Joe Goldsberry founded Peach Orchard Publishing in September of 2021 as purely a passion project. Peach Orchard Publishing is focused on sharing audio versions of historical firsthand and official reports to the public. In order to do this, he must first publish an annotated version of the public domain works online. He is creating those annotated versions and constantly working on bringing the audio versions to the public. Peach Orchard Publishing also supports independent authors by giving helping them find a publishing platform in which to share their work.
Peach Orchard Publishing is a 100% veteran-owned small business. We strive to support the veterans in our community. Joe and his dog and publishing partner, Phinn, live in Frederick, Maryland. Find more info here https://linktr.ee/peachorchardpublishing .
1. How and when did you get hooked on history?
My Mom, on a summer vacation trip when I was 11, drove me from Chicago, Illinois to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I bought a Union Cap and a toy musket. I spent those few days keeping the Rebels from the wall at the High-Water Mark. It just stuck with me. My first major in college was Journalism. It didn’t take me long to realize that History was the only possible degree for me.
2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?
After a lot of research, turns out my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather fought in the American Revolution. His Great-Grandson was a bushwacker in the 13th Kentucky Cavalry (CSA). Turns out, I have a bit of rebel in the blood. On the other side of the family, we sent Illinois boys to fight for the Union at Vicksburg. So, the two sides may have crossed paths and swords at some point. My Grandfather fought at the Battle of Coral Sea and earned a Purple Heart. I was a Naval Officer in Operation Enduring Freedom (and took part in the Jessica Lynch rescue operation). Still, the Civil War is my passion, my hobby, and studying it keeps me out of traffic.
3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?
There was a time where I gave leadership walks of the Gettysburg Battlefield as part of professional development for a Federal Agency. The pandemic has put that to an end unfortunately. To fill that gap in my soul, I started Peach Orchard Publishing. Someday, I hope to retire from my current job. As part of my third adolescence, I intend to become a Battlefield Guide. Until then, I’ve got the Peach Orchard. Currently, I’m creating YouTube content from Tillie Pierce’s “At Gettysburg.” It chronicles what she saw as a 15-year-old during those horrible three days in July 1863.
4. Why is studying/knowing history important?
It’s often said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. This is true. As a war veteran myself, I find the story of redemption a better fit. At one point in time, these battlefields were the single most violent place on earth. Men spent days with the intent of tearing each other and the earth apart. Now, the trees have regrown, the monuments stand in silent remembrance. We walk the trails, heads bowed, voices soft. There are no screams, there is no bloodshed. There is a sense of tranquility. In these once torn, horrific fields lie a lesson in redemption. Something once terrible is now peaceful. If the ground can be redeemed, so can we all.
5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?
The American Civil War is my everything history. I was raised in Springfield, Illinois. We were all Lincoln all the time. That period is America’s greatest drama, set to the sound of canons.
6. How did Peach Orchard Publishing come about?
I named the company after the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg, where crazy-pants Dan Sickles moved his entire corps forward, directly into the path of Longstreet’s Confederates. I started Peach Orchard as a passion project. It’s not for money, it’s for love. Sitting at home, the pandemic helped birth the company.
7. What are your goals for Peach Orchard Publishing and what’s coming up to look forward to?
I started out wanting to publish eyewitness accounts and an occasional cookbook. I am also making YouTube videos of the accounts on the grounds with they walked. More importantly, while researching titles to publish, I came across something very interesting. There are several internet sites where ghostwriting services were offered. For a small fee, you can pay someone to write a novel, and then publish it under your own name. I was shocked. I found that there are many minority women putting their works up for sale and allowing someone else to claim credit for their word. I wish to give these women an opportunity to publish under their own names, their own works. I want to give these women the platform, voice and recognition they deserve.
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