A day at Gettysburg Battlefield

We headed out for a day of exploration at Gettysburg Battlefield.  The RV Park we stayed at had the CD tour of the park for rent ($5) so we went into town and the first stop was at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.  We got our map and headed off for stop 1 of the Auto Tour.  We took out time to listen to the CD and read all the information we picked up at the center ~ we also stopped and looked at all the monuments and read them... This was a HUGE battlefield and it took us about 4 hours to go through the whole park.

The "High Water Mark of the Rebellion".

The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Rebellion", Gettysburg was the wars bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties. Every house and every building in this quiet little town was used as a hospital or a recovery place for the wounded union & confederate soldiers.  It was also the inspiration for President Abraham Lincoln's immortal "Gettysburg Address".

As we rode around the park and listened to the facts and accounts of the Civil Was Battle at Gettysburg we couldn't help but think how sad it all was and what a horrible time it must have been for the people in this town and the men fighting the battle.  I can only imagine how scared those poor young men had been and in my mind pictured the aftermath of such a violent battle.

Gettysburg National Cemetery Courtesy of the National Park Service.

Gettysburg National Cemetery is the final resting place for more than 3,500 Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, a Union victory often cited as a turning point in the Civil War. Numerous monuments stand in both the cemetery and battlefield to commemorate the Union and Confederate troops who fought there. At the cemetery’s dedication on November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln rose to deliver “a few appropriate remarks,” now known as the Gettysburg Address. His two-minute speech served as a reminder of the sacrifices of war and the necessity of holding the Union together. 

Did You Know?

Asked to provide "a few appropriate remarks", President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is recognized today as one of the greatest speeches of his presidency.

I am thankful everyday for the sacrifices young men & women have made for me to live a wonderful and free life... God Bless them all ♥

Have Fun, Travel Safe & Stay Healthy!!!