Gettysburg Visitor Center
Kids Playing On Lincoln Statue While I Try To Take Picture
And Mother Tries To Move The Little Girls
President Lincoln Statue
Beautiful Leaves
After a quick stroll through the book store I checked out the various ways to tour the park. I found that a free Ranger led walking tour of about 90 plus minutes was about to start so I went to join that group. While we were waiting for everyone to arrive the Ranger ( John ) gave a few insights about the park and himself. For example he explained that we were free to ask him any questions we had as he was an expert on any subject and would answer any questions. He went on to say that his answers on any questions about math and science would be lies; however, his answers about history and Gettysburg would be true. Of course this provoked a laugh from his captive audience. He advised that both the Confederate and Northern Armies lost many soldiers due to desertion and sickness ( about 1 of each 10 ). That is a staggering number. He added that the peak season for fall colors was another week away. Oh joy, I have traveled 3 weeks looking for peak fall colors and I am missing it by another week. At this point I will trade a night in my bed for fall colors. Before we started walking I asked him how fast he planned to walk and he said he walked slow. I said that is good because an old duffer like me can't walk very fast so he assured me I would be able to keep up with his pace without any trouble. Well let me tell you before we had gone a quarter of a mile the group was already out of sight so I turned around and went back to the visitor center. I can't imagine what his pace would be if he was walking fast. When I got back to the visitor center I stopped at the desk that controlled these Ranger led walking tour to let them know that I had dropped out. You know just in case Ranger John happen to notice that he had one less person with him than he started out with because he counted head before we started.
I next went to a short movie " We are met on a great battlefield " about the civil war dealing with many of the causes of the Civil War and strolled through the museum. The movie was very informative. Next I went to the to the Cyclorama " Battle of Gettysburg ". This is an interesting display. It is a complete circle with light show and sound of the spectacular 377 foot painting by Paul Philippoteaux of Pickett's Charge. This painting was completed in 1884. The audience stand in the middle of the theater with this magnificent painting on the wall surrounding you. Light and sound are shown on the painting. For example you hear a cannon fire behind you or to your right and left and then you see the smoke from the discharge and then you see where the cannon ball hit ( that is if you can turn your head fast enough ). This goes on for several minutes. It was very difficult to follow the action and keep up with the action. It is very realistic because this painting depicts all the horrors of a battle such as this. A cannon ball hits a wagon and it is destroyed, Horses and men are killed. Lines of soldiers are charging each other in pitch battle. Of course the painting is static but the adding of sound, light flashes and depiction of smoke make it real. I have changed my mind about 3 time about what I thought about the Cyclorama presentation. First it was very expensive and not worth the price of admission. At times I felt it was a waste of time but in final analysis of my thought it was a tremendous presentation. I think it is one of those things that if you could afford to see it 2 or 3 times in a row you would get the full impact of the horrors of this battle here at Gettysburg.
The following is information I gathered from movies, plaques and inscriptions on memorials and statues during my visit and are not necessarily exclusively my original thoughts. Lets start with three days in July,1863. On June 3, 1863 after Confederate General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia to the west through the Blue Ridge Mountains then North to Maryland and Pennsylvania. They were followed by the Union Army of the Potomac under the command of Major General Joseph Hooker. At this point General Lee had no idea of the whereabouts of his enemy. The two armies met strictly by chance on June 30, 1863 and the main battle started July 1 with the Confederate forces attacking Union forces on McPherson Ridge west of Gettysburg.The Federal forces were finally overpowered and were driven back to Cemetery Hill south of Gettysburg. During the night the main body of the Union army under the command of Major General George G. Meade arrived. July 2 the battle lines were in place and represented two large arcs with the armies about a mile or so apart on ridges that ran parallel to each other. The Confederate forces were on Seminary Ridge to the west and the Union troops on Cemetery Ridge.What followed turned the wheat fields and farm land of this Pennsylvania countryside into fields of dead and wounded in horror hard to imagine. On July 3 General Lee ordered his cannons to open fire on the Federal troops on Cemetery Ridge and Hill. This bombardment lasted for about 2 hours with both sides exchanging cannon fire. In truth neither side gained much of an advantage of this cannon duel except to kill and mained many troops on both sides. Then the decisive battle started with 12,000 Confederate troops crossing the open field toward the center of the Federal lines. This attack became known as the " Pickett's Charge " and failed. Over 5,000 Confederate soldiers lost their lives in one hour and the Battle of Gettysburg was over and on July 4, 1863 General Lee began to withdraw to Virginia.
