Gettysburg

We arrived in Gettysburg just before the Labor Day weekend. Our original plan was to travel clockwise around Pennsylvania and our next stop leaving Philly would have been Amish country, but every campground I checked was fully booked.  So, we moved further west from the populated areas of New Jersey and Maryland and found a nice space in an RV resort near Gettysburg. We will jog back to Amish country next.

At least it didn’t rain here, but it was four days of hot and humid weather.  I guess that was better for touring the battlefield.  We spent several hours at the visitor center viewing the exhibits.  While there was, of course, a focus on the events of the three-day battle, many exhibits provided insight into other war related topics like the role that bugle corps played and how Gettysburg, the town, was impacted.  An excellent video providing an overview of the battle, what led to it and the aftermath, gave us a good background prior to going out to the battlefield. And there was a panoramic painting depicting Pickett’s Charge.

We decided to take a car audio tour, rather than a bus or personal guide tour. That way we could go at our own pace.  The CD led us chronologically through the 3-day battle to the key battle spots. It provided background information in a companion book.  By the time we finished the tour, I thought we had covered the major areas of the battle.  It also made me realize to fully understand the battle would take years and years of study. 

One afternoon we walked through Gettysburg proper.  The town played an important role during the battle as well as after when it hosted Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery when he gave his famous speech. Many of the buildings existed during the timeframe of the battle. Residents of those homes experienced three days of sheer terror as Confederate sharpshooters took over the town and used the rooftops to pick off soldiers. Amazingly, only one resident, Jennie Wade, was killed by a bullet. Most residents hid themselves in the basements and tried to not venture out. After the battle, they were left with the carnage to clean up, and the stench that lingered for months. One woman is credited with digging over 80 graves for the soldiers. On weekends, docents dress in clothing of the day and stand outside the homes, playing the role of the Civil War resident and talking about their experiences and answering questions.

It was very warm that afternoon, so we cooled off for a while in a train museum. Pretty much a garage museum containing the collection of two members of the town, it at least got us out of the sun for a half hour or so. We also took advantage of an ice cream shop that was having a brisk business in the late afternoon.

One item I had never considered before was the impact on the environment.  Of course, the fields of corn and wheat were cut down and trampled by the soldiers. The streams in the area were polluted by the blood that was shed. But I had never thought about the trees.  The sheer volume of bullets that were flying peppered the trees with lead bullets. Many were shattered by the cannon fire.  Currently about 100-200 trees currently in the battlefield are considered “witnesses” to the battle because they are over 150 years old. The National Park System tries to keep these trees safe, but they are very old.

I was able to do a couple of hours genealogy work at the Visitor Center.  There were terminals available for people to look up ancestors in military databases.  Russ and I have 7 ancestors (so far) that fought in the Civil War.  I was able to confirm that none of them were in the Gettysburg battle.

It is very difficult for me to wrap my head around the numbers: 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded or captured, including 5,000 killed in one hour (Pickett’s Charge). A sobering visit for us.

Our next stop will, hopefully, be happier – going to Amish country.

This is one of the scenes depicted on the cyclorama painting in the Visitor Center.  The painting was restored in 2005 and was originally completed in the 1880s.  It is 22 feet tall and about 380 feet long.  Along the bottom of the painting are life  sized fences, boulders, and other items continued from the painting to give an impression that the painting has moved out into real space.

One of the scenes of the charge.

A display of coronets, cymbals and drums described the role of the bugle corps and how they aided in setting the pulse of the groups they were leading. Drummer boys were as young at 9 years old.

There was a display of original flags carried by some of the fighting groups.  This one is from South Carolina and showcases the palmetto tree. 

Uniforms were displayed for both sides.  This shows the standard uniform and equipment for a Union Calvary soldier.

Russ stopped to have a chat with his buddy. Lincoln felt that his speech had been a terrible failure at the time he gave it.  It took a while for it to become the icon it currently is.

Markers placed along the roads depict where the Union/Confederate armies were.  Different shapes showed where artillery batteries, regiments, headquarters and divisions were positioned.

The Wheat Field exchanged hands several times and was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting.

A costumed Union interpreter helped explain the battle events of the area to Russ.

The Mississippi Memorial.  There are hundred of statues and memorials all over the battle field, honoring states, regiments and leaders of both sides.

The Devil's Den.  This proved to be a bad place for artillery batteries for the Union. Confederate soldiers overtook the area. Sharpshooters used the area to fire at Union soldiers below them. When photographers were allowed to the area several weeks later, they discovered that many of the fallen soldiers in this area had not yet been buried.  The photos depicted the horrors of war in the newspapers of the time.

The Eternal Light Peace Memorial. Designed to be a reminder of the reconciliation between the Southern and Northern soldiers, it was dedicated in 1938 by FDR on the 75th anniversary of the battle. The flame burns 24 hours a day. The stone on the base is from Maine and the column is from Alabama.

This hill was important to the two armies because of the view it commanded.

The Pennsylvania Memorial was dedicated in 1910. The plaques that surround the base list the 34,500 Pennsylvania soldiers that were present at Gettysburg.

Father William Corby.  An exact copy of this statue is on the University of Notre Dame campus. He was the chaplain of the 88th NY regiments, part of the Irish Brigade. 

A Gettysburg church that survived the battle.

The Lutheran Theological Seminary. On the first day of battle, General Buford used the cupola to direct the Union troops. By the end of the day, the town and seminary were being overtaken by the Confederates and he had to abandon the building. The Confederates used the building for a hospital.

Sachs covered bridge was built in 1852. It was restored in 1996. Part of the Confederate Army crossed this bridge on its retreat from Gettysburg. Our campground was less than a mile from here.

That's Russ channeling Wilson from Home Improvement at the Train Museum.

Photos of the Civil War time period and a revolver recovered from the battlefield were part of the Train Museum's exhibits.

A nicely done display of train whistles.

Some of the buildings in Gettysburg that survived the battle.

The campground was completely sold out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Labor Day weekend.  When we came back from our adventures on Monday, the place was practically empty.  That's us in the background.