older brother by his name, Lawrence, in front of the men. Since Lawrence is only a Colonel, he as the older Chamberlain, informed his brother who didn't understand the Officer Corps Protocol, "There is nothing more like God on earth, then a General on a battlefield". Gregg believes this is how the title Gods and Generals originated. You can find out more about Ron Maxwell by clicking HERE. Find out more about Jeff Shaara by clicking HERE.

 

Gregg's Profile - Artist, Teacher, Historian;
and his work on "Killer Angels" "Gettysburg"

Lt. Gregg A. Mierka, 20th Maine, Volunteer Infantry. Taking up positions on Little Round Top under Col. Chamberlain.
GreggAndComrade" A native of Detroit, Michigan, Gregg moved to Rhode Island from New York in 1978. In addition to Gregg's involvement in historical projects and organizations, and as an artist/researcher-historian/educator, he holds two degrees from Central Michigan University, one from Rhode Island School of Design and one from Harvard University. He is currently Curator in Residence at the Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene Homestead Museum. He has taught art at Cornell University, Rhode Island School of Design, Ithaca College, several museums and art centers and in the public schools of Michigan, New York and Rhode Island. His art has been exhibited in over 150 shows since 1968. In 1977, his work was included in the Contemporary Reflections Exhibition of the Soho Center NYC, a show of new American Contemporary Art; in 1978 selected for exhibit at the Royal Academy; and in 1979 selected for exhibition at the National Museum in Monaco of New Contemporary Art by Salvidor Dali. Gregg has also been the Director of an art museum and a Studio College Education Curriculum Director for an art center in Rhode Island and Michigan. He has been a life member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW-descended from the Grand Army of the Republic, GAR), a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS, descendants of Union Officers), a Charter Fellow of the National Congress of Patriotic Organizations, a Master Mason and Knight Templar, cofounder of the R.I. Civil War Round Table, and a Rev War-Civil War Historian for several years. He was the longest serving State or Department Commander for the R.I. Dept. SUVCW, including the R.I. GAR serving 6 consecutive years from 1994 to 2000.
After a tiring march at the double quick,
up the back side of Little Round Top, the 20th Maine digs in..

Some of Gregg's Credits - Scenes and highlights;
Snippets of "Killer Angels" "Gettysburg" and Other Projects.

Gregg, In an early war photo as a private in Battery B, 1st R.I. Light Artillery, 1991.
EarlyWarPhoto" Gregg attended the movie "Gettysburg" first as a member of Battery B, 1st R.I. Light Artillery to participate in the massive artillery scenes planned by movie Director Ron Maxwell and stayed on as part of the cast and crew for the duration of the film as a member of the No.1 Assistant Director, Skip Kosper's Corps and assisted Charlie Smith-Gall the artillery coordinator of the film. Gregg can be seen in several scenes of the movie such as: picking up the flag when General Reynolds is killed (one of Gregg's Civil War ancestors served in the 24th Michigan, Iron Brigade), cutting the hair of a fellow officer; and reviewing a map with an officer in the beginning scenes with Jeff Daniels and Kevin Conway; the Little Round Top battle scenes with Jeff Daniels, and artillery scenes with Sam Elliot in battle and at Meade's HQ the first night of the battle at the well to mention a few. Gregg has several mementos of his experiences helping make the film. He says his favorite is Sam Elliot's field glass case. "I was standing with the camera crew when Sam was shooting scenes with Buck Taylor observing the approaches of A.P. Hill's Rebel Corps. I was the only background soldier who stayed after shooting the first day of Gettysburg battle scenes to watch two of the stars of the picture at work. Someone in the props Dept. forgot to take the price tag off Sam's field glass case. I noticed it was right in the camera line. I stood not more than 5 feet from Sam and Buck each time they rode their horses up to their mark to deliver their lines. Each take Sam had to reach into the case to look through the glasses and deliver his lines and each take Sam seemed to be visibly distracted by me and didn't say his lines as well as he wanted. I was the only one who noticed the price tag showing on his case when he would open it to take a look through his field glasses each take and tried to discreetly bring it to his attention. Finally by the 4th take I stared directly at the case, nodding with a concerned expression hoping Sam would notice. Well, he did. After some commotion Sam and Buck finished the scene. As soon as he rapped for the day, Sam gave me a thank you wink. I bought the case from Kelly of the Props Dept. after the picture concluded. It's my favorite memento".
Gregg lived in his A-Tent for almost 4 months making the TNT movie "Gettysburg" and
after it rapped he went to work on another TNT picture, "The Broken Chain"..

