Visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park ponder one of the pivotal events of America’s Civil War.
By Joe Curreri
October 2003
… Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”
“” Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863
This year the United States observes the 140th anniversary of the one event that turned the tide of the Civil War. To many, the Battle of Gettysburg is the most compelling and fascinating milestone of that war. Every year more than one million people stroll the Pennsylvania meadows where, in July 1863, the North and South clashed in one of history’s deadliest battles. More men fought and died in the fields of Gettysburg than during any other battle on North American soil.
Visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park learn that the nation sent nearly 3 million men off to war in 1861. Before the war ended four years later, 1 million were casualties of the conflict. More Americans died in the Civil War than in all American wars from the Revolution through the Korean Conflict.
After a great Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee decided to take the war north. He and his Army of Northern Virginia, composed of 75,000 troops, crossed into Pennsylvania with plans to disrupt its capital, Harrisburg, and perhaps, eventually, Washington, D.C. General George G. Meade, the newly appointed commander of the Union Potomac Army, moved in for the defense. The first two days of battles, on Wednesday and Thursday, July 1 and 2, resulted in Confederate gains against Northern positions. Union troops retreated through town south to Cemetery Hill.
The two armies engaged in a battle again on July 3. For two full hours, a thundering artillery duel raged. At one crucial point, General Lee ordered Major General George E. Pickett to charge. With pride and sweat, 12,000 of them marched in formation across the one-mile meadow toward Cemetery Ridge. The Union soldiers waited until the Confederates were within range, then fired. With death-defying yells, the rebels charged headlong into a murderous hail of cannon and rifle fire. (“To hell or glory,” as one Southern general remarked.) Blue-clad soldiers stood fast behind a stone wall and held the line. One federal soldier wrote that bullets were “hissing, humming, and whistling everywhere, and the cannons were roaring.”
Of the 12,000 Confederates involved in “Pickett’s Charge,” more than 5,000 were killed. The Confederates retreated, marking the end of the battle, but at a dreadful cost: in all, 51,000 Americans were killed or wounded during the three days of fighting.
Four months later, President Abraham Lincoln spoke for a few minutes at the site. “We are met on a great battlefield,” he said. “The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far and above our poor power to add or detract.”
His words still ring true 140 years later. The guns of the Civil War are long silent, but Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address “” 10 sentences “” captured the awe and solemnity of the occasion.
Gettysburg National Military Park is America’s largest battlefield shrine, with more than 1,000 monuments and cannons. A visit to Gettysburg can be a highly charged personal experience. “Not only is it one of the nation’s most significant historic resources, but many of the monuments have outstanding artistic value and were created by world-famous artisans,” said the superintendent of the park. “This extensive monumentation exemplifies the unique reverence people have for this battlefield.”
Touring the battlefield
The park’s grounds include more than 26 miles of paved roads available for tours by private vehicle. The placement of 400 artillery guns along the Union and Confederate battle lines add an authentic air. Visitors can take the self-guided tour using a park brochure/tour map, which coincides with park tour route signs and exhibits along the way. Audio programs are available at some stops. At least two hours are needed to fully appreciate the tour.
Other ways to explore the 6,000 acres of scenic avenues include taking a battlefield bus tour. An audiotape is another option. For $10 to $15, you can purchase or rent a cassette tape at various local businesses. Plan to spend two hours or so for your taped tour of the battlefield. The tape describes important parts of the battlefield and the action.
Some people prefer hiring a licensed battlefield guide. The guide steps into your vehicle and provides a personal two-hour tour, catered to your interests. The minimum charge is $40, and rates are higher for groups larger than six.
At most of the numbered stops, markers describe significant action in chronological order. Visitors may walk along the paths and admire the monuments and cannons. Parts of the battlefield look the same today as they did in 1863; fences, hills, rocks, cannons, and statues provide plenty of opportunities for a visitor to ponder what happened.
During my visit, guides filled us in on the battle sites and the general meaning of the Civil War. But the question remains: why all this enduring public infatuation with a conflict that ended more than a century ago? For me, the reality is that the battle was not all that long ago. When I was of school age, thousands of Civil War veterans were still alive, many of whom had fought at Gettysburg.
In 1938 President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Peace Light, a continuous flame that symbolizes the unity of the North and South. For the dedication of this memorial, 1,064 veterans returned to Gettysburg. Their average age was 94.
We passed or stopped at many monuments and statues honoring generals, regiments, and states such as New York, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, which has the largest of the memorials.
