Gettysburg

While returning from the East Coast last week, Kim and I stopped in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for an evening and a day. There's a national park in Gettysburg commemorating the important Civil War battle which was waged there for three days in July 1863.


Robert E. Lee had soundly whipped the Union forces in several straight battles, and felt that another victory - this time in Northern territory - would be enough to win the war. He got his fight in Gettysburg. Through heroic actions by the Union forces (and some errors by the Confederates), the South was unable to flank the Northern line. Finally, on the third day of the battle, Lee flung his forces at the Union center (known today as Pickett's charge) and was repelled. The South retreated the next day.


By seeing the battlefield, the massive scope of the battle is apparent. For example, Pickett's charge was a mile wide and extended three-quarters of a mile from front to back.

The visitor center boasted a bookstore, movie theater, museum, and cafeteria. Based on the size of the parking lot, this is a popular place!















The battleground can be toured by car (with a guided CD), bus, bike, horse, or segway. The open fields and woods are filled with hundreds of monuments such as these monuments.
Some monuments honor units and some are in recognition of individual bravery.
It's also interesting to review the strategy of the battle. For example, the Union positioned itself on the high ground.

This picture shows the final Union line (the rock wall) looking out at the Confederate line (the tree line in the distance). Pickett's Charge briefly breeched the Union line here. The Confederate general Armistad was killed here behind Union lines, but the South could go no farther and was pushed back.

The South retreated the next day, July 4, 1863, over this bridge.

Another interesting point: Dwight Eisenhower bought a farm (right) in Gettysburg after WWII, and made his home here.