Polly 12 Visits Gettysburg

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal….”. These are the opening words of the Gettysburg Address, given by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. One of the greatest speeches in American history was given four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the decisive Battle of Gettysburg.

 

 

 

 

Today I got to tour all around Gettysburg and try to take in the immense amount of information this small town has to offer. Gettysburg was the location of the last major attempt by Confederate forces to invade the North during the Civil War.

 

 

 

The American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was a civil war within the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy fought against the United States (the Union), which was supported by all the free states (where slavery had been abolished) and by five slave states that became known as the border states.

 

The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863 and lasted only three days. During those three days 75, 000 Confederate soldiers confronted 95,000 Union soldiers. This battle was a major turning point for the Civil War but it came at a great expense. At the end of the three days, there were 51,000 casualties, including 7,863 killed, and more than 5,000 missing or captured on each side. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the three days and the thousands of soldiers killed, Jennie Wade was the only civilian death. At the start of the battle Jennie headed to her sisters house at the edge of town. While making bread to help feed some Union soldiers, Confederate sharpshooter positioned in the attic of the now Farnsworth House Inn started shooting at the Union soldiers in front of the house. A stray bullet went through the outside door and hit and killed Jennie instantly. The original door and bullet hole still remain at this residence now turned into a museum. 

 

The Farnsworth House Inn is now one of the most haunted places in Gettysburg. Along with being a bed & breakfast, fine dining restaurant, tavern and outside dining, the Farnsworth House Inn offers various Ghost Stories in the basement, Ghost Walks and even a seance room. A lot of visitors stay at the Farnsworth House and leave in the middle of the night due to strange happenings. If you dare, take a visit to the Farnsworth House Inn and you won’t be disappointed.

Today, the battle grounds of Gettysburg are preserved and protected by the National Park Service as the Gettysburg National Military Park. Close to a 1,400 various monuments, plaques and markers surround the battlefield. In the center of everything still remains the little town of Gettysburg. A lot of buildings that stood during the war are still in tact and have been restored to their original condition. At the edge of town is the new Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center. At the visitor center you can learn all about the war and see life size displays of daily life during the time.

 

There are too many facts, stories and events for one frog to write about, but if you want to find out how this country got started, Gettysburg has a lot to offer. Some people spend their entire lives studying the battle and the results. Today we hopped around a lot of various places like Little Round Top, Pickets Charge, Devils Den, the Peach Orchard and the list goes on and on. There are a lot of monuments to read and beautiful sites to take in.

 

 

 

 

One interesting tidbit I learned about was the statues that depict a horse and rider. At Gettysburg, a statue that has all four of the horse’s hooves on the ground means that the rider survived the battle without a scratch. One foot raised means the person was wounded but survived, and two legs raised indicates that the man was killed at Gettysburg. Surprisingly these statues were made by various people without any coordination between them.

 

 

The Gettysburg Address was actually written by Abraham Lincoln while he was staying in town. Today a life size statue of Abraham Lincoln is situated in the square of Gettysburg outside of the building the famous speech was written. The statue of Abraham Lincoln is pointing his hat to the actual room where the speech was written.

 

 

 

As a final reminder of the Civil War, if you look around town, you can still see some artillery munitions still lodged in the walls of the building that stopped their trajectory.

 

So if you want to enjoy a beautiful fall day and learn about the Civil War, the town of Gettysburg or even listen to some ghost stories (Halloween is coming up soon), go to Gettysburg and you won’t be disappointed.

 

Polly 12

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