In the Footsteps of History

I had one of those magical weekends that I really thought I needed to share--so I apologize that this post is picture-heavy!

For the first weekend in I don't know how long, I didn't have anything to do or anywhere I needed to run to--a rarity these days, especially with my sister being 8 months pregnant and so many baby-centric things I've been roped into by my mother. A completely free weekend, where I could chose exactly what I wanted to do. The freedom of it was pretty awesome and 2 weeks ago when I realized it, I knew I wanted to do something epic and not just sit at home. Another plus was my boyfriend also had the entire weekend free--which is rare for him as well as he usually picks up side-work on Saturdays. We've been going through a bit of a rough patch for the last month, and a weekend together and alone was something needed.

Won't lie, my first impulse was to head down the shore and soak up some beach-rays. Have only been down once this summer and my boyfriend hasn't at all. We have a mutual friend who has a house in Wildwood, who I knew would let us stay if I asked. Turns out, her house was already full for the weekend. Tried looking into hotels but everything was either way to expensive or you had to commit to a Thursday through Sunday rental--which we obviously didn't want/need/or could afford. So that was out.

We tossed around a few other ideas for day trips--Baltimore, New Hope, NYC, even just the shore for the day--but really couldn't decide. They all seemed pretty far out of the way and wouldn't have enough that we really wanted to see that would warrant the drive. That's when we decided on Gettysburg, PA.

 THE Gettysburg.

The sight of the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War and the decisive turning point for the Union Army. Over the course of July 1st thru the 3rd, 57,225 Americans died. Even more were wounded or captured.

The history of this area and what it meant to our country is a pretty big draw, but neither of us have ever been there. I'll be honest...I thought Gettysburg was in Virginia. I know, I'm a shame to my country and state of Pennsylvania! It always just seem so distant! And I didn't realize any Civil War battles were fought this far north--which Gettysburg is the major reason why they didn't.

So Gettyburg it was! We trekked the 2 1/2 hours south to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for what I hoped would be a day filled with history and adventure.

We got up to Gettysburg around 12:30 and decided to go to the musuem first--to at least get a map of the area. Now you can pay to take a guided bus tour of all the battle sites but it costs $30 a person and they book up fast. Since we had no clue where we were going, we wanted to join one of these tours but found out the next one wasn't until 3:30--which we didn't want to wait around for. Instead, we decided to walk thru the musuem and figured we could be our own tour guides for the battlefields--"We have a map afterall with all the major sites. I'll figure it out," said my boyfriend.

It took us about 2 hours to get through everything inside. It was truly fascinating and a great history lesson. They had artifacts retrieved from the battlefield--including uniforms, personal affects, diaries, bullets, guns, parts of trees that were littered with bullet holes, pieces of civilian's houses with puncture wounds, coins, pictures of the soldiers and casualties, and newspaper clippings from the day--and other pieces of information that showed just how important this battle was in the course of the Civil War. They also had detailed maps and accounts about each day of the battle. It retrospect, I'm glad we did this first because it was a re-education before we saw the actual battlefield.

One of my favorite pieces that adorned the museum's walls

When we exited the musuem around 3 o'clock, the huge windows in front of us revealed it was pouring rain. Like buckets coming down. Was so pissed. The weather reports we had seen that morning had said nothing about rain until that night. So we decided to hunker down for a bit, get something to eat and hope it'd blow over. After about an hour, it slowed up a bit and we decided to brave the elements and at least attempt to see some of what we had driven 2 1/2 hours for.

Here are a few of the pictures I was able to take from the first battlefield we were able to get onto.

The cannons marked the places where actual cannons were placed during the battle. My boyfriend actually made a cannon himself, but it blew up over the winter. Here he is trying to get some design tips.

Each infantry was commemorated with it's own monument. This is for the New York Infantry. Was truly astounding how many of these there were--showing just how many were there to fight.

The monument commemorating the Commander of the Union Army during the battle of Gettysburg, Commander George Gordon Meade. His appointment is attributed to the success of the Union army. Felt like an ant standing next to this!

At this point, it started pouring again. So I retreated under a tree while my boyfriend ran to get our car and move it further down the road to another parking lot. By the time he got to me, I was soaked to the bone and in need of a hoodie! We waited in the car for about 20 minutes until the rain let up again. At that point, we decided to "screw it" and at least see the Gettysburg National Cemetery.  If we weren't going to see much else, that was the one thing we both wanted to see more than anything else. So we weather-proofed ourselves as much as possible and crossed the street into the cemetery.