Our most significant stop was at Cemetery Ridge, scene of “Pickett’s Charge.” It’s evident why this boulder-strewn knob was a strategic position. It’s the reason why 7,000 Union soldiers were able to repulse 12,000 Southerners. Very few of Pickett’s men made it to the stone and rock defenses. Despite the bravery of the charge, Union soldiers had a clear view and easily targeted the Confederates as they came out of the woods a mile away into the open, flat meadow.
Afterward, General Lee said, “It’s all my fault.” A plaque proclaims it “The Valley Of Death …. ” It’s hard to imagine that this hallowed ground, now a beautifully manicured green field, once ran red. A visit to the battlefield can be an emotional, memorable experience. It offers a sense of sadness, loss, and healing. What happened at Gettysburg was truly a national tragedy.
At the national cemetery, where no cars are allowed, you can honor the heroes of seven-score years ago. You can walk along the “fields of honor” and also see the memorial and exact location where Lincoln gave his immortal address.
Tour the museums
The National Park Service Visitor Center (admission is free) is a necessary stop for those who want to understand what happened. Park rangers explain the tours and provide maps and background material. The visitors center also contains a museum with original artifacts gathered from the battlefield over the years “” said to be the world’s largest collection of American Civil War relics and displays.
A 30-minute “Electric Map” presentation in the visitors center’s auditorium orients visitors to the Battle of Gettysburg. It provides a brief overview of the three-day battle and describes the major combatants. A small fee is charged for this presentation.
Next door to the visitors center is the Cyclorama Center, which features a spectacular 360-degree painting depicting Pickett’s Charge, the climactic event of the battle. A 20-minute sound and light program accompanies viewing of the painting. Exhibits also are included, and a small fee is charged for entry.
Gettysburg National Military Park is adjacent to the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the presidential and retirement home of Dwight D. Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie. Tours of the Eisenhower home leave from the Gettysburg visitors center; portions of the Eisenhower farm are visible from roads just west of the battlefield.
The Eisenhowers purchased this farm in the 1950s, used it as a retreat during the presidential years, and were able to enjoy it for a while in their retirement. Visitors take a shuttle bus to enter the site, and tours are offered year-round. An orientation tour, a farmhouse tour (the home is decorated for Christmas throughout the month of December), a video presentation, and exhibits reflecting Eisenhower’s life also are available for perusal. This site occupies 690 acres and is still a working farm. An admission fee is charged; it includes the shuttle bus ticket fee.
The village of Gettysburg itself is a delightful area of museums and family entertainment. At the Lincoln Room Museum, in the historic David Wills House, is the room where Lincoln spent the night of November 18, 1863, and finished his immortal Gettysburg Address. You may also want to see the Hall of Presidents, where American presidents and their first ladies are memorialized in wax.
In all, more than 35 museums and attractions await visitors in town. Some shops are devoted entirely to the memory of the Civil War. Many stores carry collectibles, including military miniatures, photo galleries with mint portraits, extensive book collections, and antiques. Shoppers also will want to note that the Gettysburg Village Factory Stores outlet is now open for business.
More than 20 family-style restaurants are located in Gettysburg, too. Some occupy original buildings that survived the battle, such as the historic Farnsworth House Inn, which sheltered sharpshooters. More than 100 bullet holes can be seen on the inn’s exterior wall.
Whether you’re staying for a couple of days or an entire week, you’ll find much to see and do in Gettysburg and its environs. Thoughts and emotions will be stirred as you ponder the valor and sacrifices of those who struggled there.
Further Info
Gettysburg National Military Park
97 Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-1124
www.nps.gov/gett/
For a free 72-page guide to Gettysburg, contact:
Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 4117
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(800) 337-5015
(717) 334-6274
E-mail: info@gettysburgcvb.org
www.gettysburgcvb.org
Area Campgrounds
This may not be a complete list, so please consult your favorite campground directory or the latest edition of the Business Directory, published most recently in the June 2003 issue of Family Motor Coaching and also available online at www.fmca.com.
Gettysburg Campground
2030 Fairfield Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-3304
www.gettysburgcampground.com
Granite Hill Campground & Adventure Golf
3340 Fairfield Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(800) 642-8368
(717) 642-8749
www.granitehillcampground.com
Gettysburg KOA Kampground
20 Knox Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(800) KOA-1869
(717) 642-5713
www.gettysburgkoa.com
Round Top Campground
180 Knight Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-9565
Artillery Ridge Campground & National Riding Stable
610 Taneytown Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-1288
Drummer Boy Camping Resort, C4846
1300 Hanover Road
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(800) 293-2808
www.drummerboycamping.com