I have been a Civil War buff for years, so I took over the blog again to chronicle our trip to Gettysburg.
This house was on General Jubal Early's march route. It is in the neat little town of New Oxford.
We were here on July 1. One hundred forty six years earlier to the day, the fighting began on McPherson's Ridge in the area of McPherson's barn seen here.
At the beginning of the day, Union troops were on one side of this fence. By the end, it was in Confederate hands.
These monuments mark the location of Confederate regiments at the end of the first day. The small white monument in the left corner was the left flank.
Legend has it that during the heavy fighting, a cannonball hit a tree knocking the top out. A union soldier, noting that a nest of robins had been knocked to the ground, climbed up what remained of the tree and replaced the nest while cannonball and bullets were flying.
These confederate cannons on Seminary Ridge faced the union line at the end of the first day.
This is a statue of General G. K. Warren, the man who probably preserved victory for the Union. He came to the top of this hill, Little Round Top, and noted that it was undefended and Confederate troops were moving toward it. Had it not been for him and the quick action and gallantry of two Union regiments, the battle could have turned out very differently.
From the top of Little Round Top, you can easily see how it commands this part of the battlefield. The rocks you see are called the Devil's Den and the lower area in the bottom right of the photo is called the Slaughter Pen. Both were aptly named. 
This is the lower part of the infamous Wheatfield. It was the scene of the most prolonged fighting of the battle. The area you see changed hands six times during the course of the battle. It was said that you could walk across it without your feet ever touching the ground because the bodies were so thick.
This is a statue of Father William Corby. As the famed Irish Brigade was about to go into battle, he asked that he be allowed to address them. He urged them to conduct themselves honorably and granted them general absolution for their acts of this day. He was later President of The University of Notre Dame for years. A replica of this statue stands on the campus.
Looking across this cannon, you can see the field where, on July 3rd, Pickett's Charge , the final skirmish of the battle, took place. It was a desparation tactic by the Confederates after failing to dislodge the Union soldiers from their positions in day two. Although casualties were horrendous on both sides, the Confederates were repulsed with a greater loss of life.
We were here on July 1. One hundred forty six years earlier to the day, the fighting began on McPherson's Ridge in the area of McPherson's barn seen here.
At the beginning of the day, Union troops were on one side of this fence. By the end, it was in Confederate hands.
These monuments mark the location of Confederate regiments at the end of the first day. The small white monument in the left corner was the left flank.Legend has it that during the heavy fighting, a cannonball hit a tree knocking the top out. A union soldier, noting that a nest of robins had been knocked to the ground, climbed up what remained of the tree and replaced the nest while cannonball and bullets were flying.
These confederate cannons on Seminary Ridge faced the union line at the end of the first day.
This is a statue of General G. K. Warren, the man who probably preserved victory for the Union. He came to the top of this hill, Little Round Top, and noted that it was undefended and Confederate troops were moving toward it. Had it not been for him and the quick action and gallantry of two Union regiments, the battle could have turned out very differently.From the top of Little Round Top, you can easily see how it commands this part of the battlefield. The rocks you see are called the Devil's Den and the lower area in the bottom right of the photo is called the Slaughter Pen. Both were aptly named. This is the lower part of the infamous Wheatfield. It was the scene of the most prolonged fighting of the battle. The area you see changed hands six times during the course of the battle. It was said that you could walk across it without your feet ever touching the ground because the bodies were so thick.
This is a statue of Father William Corby. As the famed Irish Brigade was about to go into battle, he asked that he be allowed to address them. He urged them to conduct themselves honorably and granted them general absolution for their acts of this day. He was later President of The University of Notre Dame for years. A replica of this statue stands on the campus.
Looking across this cannon, you can see the field where, on July 3rd, Pickett's Charge , the final skirmish of the battle, took place. It was a desparation tactic by the Confederates after failing to dislodge the Union soldiers from their positions in day two. Although casualties were horrendous on both sides, the Confederates were repulsed with a greater loss of life. The next day, Lee retreated.
This is the railroad station at which Lincoln arrived for the Gettysburg dedication ceremony.
The David Wills house is in the center of Gettysburg. It is where Lincoln stayed while putting the finishing touches on The Gettysburg Address. 
We didn't take any photos of the Cemetary, so I borrowed this one from the internet.
We didn't take any photos of the Cemetary, so I borrowed this one from the internet. I had looked forward to visiting Gettysburg, but had not expected it to be such an emotional experience. The overcast that we had all day seemed fitting. Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil with nearly 50,000 casualties. May it forever remain so.
Nearly 150 years after the event, the citizens of Gettysburg do an excellent job of honoring those who fought here. It is obvious that it is more than just a commercial exercise. It is a clean, well kept, beautiful little town with many well maintained period buildings. We saw many people in period clothing and many shops selling it.
If there was an upside to this terrible tragedy, it is in what it has brought to the community. Tourism purportedly brings in excess of $20 million annually to this community of 7,500.
Nearly 150 years after the event, the citizens of Gettysburg do an excellent job of honoring those who fought here. It is obvious that it is more than just a commercial exercise. It is a clean, well kept, beautiful little town with many well maintained period buildings. We saw many people in period clothing and many shops selling it.
If there was an upside to this terrible tragedy, it is in what it has brought to the community. Tourism purportedly brings in excess of $20 million annually to this community of 7,500.
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