Day 22 - Gettysburg National Battlefield

This entry is going to be really short, because there is no way I can describe for you what we saw and did today. Read all the books you want. Watch The Civil War film by Ken Burns and the Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee version of the battle in the movie Gettysburg. There is nothing that will compare to being there. Can I tell you what it’s like to walk along the stone walls were the 20th Maine turned back the Confederates on Little Round Top; or walk around in the boulders of the Devils Den where Confederate sharpshooters plied their trade; or to stand on Cemetery Ridge and imagine the men of Pickett’s division moving out of the trees on Seminary Ridge? And can I tell what it’s like to look out at that beautiful land where there were 43,733 causalities in three days of fighting? No, I can’t. So I won’t.

Anyway, we were up at 7:30 and downstairs for a coffee and the Gettysburg newspaper. News must be a little scarce around this part of the country, because page 2 was the obituaries. Breakfast was at best ok; nothing like the B & B in Vermont and the company of the other two couples was non-existent.

After that start, it was a good thing Barb had called and made reservations for a guided tour of the battlefield. I usually stay far away from such outings; however this was just what we needed. Gettysburg is big. 5,990 acres worth of big spread out over a variety of landscape. In two hours the guide gave us a better understanding of the layout of the battlefield than we could have gained on our own in a week.

After the tour we passed on lunch and with our new found knowledge of the battlefield set out to get lost. And not just once. What I really wanted was to walk up Little Round Top to where Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain had ordered the bayonet charge that saved the Union on day. Only took three tries.

After dinner there was much discussion on what to do tomorrow. Do we go to Lancaster, Pennsylvania as planned or head south to Antietam? In the end we decided to stay with Lancaster and explore a little of the Amish country 34 miles today.

Gettysburg National Battlefield
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania