Day 24 - 7/14
We spent
today visiting Gettysburg. This was the site of one
of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. It took place over a 3 day period
from July 1st to July 3rd 1863. Over 4000 men on both sides died in battle.
After many blows and fierce attacks, it was ultimately the Union Army that won
the battle but at a severe cost. Today, one can tour the battlefields and see
specific places where battles were held.
There are also over 1300 monuments dedicated to regiments, states and specific
people that one can also view. One of
the monuments had a flame lit on top of it. The flame represents the unity that
Lincoln wanted and burns forever. We also took a tour of the National Cemetery
that was dedicated shortly after the battle. Many of the soldiers buried there
were labeled unknown.
At that time, there was no official way of identifying a
soldier. Some would keep their name on a piece of paper in their pocket or sew
their name onto the sleeve of their uniform. One of the Park Rangers told us a
story about a soldier named Amos who was shot and struggled away from the
battle into a nearby brickyard. Before dying, he pulled out a picture of his 3
children and watched it. When people were cleaning up the dead bodies, a woman
found the picture in Amos' hand and was so touched that she marked where he was
and took the picture. She brought it to a nearby bar in hopes that someone
would recognize it. A journalist came into the bar and published an article
describing the picture and the story behind it. The article circulated in many
papers and was seen by Amos' wife. She recognized the description and was
eventually able to with her children visit his grave and pay respects. It was
only because of the picture that Amos was able to be identified.
At the
dedication of the cemetery, Edward Everett, who was considered the best public
speaker of the day, spoke for two hours. President Lincoln spoke right after
him for only two minutes. However, in two minutes Lincoln was able convey to
his fellow Americans the reason for the war and why to continue. His Gettysburg
Address remains one of the most well known and successful speeches ever given.
Gettysburg was an important place in the Civil War because it marked a turning
point in the war where the Union Army was able to win and eventually unite the
United States once more.
We spent
today visiting Gettysburg. This was the site of one
of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. It took place over a 3 day period
from July 1st to July 3rd 1863. Over 4000 men on both sides died in battle.
After many blows and fierce attacks, it was ultimately the Union Army that won
the battle but at a severe cost. Today, one can tour the battlefields and see
specific places where battles were held.
There are also over 1300 monuments dedicated to regiments, states and specific
people that one can also view. One of
the monuments had a flame lit on top of it. The flame represents the unity that
Lincoln wanted and burns forever. We also took a tour of the National Cemetery
that was dedicated shortly after the battle. Many of the soldiers buried there
were labeled unknown. 
At that time, there was no official way of identifying a
soldier. Some would keep their name on a piece of paper in their pocket or sew
their name onto the sleeve of their uniform. One of the Park Rangers told us a
story about a soldier named Amos who was shot and struggled away from the
battle into a nearby brickyard. Before dying, he pulled out a picture of his 3
children and watched it. When people were cleaning up the dead bodies, a woman
found the picture in Amos' hand and was so touched that she marked where he was
and took the picture. She brought it to a nearby bar in hopes that someone
would recognize it. A journalist came into the bar and published an article
describing the picture and the story behind it. The article circulated in many
papers and was seen by Amos' wife. She recognized the description and was
eventually able to with her children visit his grave and pay respects. It was
only because of the picture that Amos was able to be identified. 
At the
dedication of the cemetery, Edward Everett, who was considered the best public
speaker of the day, spoke for two hours. President Lincoln spoke right after
him for only two minutes. However, in two minutes Lincoln was able convey to
his fellow Americans the reason for the war and why to continue. His Gettysburg
Address remains one of the most well known and successful speeches ever given.
Gettysburg was an important place in the Civil War because it marked a turning
point in the war where the Union Army was able to win and eventually unite the
United States once more.
No comments:
Post a Comment