Three Days in July

June 11 – 13, 2014

You might think I am confused with the title of this post but I am not. Well I might be confused but not about the dates as Three Days in July is known as the Gettysburg encounter. The two armies touched by chance at Gettysburg June 30^th, 1863. And as they say the rest is history.

We stayed just a few miles from downtown but were close to where part of the battle did take place. The Gettysburg National Military Park has both memorials and private residences throughout the area.

 

Our first stop was at the visitor center where we decided to take a bus tour of Gettysburg National Park. The tour came with a guide who kept you interested throughout the two hours with details of the battles as well as other civil war history. He did a great job and if you get a chance to come here we recommend taking the tour. We followed on the map so we could come back the next day and stop at different places to learn more and get some pictures.

The Eternal Light Peace Memorial

Above the Battlefield

At Devils Den

Devils Den where snipers fired to Little Ridge Top

Little Round Top looking over the battlefield and Devils Den

Looking up to Little Round Top from Devils Den

Tribute at Little Round Top

 

At the visitor center you can see the film “A New Birth of Freedom” which includes seeing the Gettysburg Cyclorama and tour the museum. The film is very well done but the Cyclorama will blow your socks off. Well you get the impression it can as it is a sound and light show of the spectacular 377-foot painting by Paul Phillippoteaux of Picket’s Charge, completed in 1884.

Charge

Artillery

Engaged

The weather wasn’t sunny and bright but I guess it is fitting when you are here since the end result of the Battle of Gettysburg is that more men fell than any other battle on American soil in these three days in July. July 1, 2 and 3 will always be part of our history. When the armies marched away from Gettysburg they left behind a community in shambles and over 51,000 soldiers dead, wounded, or missing.

John our tour guide

 

At Culps Hill

Cannon at Culps Hill

Confederate Line of Battle on Seminary Ridge

 

Along Seminary Ridge

 

Looking to the Town Square

Lt. General James Longstreet - his horse was bigger than this

President Eisenhower's Gettysburg Farm

 

Remembering Through Art

Stoic

The General

The Rock Wall

Rock Wall Built by Farmers - used by Soldiers

 

Now what about Lincoln you might ask? Even if you don’t, I am going to tell you why he was there. When the battle was over most of the dead soldiers laid in hastily dug and inadequate graves which distressed Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin so much he commissioned local attorney David Wills to buy land for a proper burial ground for Union dead. Confederate soldiers were removed and buried in cemeteries in the South.  

Guess Who?

 

Lincoln Square

 

The cemetery was dedicated on November 19, 1863. The principal speaker, Edward Everett, delivered a well-received two-hour oration. President Lincoln spoke next and delivered what is now known as the Gettysburg Address, which is only 272 words and took about two minutes to deliver.

National Cemetery

 

There is so much I could write about those three days but I won’t since I want you to keep reading our blog! So instead you can go check it out for yourself.

Izzy got some play time each day in-between rain storms since we left her at the trailer. I don’t think she minded too much since she got to chase her floppy.

Hurry Up and Throw it Please

Fun

 

We headed out on the 14^th for our next spot. You’ll just have to read the next story to find out where we went!