Most of us have heard about the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address, but there was so much more I learned along the way!
The Gettysburg National Military Park is where my afternoon was centered. I started out at the Museum, where I watched a film on the Battle of Gettysburg and walked around looking at exhibits.
"The time for compromise has now passed, and the South is determined to maintain her position, and make all who oppose her smell Southern powder and taste Southern Steel" (Jefferson Davis).
After that I went up the escalator to an enormous oil painting of the battle of Gettysburg that wrapped around the room. There was a 3D extension of the oil painting like a diorama that made it next to impossible to tell where the oil painting ended and where the replica and figures started. Added to that are light and sound effects... All I can say is that you need to experience this room yourself to get the full effect, but was worth the price!!
From here, I got in my car and took a tour of the battle fields. They have this all set up with or without audio (CD), and even have the option of a tour guide accompanying you in your car. Either way, there are 16 main stopping points. I skipped the audio tour and guide, and drove at my own pace following the signs. What amazed me most was the amount of space where all the battles took place. It wasn't just on one field, but over miles of land with many smaller battles. Here are some pictures from the battlegrounds, with a little bit of history surrounding each area.
The first stop was McPherson Ridge. The Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, started on July 1, 1863 at this spot. 7000 Confederates clashed with over 3000 Union soldiers, slowing them down until more of the Union infantry could arrive. Within the first couple of hours, 2000 people had already died in battle.
The second stop was the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. Also on the 1st day of the battle, Major General Rodes and his Confederates attacked. This was made into a Memorial 75 years later with the help of 1800 Civil War vets.
The third stop is Oak Ridge, where Union soldiers held their ground against the Rodes' Confederates. However, near the end of the first day, Union forces were being pushed back almost as far as Cemetery Hill.
Next was the North Carolina Memorial. This battle happened on the 3rd day on Seminary Ridge, with 2 lines of armies. Over 6000 soldiers from NC died in this battle - more than any other state.
The Virginia Memorial was next. This is where the assault better known as "Pickett's Charge" happened, named after Major General George Pickett. The South had 12,000 soldiers lined up over a mile long. The Union held them off and the Confederates had reached its "high water mark".
The Louisiana State Memorial was not a stop, but I'm including it anyway. :)
Along the route was the Longstreet Tower, which I climbed to get a great bird's eye view of some of the battlefields. Along the south, you can see the Eisenhower National Historical Site (Eisenhower's farmhouse and barn), Little and Big Round Top, and the Warfield Ridge.
The east side was where General Sickles attempted to charge the Confederates using a 1 mile line of 10,000 men. They were too spread out without enough men and were not able to defend themselves.
Pitzer Woods was the next stop along the tour. This is where Lt. General Longstreet (General Lee's "old war horse") was preparing an attack. This was delayed, however, as Maj. Gen. Sickles moved in without orders and compromised their plan.
Sharpshooters used Little Round Top's rocks for protection. By both Round Top's, the Union started their army line, which curved toward Culp's Hill, looking like a "fishhook". It was concentrated - shorter than the Confederate lines, requiring fewer people to defend - and forced the Confederates to charge uphill.
"I saw that this [Little Round Top] was the key of the whole position" Brigade General Warren.
The Wheatfield Battle was next on the tour. Longstreet and the Union soldiers fought a bloody battle on this wheat field. It changed hands 6 times over a two hour period, ending in the Confederate's hands.
"It was here that the crash came. A storm of lead swept through our ranks like hail." Pvt James Haughton
Right next to the wheat field was the peach orchard. When the Union forces were defeated here as well by the Confederates, it seemed like victory at Gettysburg would go to the Confederates. However, Union forces strengthened and repositioned, slowing down the Confederates.
The Pennsylvania Memorial was a magnificent monument!
The slaughter at Spangler's Spring was next. The Union left their defenses here and went to help out at the wheat field and peach orchard, where the immediate crises was. However, by the time they returned, they were surprised to find that Confederates took it over. The Union was not in position to charge, but those were the orders. Despite the risk, they followed the suicide mission, resulting in a fatality rate of almost 50%.
At Culp's Hill there was another tower to climb up. :) Brig. General George Greene was in charge of defending Culp's Hill. Being an engineer, he built breastworks (a wall about 5 ft high of wood, stone, and dirt. It worked! Confederates tried several times on the 2nd and 3rd day of the battle to take it down and were not able to penetrate Greene's wall.
I mentioned the High Water Mark before. The Battle of Gettysburg lasted 3 days. It started out in the Confederates favor, but then the tide changed. This change - the climax - is what's known as the "High Water Mark". By the 3rd day, 7000 Union troops took the 12,000 man line (Pickett's Charge from above) of Confederates. General Lee's men were beaten and they retreated. General Meade from the Union forces still prepared battle for the 4th day, but no battle happened. More than 50,000 soldiers died during this 3 day battle.
The Soldier's National Cemetery is the last point of interest and was located next to the Soldier's National Monument.
I ended the day at the Gettysburg Museum of History. In addition to the Battle of Gettysburg, there is a lot of additional history here (some, seemingly unrelated to Gettysburg, such as the assassination of Kennedy and Elvis).
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