 

FrenchMarine"texttop"
Gregg as a French Marine, in the TNT film "Broken Chain"
After the filming of the movie "Gettysburg" (filmed in and around the actual locations in Pennsylvania) Gregg teamed up with a few of his movie comrades and formed a group called the "Action Reenactors" and went to the banks of the James River east of Petersburg to work on the TNT film, "The Broken Chain". This film was about Iroquois Indian Chief Joseph Brant and the struggle of his people from the time of the French and Indian War through the American Revolution, starring Pierce Brosnan and Buffy St. Marie among others. Gregg played a French Marine and participated in some scenes as a Colonist and an American Revolutionary War Continental. Oddly enough as a French Marine in the "Skirmish of the Campbell’s", a battle with the British, he was actually playing the part of the very Frenchmen who shot at his Campbell ancestors on his mother's side of his heritage. He also participated in some scenes as a Colonist and an American Revolutionary War Continental. However, Joseph Brant's warriors got even later on because Gregg was also among the French troops massacred by them in other scenes of the picture. Gregg received several bad bruises while working with stunt men playing Brant's warriors by missed blows of an Indian tomahawk to the gut. Each take the director said "WOW, that looked real. Let's do it again". Each take the warrior would leap out of a tree in a surprise attack, but he was supposed to take his realistic hard rubber tomahawk and hack Gregg in a padded area of his stomach. But each time he missed and hit him in an unpadded area of his chest. Finally after 4 takes Gregg told the stunt man to hit his mark for the next take or the two of them would do the scene for real. The guy hit his mark and both he and Gregg rapped for the day as friends. I saw his battle bruises. It took about three months for them to go away. Again while making Broken Chain, Gregg lived in his small A-Tent for about another month. When he left home the tent was brand new. When he returned it was well seasoned like a real artifact.,


At the General Nathanael Greene Homestead Museum
- Spell Hall

Homestead

 

Washington's most trusted General in the Revolution.

"The Fighting Quaker", Nathanael Greene towers as Rhode Island's Greatest Patriot.

Gregg and I enjoy giving pre-arranged lecture-tours of the museum in Colonial Period clothes. When in character, we portray Colonial Coventry villagers who might have worked for the Greene family. Go to our Official Nathanael Greene Homestead Site (Some Parts Under Construction) for more information HERE.


Gregg's other projects
- Visitors from the Past

ProvidenceJournal

 

Contact Gregg by e-mailing the Webmaster.

The picture to the left shows Gregg when the movie "Gettysburg" opened in R.I. standing in front of the "Old Arsenal" on Benefit Street in Providence, one of the most sacred Civil War sites in the State.

"One of the nicest men I met while working on the picture was Richard Jordan, who played Armistead. I don't know if anyone knew at the time, that "Gettysburg" would be his last performance. I was very sad to learn that he had died of a brain tumor after making the picture. It was neat of Ron to dedicate the movie to both Richard Jordan and Michael Shaara; two of the film's finest soldiers of Ron Maxwell's Army who didn't make it to see the "fruits of their labors".

As Gregg talks about his experiences living and working in conditions similar to 18th and 19th Century soldiers, I think about how I missed him all the time he was away. Except for all the dangers that soldiers faced I worried about his welfare. So I think I know how the women of the past felt while their men were off fighting the war.




Gregg as Lincoln's body Guard
- Living History at Fort Warren with Mary

CartDeVisite

 

An example of his civilian impression.

The Carte de Visite shows Gregg as a Pinkerton Secret Service Officer for President Lincoln.

Throughout the war President Abraham Lincoln was in constant danger. Ward Hill Lamon and Alan Pinkerton gathered a few trusted men to protect the President early in the war. As one of Lincoln's heavily armed body-guards, Gregg and I attended a social occasion for the First Lady, Mary Todd Lincoln at Fortress Monroe in 1865. Gregg complained to me about Mr. Lincoln's lack of attention to his security matters. Sadly Gregg's services were not required when the President and First Lady attended a Play called Our American Cousin at Ford's Theater not long after this photo was taken.

Gregg has also adapted his civilian impression to portray a news correspondent and a battlefield artist.




Gregg's Civil War Veteran Ancestors
The photo below is Gustavus A. Gessner, circa 1890s, Ohio GAR, Fremont & Ohio Postmaster.

GARGessner

 

Gustavus A. Gessner as Hospital Steward, 72nd Ohio Volunteers. Photo below taken just prior to his capture at Guntown Mississippi.

Hosptl StewrdGessner

 

Contact Gregg by e-mailing the Webmaster.

