Gettysburg

First item checked off my bucket list this trip, Gettysburg. For those who have been you know what we saw and for everyone else go if you ever have the chance, it is an amazing place filled with important historical artifacts and information.

As I remember I think there are 1300 separate monuments to units and individuals and 800 canons though there were more canons I think on site during that terrible three day battle.

First we visited the Cyclorama an amazing painting by Paul Dominique Philippoteaux depicting the final Confederate assault on July third 1863 and first exhibited in Boston in 1884.

It is 377ft. Long and 42 ft. High and weighs 12.5 tons.

It is very three dimensional and realistic with actual bushes etc in the foreground.

You can see all of this massive painting online under "Cyclorama of The Battle of Gettysburg" so I won't post all my pics  of it.

We walked up a trail to the National Soldiers Cemetery containing the graves of many Union soldiers and a few Confederates as well as some WW2 military.

Of the 1300 memorials I took a dozen or more photos

Here are just a few.

The famous speech of President Abraham Lincoln was given near this monument to him, DH thought I should have a picture with him since he is one of my great heroes.

The following photos are of the area where Pickett's Charge occurred, a turning point in this battle.

This memorial is to a 22 yr. old Lt. Cushing who gave up his life in a dramatic act of courage here.

There are likely thousands of untold heroic acts from that three days and we can read about only a few.

This portion of the Cyclorama shows Pickett's Charge.

This is one of several Civil War era farms still in existence today that were in the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg, many sustaining considerable damage.

Anothe photo DH insisted on, with a man in CW Union Uniform!

I must admit I felt kind of embarrassed, don't I look it?!

One of the Curators recommended a book "AField Guide To Gettysburg" and so far I am finding it very helpful to fill in the gaps and help to understand the immensity and complexity of a three day battle involving I think around 200,000 men over a 4,000 acre area. 

The carnage was catastrophic, and the war raged on almost another two years but for the Union it was a major turning point in the war.

The damage to lives, families and the Nation was immense, over 700,000 lives lost and countless wounded, entire families gone. 

Especially I think as a naturalized citizen the cost and the debt owed those who paid so dearly is a heavy and sobering thought, but I know if not for the Civil War there would today be no United States of America. 

If you can visit you will not regret it.