When the dust, smoke and sounds of battle abated and the armies gone from Gettysburg the area was destroyed and over 51,000 troops dead, missing or wounded. Wounded and dying were crowded in almost every standing building in the community. The dead were buried in shallow graves and many were left lying in the fields and not buried at all. Information at Gettysburg shows that the Governor of Pennsylvania saw to the purchase of 17 acres of land for the proper re interment of the Union dead and re internment started four months later. This acreage became the Gettysburg National Cemetery and was dedicated In November 1863. Interestingly, President Lincoln was at the dedication ceremony and had been asked to make " a few appropriate remarks." He followed a speaker who gave a 2 hour speech and it took Lincoln 2 minutes to deliver his 272 word speech which is considered a masterpiece of the English language " he Gettysburg Address ". Within a few years over 3500 Union soldiers who had been killed were re interred. Following the war the remains of 3320 Confederate soldiers were removed from the battlefield to cemeteries in the South.
As I noted earlier there are several ways to see the Park. Ranger led walking tours, self guided walking tours, bus tours, tour guides using your personal car, or self-guided personal auto tours ( which I did ).
The Self-Guided Auto Tour starts at the Visitor Center and covers 24 miles with 16 tour stops at major points of interest with numerous stops for other plaques and statues. I will try to show some of these major stops and perhaps a few comments.
The Above Plaque Tells The Story Of One Of The Battles On The First Day Of Fighting Which Began At About 8 AM At Gettysburg. This Occurred Near And At The McPherson Ridge And Barn. Heavy Fighting Spread North and South Along This Ridge Line As Additional Forces Arrived For Both Sides.
Eternal Light Peace Memorial. At 1 PM, July 1, 1863 Major General Rhodes' Confederate Troops Attacked From This Hill Threatening Union Forces On McPherson And Oak Ridges. Seventy Five Years Later Over 1800 Civil War Veterans Helped Dedicate This Memorial to " Peace Eternal In A Nation United ".
Inscriptions on Eternal Light Peace Memorial
Cannons On Hill Where Eternal Light Of Peace
Is Located Aimed At And Over These Fields
In the Distance
Comment As Above
Cannons Like This Aimed As Seen Above
This Is A Long Range Telephoto Shot Of The Area
Shown Above Where The Cannons Were Aimed.
In Those Photos These Fences Were Not Visible.
Imagine Troops Lined Up Behind These Fences
And That Is Where The Cannon Balls Would Fall.
Observation Tower On Oak Ridge. Union Forces Here Stubbornly Held Against Major General Rhodes' Advances. By 3:30 PM The Entire Union Line From Here To McPherson Ridge Had Begun To Crumble. Finally They Fell Back To Cemetery Hill.
Early In The Day ( July 1, 1863 ), The Confederate Army Positioned Itself On The High Ground Here Along Seminary Ridge, Through Town, And North Of Cemetery Ridge south to the Round Tops. The Lines Of The Two Armies Formed Two Parallel " Fishhooks ".
The Plaque Tells The Story Of The Virginia Memorial
Virginia Memorial. It Can't Be Seen From This Photo But The Large Open Field To The East Is Where The Last Confederate Assault ( Pickett's Charge ) Occurred July 3, 1863.
Statue Of General Lee On His Favorite Horse
General Lee Makes Plans For The Second Day Of Battle But The Timing Was Not Right
Brief Account Of Pickett's Charge.
More On The Story Of Pickett's Charge. If You Can Enlarge This Photo You Will See That General Lee Accepted Responsibility For The Failure Of Pickett's Charge. This Has Been My Fault He Told Pickett. I Thought My Men Were Invincible.
General Lee Realized All Was Lost And July 4, 1863 Started Retreating In A Heavy Rain. He Had 6,000 Casualties On The Bloody, Sodden Fields Of Gettysburg.
General Lee Meets His Retreating Troops
More On Lee's Retreat
Arkansas Memorial
Arkansas Memorial Tribute To The Fallen
Alabama Memorial
Memorial To Confederate Soldiers And Sailors
Base Of Above Memorial
Inscription On Above Memorial Recognized The Last Surviving Confederate Veteran
Brevet Major General William Wells Tribute Plaque
Brevet Major General William Wells
This " Little Round Top " Plays a Major Role In The Battle
Little Round Top Plaque
Sharp Shooters Have Always Played A Major Role In Battles And A high Point Like Little Round Top Provided The Advantage. Union Sharpshooters Could Kill At 1,000 Yards While The Confederate Sharp Shooters Range Was Only 500 Yards.
Looking Down From Little Round Top. Union Sharpshooters
Shooting At Confederate Troops Trying To Advance Among
These Large Rocks. To My view It must Have Been Like Shooting
Fish In A Barrel.