The picture to the left shows Gregg's Civil War ancestor, Color Sergeant Gustavus A. Gessner, (Collateral Lineage) 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. H, (90 day volunteers, 1861) and 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Co. H, (3yr enlistment) severely wounded at Shiloh, returned to his regiment and served as Hospital Steward only to be captured by troops of Rebel Cavalry Wizard, Nathan Bedford Forrest at Guntown, Mississippi. He was a survivor of Andersonville and Florence prisons. Gustavus and all men and officers of the 72nd blamed the commanding General Sturgis for their capture due to gross incompetence, drunken behavior, and cowardice. One night at a GAR meeting in Fremont after the war the men got word that Sturgis would be passing through town by train. They grabbed their guns and went to the depot to stop the train drag Sturgis off and kill him. Gustavus and the former commanding officer of the 72nd Regiment risked their lives and reputations by stopping the incident. Later they all issued a formal protest to President Grant objecting to Sturgis being the commander of the 7th U.S. Cavalry from behind a desk in Chicago, while Civil War Hero George Custer took all the risks leading the regiment in the Dakota Territories. After the war he was also appointed and re-appointed U.S. Postmaster of Ohio by Presidents McKinley and T. Roosevelt and he patented several inventions through a factory he jointly owned in Indiana. Gustavus and his brother Dr. Louis S. J. Gessner (both of Fremont, Ohio) were also friends of Rutherford B. Hayes and Benjamin Harrison. Gustavus, a well-known pharmacist and Louis S.J., like his father, was a well respected physician in Ohio. Both teamed with others to co-found the University of Michigan School of Medicine. Their father, an early Ohio pioneer, founded the first hospital in the Sandusky Valley of Ohio. (ref. Hayes Library archives, Fremont, Ohio, and the Ohio Historical Society).

Gregg's other ancestors who fought in the Civil War were: Dr. Louis S. J. Gessner, Officer/Surgeon, 37th Ohio Volunteer Infantry; William W. Servis, Drummer, 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry (Iron Brigade); Pvt. Henry Mierke, 2nd Battery, Wisconsin Independent Light Artillery; and Pvt. John Mierke, 16th New York Heavy Artillery.



DrLSJGessner Surgeon Louis S. J. Gessner, 3th Ohio Volunteers, Camp Chase, Nashville. All our Pages are on line with Angelefire, Tripod and Yahoo-Geocities. RInapsack The main e-mail address for Gregg A. Mierka is RIBatteryA@earthlink.net Please use this address first for all personal correspondence about , RI Battery A, the 1st RI Volunteers, the RI GAR Museum, RI MOLLUS, The RI Reenactors Assoc. and RI SUVCW Elisha Dyer Camp No. 7 for more information about film making, becoming a member of our military units and all uniformed events including school visitation and lecture programs. We are located at the General Nathanael Greene Homestead, 50 Taft Street Coventry, R.I. 02816



CARRYING ON THE MEMORY OF THE OLD FELLOWS IN BLUE

LEST WE FORGET

RHODE ISLAND'S OWN

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTE & SUPPORT
MuseumLogo
Click the links in this table For:
THE RHODE ISLAND HERITAGE HALL OF FAME, PLUS SEE THE GENERAL BURNSIDE AND GENERAL GREENE BIOGRAPHIES BELOW
The 2003 inductees of the R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame
Thank you all for your support by contacting the R.I. Historical Society-R.I. Heritage Hall of Fame, and nominating both Generals A.E. Burnside and G.S. Greene to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame.   Each year important Rhode Islanders, past & present, are selected.   Prior to November, 2003, "no" Rhode Island Civil War Veteran had ever been chosen.   You can e-mail additional suggestions to the R.I. Historical Society HERE to find out more.   Your support helped to put an end to this oversight.   We are pleased to inform all our viewers that “12” important Rhode Island Civil War Veterans and nationally known Pre-Civil War Social-Political Activists were selected.
Again thank you all for supporting the work we do.
Sincerely, the R.I. GAR Civil War Museum.
RHODE ISLAND'S OWN, GEORGE SEARS GREENE BIOGRAPHY
RHODE ISLAND'S OWN, AMBROSE EVERETT BURNSIDE BIOGRAPHY
MuseumLogo

This site was written by: Mary V. Mierka, in collaboration with members of RI SUVCW Elisha Dyer Camp No.7. Html Page Design by Gregg A. Mierka.

©All Rights Reserved 2003

Thank you for stopping by our site. Please email Lt. Gregg A. Mierka directly with your comments and to receive more information.


We wish to thank Brother/Companion Keith G. Harrison, Past National SUVCW Commander-in-Chief and, current National SUVCW and MOLLUS Webmaster, as well as all the artists/musicians for the use of their music on all the pages in our site. ©2001 All rights reserved.
Thanks also to Robert Hunt Rhodes for allowing us to use some of his material about his ancestor, Elisha Hunt Rhodes and to Ken Burns for featuring E.H. Rhodes and our State's Civil War History in his PBS series on The Civil War. And a special thanks to Edwin Bearrs, Brian Pohanka, Jeff Shaara and Ron Maxwell for their support for Rhode Island Civil War History and raising the American conscience about the triumphs and tragedies of the Great War of the Rebellion 1861 to 1865.


RETURN TO THE MAIN 1ST R.I. VOLUNTEER INFANTRY HOME PAGE HERE

RETURN TO THE 2nd R.I. HOME PAGE HERE

RETURN TO THE R.I. MOLLUS HOME PAGE HERE

RETURN TO THE BATTERY A HOME PAGE HERE

RETURN TO THE MAIN CAMP 7 DIRECTORY PAGE HERE

THE R. B. HAYES MUSEUM AND PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY HERE

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