It was eerily silent, although we weren't alone in the cemetery. It's as though the magnitude of the battle had set on to everyone beyond the gates and everyone gave the soldiers the respect they so deserved. I had constant chills with every step I took. Here are a few of the pictures I snapped.

The monument to commerorate the very spot where President Lincoln gave his most famous speech--the Gettysburg Address. 

These placards were placed before every mass grave site. It reads:

"The muffled drums sad roll has beat
The soldiers last tattoo.
No more on life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few."

Chills!

There were at least 9 of these throughout the cemetery.

The little white stones are actually markers, each numbered in a row. These were for mass graves that identities of soldiers could not be found for. The numbers went up into the thousands.

These were some of the many graves that lined the circumference of the cemetery--graves that actually had names and information associated with them. These were servicemen who died in action or served our country, but not in the Civil War. Most were from WWII and Vietnam. We were also a bit confused because it wasn't just servicemen but their families as well--and some family members died before their relative who served our country. We've been researching this for the past few days, trying to figure out how you can apply for a plot here and what are the regulations as far as non-militar, family members. If anyone has any information, please message me! Dying to find out.

"Rest on embalmed and sainted dead
Dear as the blood ye gave
No impious footstep here shall tread
The herbage of your grave."

Just this one area moved me beyond words. I felt myself tearing up and really tried to put myself back in that time. What it must've been like to live through something so horrific, or to see the massive amount of lives lost. It's a feeling I hope to have with me for years to come.

Miraculously, the weather seemed to have shifted once we were finished in the cemetery and we were able to continue to the other battlefields.

Now, going into this day I truly thought the Battle of Gettysburg started and was commenced on one field of battle, in a small plot of land. Once we turned to our trusty map to figure out where to go first, I realized I was sorely mistaken. The battle stretched across and all over the town--encompassing over 20 miles of land. I was truly dumbfounded when we started our tour--which the first battlefield we went to was actually the end--in chronological order of the events of July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of 1863. The map we held guided us as if we, ourselves, were soldiers fighting--taking us right through each and every event of those 3 days. We in turn, got out of our car at every battle-point to marvel at the still virginal land and the monuments commemorating the events and people who fought and died there. It was moving to say the least, especially when each monument held record of how many people died there.

The tour took us right through the afternoon and well into the evening. Here are a few of my last shots of the day.

This is one of the last valley's before Little Round Top. From the cemetery, we saw a hazy mist hanging over this area all day. We figured maybe there was a reenactment going on here, and the mist was actually smoke from rounds being fired--I had heard buck shots from this area as well. When we finally got here, we were a little confused and then slightly scared when we got out of the car and read the pictured placard. This valley was one of the largest field hospitals used during the battle. The majority of the mortally wounded were brought here to receive treatment and also subsequently died in this field. The ground was littered with amputated limbs, bodies and blood. Needless to say, I did not want to linger in this area and I jumped out of my skin each and every time I heard a branch snap.

These pictures are from Little Round Top--the high-ground that the Union Army held for the entire Battle of Gettysburg. This was the stronghold of the Union Army and what the Confederates desperately tried to capture again and again. The Union's expert sharp-shooters were housed here and easily killed Confederates who were trapped in The Devil's Den, 500 yards down the hill. You could see the entire valley from this point, so it was easy to understand how important this location was for both armies.

By the time we finished with this site, it was well past 9 o'clock. We were only 3/4 of the way through the map and begrudgingly decided we needed to get on the road. We still had a long ride back to Philadelphia. With one last look into the valley, we headed back to our car and jumped onto Route 15 out of Gettysburg. We were both exhausted, but I think the ride home was silent for many other reasons. The enormity of all we had seen that day really hit a chord with both of us. The one thing I couldn't get over was just how organized and precise everything seemed to be. The fact that we know exactly who fought in each plot of land, specific names of soldiers and commanders, and the amount of people who died there blew my mind. It shows the amount of respect our country holds for battles like this and the people who served, that they give accurate information to all who visit. The fact that this entire area is still historically preserved and has changed very little since 1863--probably the only thing on the actual battlefields are the addition of asphalt roads and bathrooms every few miles--is also a testament to our country. This area could have easily been commercialized and sold off parcel by parcel to land developers, but it is hallow ground. This area is part of our American history and needs to be respected by all who tread on her soil.

It was truly amazing and something I will always remember. I already can't wait to go back and see the last half of the tour. There was so much left, and we hadn't even scratched the surface. If you are looking for a great getaway and need a destination, I'd wholeheartedly suggest Gettysburg. It's got me wanting to discover other things our own country has to offer, instead of looking beyond our borders and into Europe for my next vacation.

And possibly another book is on the horizon :)