Gettysburg

The fields of Gettysburg are beautiful. Green grass everywhere with occasional trees, hills and fences. Look at that big beautiful sky! It's so pretty there. Which makes imagining war and in some cases hand-to-hand combat here even more surreal and touching.


I don't know a whole lot about the Civil War; but I do know this: I'm incredibly grateful for all those who fought for something so right and won. It really was touching going to the battle grounds and learn a little tiny bit of what thousands of our forefathers did to preserve our free country, our constitution, and make the abolition of slavery possible. I believe Abraham Lincoln was a godsend - a incredible man whose very special mission on this earth was completed.


There are something like 1,400 memorials on the battlefields of Gettysburg. (A recent ordinance isn't allowing any more.) This one is to the men who fought on both sides from Pennsylvania. They don't call it the War of Brothers for nothing - we really heard stories of brothers and neighbors who joined opposite sides and fought each other.


Original canons. These were used along with guns, however the men were not free of hand-to-hand combat. At least not at the Battle of Gettysburg.


Did you know that Robert E. Lee was offered the position of General in the Union Army by President Lincoln (and obviously turned it down) before being offered the position as General in the Confederacy? Apparently he really struggled with the decision, but decided his greatest loyalty laid with his state: Virginia. Our information said that many suspect the war would have been much shorter and much less bloody if General Lee had led the Union. I don't remember ever learning that before.


We came across this group of men showing us what time-period solider outfits looked like and how they shot in these 2-row formations. He explained that the positioning of the second row had to be just right so that two different little explosions in their guns (when fired) didn't happen directly next to their comrade's ear or face. I can't imagine standing 100-300 yards from other people and firing a gun at them like this. How horrible.


This is Little Roundtop which was an extremely advantageous spot in the battle. It was defended with the lives of 38 men which made up the 20th Maine. There is a special monument here to remember each of them. I don't remember all the specifics, but each a gave their life in hand combat to defend this spot.


A little stream runs through the fields of battle, which they say ran red for a while, the loss of life was so great.


But Gettysburg was a great turning point in the war which led us to union and the abolition of slavery. Saved by the soilders.