We saved the Self-guided Auto Audio Tour we had purchased 16 years ago. So today we embarked on a 24-mile narrated driving history lesson and it was incredible. The CD was very well done, and with the sounds of the Battle it was so real at times.
More than 165,000 soldiers fought with Union and Confederate armies on the battlefield at Gettysburg. The battle lasted three days — July 1, 2 and 3, 1863, and raged through the town and the surrounding countryside. The largest battle ever fought in North America, saw more than 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, captured, or missing (in just three days). Today, the Gettysburg battlefield receives more than one million visitors annually from all over the world, drawn by the area’s historical significance and natural beauty.
What intrigued me the were the Battlefield Monuments and Memorials. Gettysburg National Military Park is home to 1,328 statues, regimental monuments, State memorials, and War Department markers- the largest collection of outdoor sculpture in the world and they were extraordinary.
The North Carolina Monument commemorates the 32 Carolina regiments in action at the Battle of Gettysburg. The monument is a public artwork by American sculptor Gutzon Borglum, the creator of Mount Rushmore. Poor North Carolina. When the Civil War concluded, and the deaths were tallied, it had the awful distinction of having the most casualties of any state, having lost 40,275 men.
We lucked out with it being a weekend with reenactments happening at various battle sites. I delighted in meeting Brigadier General Horace Porter at Little Round Top.
Civil War living historians were encamped on the Gettysburg battlefield. We were able to explore their camps, interact with these knowledgeable historians, and watch as they demonstrated the tools, tactics, and firepower of the two armies that waged war across these now hallowed fields.
The Ohio Valley Civil War Association was present with its Infantry, Artillery, and Sharpshooters. So very, very cool.
Today, 153 years after the Battle of Gettysburg, we learned a great deal from this now beautiful place. What a day to remember.
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2 comments:
I was there many years ago with my Dad...quite the Historian! One day I hope to return. Miss you two terribly!, Cyndy
Reenactments are the best - right? I'm glad you are appreciating being back there again. I went on an eighth grade school trip and couldn't have been less interested. Sometimes things are wasted on the youth. I'm also happy that you are seeing some lovely fall colors.
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