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Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania commemorates the site of the Civil War’s bloodiest battle. It is considered a turning point in the war, with the Union forces repelling Robert E. Lee’s second invasion of the North. Over the course of 3 days of fierce fighting in July of 1863, about fifty thousand soldiers died…the costliest battle ever in American history.
Five months after the Battle of Gettysburg, President Lincoln dedicated a National Cemetary at the site and delivered the famous Gettysburg Address, reminding everyone of the principles behind the Declaration of Independence and urging unity in the hopes that,
“these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
We visited Gettysburg on Labor Day Weekend in 2011. We started out at the Visitor Center where we perused the museum, watched a short film and viewed the interesting Cyclorama Painting. We picked up the Junior Ranger booklet for my daughter to earn her badge.
We then took a two-hour bus tour around the battlefield and memorials. Tours are conducted by licensed battlefield guides…they have to take a course and pass an exam in order to conduct tours on the NPS site. Our guide narrated throughout the bus ride and we had several stops where we could get out, stretch our legs and take photos. There are over 1300 monuments, memorials and plaques here, comprising one of the largest collections of outdoor sculpture in the world.
Our favorite was the Castle at Little Roundtop because we could go inside and climb the stairs to an observation deck. This memorial is for a New York regiment in honor of Ephraim Elmer Ellsworth who was the first Union soldier killed during the war. It was here that there were some volunteers performing a living history. This union soldier spent some time talking to my daughter and helped her with her junior ranger packet.
Location: 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Designation: National Military Park
Date designation declared: Declared a National Park in 1895, decades prior to creation of the NPS
Date of my visit: 9/3/2011
Smallpox!!! I had never heard that before and I’m quite familiar with the Civil War. Great post. I visited Gettysburg in 2016 – they’ve done a fabulous job preserving the history around there.
Thanks! It looks like conjecture, but it seems it was reported across multiple sources in 2007:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-smallpox-lincoln-idUSN1736866620070517
Gettysburg is super-high on my “must see” list. Wonderful photos!
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing. I have never been to Gettysburg and did not know that it had over 1300 monuments, plaques, etc. Great photos too!
Thanks! I didn’t either until I took the tour.
Gettysburg has been practical stop for us when we travel to Cleveland Ohio or the metro D.C. area.
Thanks for commenting!
Great pics! I’ve visited a few times and it’s always special to stand where Lincoln gave his address. Being from Michigan, I have a special affinity for the Iron Brigade, whose several monuments are on the Chambersburg side of the battlefield.
Thanks! We went to the Eisenhower site the same day we did this bus tour, so we really didn’t give Gettysburg the attention required to experience such a vast place.
Gettysburg is about a 3 hr. drive away for me. Been there a number of times. See my Blog. Thank you. Les
I enjoyed this post a lot, thank you, T. It is fortunate that we have this park to commemorate the sobering high loss of life here. Wow, 50,000 soldiers. Great photos, info, too. And congratulations to the Junior Ranger, that last photo is so dear.
Thanks! And she’s all grown up now, so that photo is dear to me too 🙂
Awe congratulations little ranger ❤️
Thanks!
Excellent
Thanks!
I visited once when a child, back in 1982. Since then, I have read a bit about the battle and would like to see the site again. As a youngster I don’t believe I appreciated the magnitude of this event.
I don’t think the scope of our life experience when we are children enables us to appreciate the importance of visiting these historic sites. My parents dragged me to places like this when I was a kid and I was more attracted to whatever cannons I could climb up on than actually learning anything from history. But somewhere along the way, some of it did sink in, and now I am moved by these parks.
I’m just getting to read this post now. This site is on my bucket list. Thanks for reading and liking many of my posts . Have a good memorial day
Thank YOU for reading about our Gettysburg trip. Happy weekend to you as well!
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