Cannons On Little Round Top Fire On Advancing Confederate Troop
In the Fields Below And Beyond.
Both Sides Used Rifle-Pits, Trenches And Breastworks To Defend Against Sharp Shooters
On Little Round Top Union Troops Erected Rock Walls ( Breast Works ) To Defend Against
Confederate Sharp Shooters
Union Defending Little Round Top From Advancing Confederate Troops
Col. Patrick O Rorke's 140th New York Infantry Charged Down The Slopes Of Little Round Top Toward The Confederates And Was Killed. His Action Probably Saved Little Round Top For The Union Forces.
Memorial On Little Round Top
On Little Round Top Looking Out Over The Valley Of Death. Some Points Identified are 1. Warfield Ridge, 2. The Slaughter Pen, 3. Devil's Den, 4. Houch's Ridge, 5.The Valley Of Death
Information About Points Identified In Photo Above.
Information About Devil's Den Identified In Above Photo.
Information About Points Identified In Photo Above.
Dead Confederate Soldiers In The Valley Of Death 3 Days After The Battle Was Over
Depiction Of Confederate And Union Troops In What Was Called The Fish Hook.
Explanation Of Union Line Of Defense
From Little Round Top Looking Out Over The Union Fish Hook. The Pennsylvania Memorial Is Visible From Here And Is Shown In The Lower Right. More Photos Of It Later.
See Comment 4 Above.
Pennsylvania Memorial And Comments On Cemetery Hill.
General Looking Over Battlefield. Sorry I Lost His Name In My Notes.
Fierce Fighting Occurred In This Tranquil View Of The Battle Field As Union And Confederate Troops Attacked And Counter Attacked.
You Can Tell I Was Getting Tired. I Lost My Notes On This Memorial, However The Wall You See Lists Hundreds Of Names And I Think It Is The New York Memorial. If Not I Am Sorry.
One Of Many Cannons Used For Defense And Attack.
Pennsylvania Memorial And Cannons
Pennsylvania Memorial
Plaque Describes The Pennsylvania Memorial Which Is Impressive.
This Describes The Important Aspects Of The Pennsylvania Memorial.
Each Corner Of The Memorial Has Two Statues Of Key Officers Of The Pennsylvania Forces. Each Of The Long Rectangular Plaques Contains Names Of Pennsylvania Troops.
One Of The Numerous Plaques Listing Every Pennsylvania
Soldier Who Participated In The Battle Of Gettysburg.
The 3 days of battle at Gettysburg was a tragic chapter in our national history but a necessary one to end the terrible policy of slavery. Information at the park indicates that total casualties ( killed , wounded, captured and missing for the 3 days of fighting were 23,000 for the Union army and as many as 28,000 for the Confederate army.
The park is an interesting place with farm land, homes, bed & breakfast places all along the perimeter and even inside the park in some instances. There is a Lutheran Theological Seminary in the park. There are all kind of walking and bike trails to enjoy as you see this historic area.
In the midst of tourist from all over the world and our country who represented all classes of society from school children, workers and a few executives I could not help having the most eerie feeling about people's reaction to what they were seeing and a real realization of what had happened here right under their feet. As I would stand at any of the viewing points many of which I have pictured above I could not help but realize that many, many soldiers of both sides had bleed and died right where I was standing. Their blood had soaked into the very dirt where I stood. There were numerous soldiers who were never found and recovered for proper burial and their remains are here someplace. It was very sobering at least for me to realize that these were my fellow Americans who sacificed it all for a cause they believed in so deeply and they had died right where I was standing. I suspect this would be the feeling I would have on any of the major battlefields of the world where American troops have fought.
I know there are things I wanted to explore in this posting which I have just failed to mention. One thing at every plaque or memorial where names were listed I did spend a lot of time seeing if I could recognize some past relative or family but I did not see any. In fact I don't know what I expected to find because I am not aware of any family members who might have been involved in the Battle Of Gettysburg.
Of all the places I visited on this trip Gettysburg had the most profound impact on me. My effort at trying to relate what I saw and felt has been a labor of love in fact about 12 hours worth of time over the last two days.
Time to get this posted. I love you. Grandpa Bill.
WOW DAD! I am impressed. After all that walking, driving, reading and knowledge did you join a reenactment brigade? Or at least buy a uniform or hat or sword?
ReplyDeleteI just saw the Abraham Lincoln movie the other day. You should go and see what Lincoln was feeling and negotiating while all that warring was raging down South.
Your photos are just wonderful.
I still believe that the "Gettysburg" movie we have is the most moving, well scored reenactment of the war.
You better start planning your next trip!
Love you,
Janice