Made it to Gettysburg
 

Went to the Gettysburg National Military Park today. I only had 1.5 hours to spend there so it was spent at the cemetery and lots of walking around. I'm sure I'll have another chance to go again in the next few weeks and I'll have more time.

Who's been there?

I was fanatically interested in the Civil War as a kid. Visiting Gettysburg was quite an eye opener for me. Seeing the actual terrain, you understand how casualties were so high. Be sure to go to Devil's Den. Looking at where Pickett's Charge took place, its hard to believe soldiers didn't refuse to charge. Anybody can look at that and immediately see the futility of crossing that field in a frontal assault on entrenched artillery.

If you ever get to visit Seven Pines in Virgina, its very interesting. It was all close quarters small arms combat in a densely wooded compact area. The museum there had a huge number of examples of .577 bullets hitting each other in mid air, so dense was the fire in so small an area.

Never been to any US civil war sites but my city was besieged by Government troops for five days during our civil war in 1642.

"Charles" not popular name in your town?

I'll keep Devil's Den in mind next time I go. I made this trip spur of the moment with no research ahead of time. Still a great visit.

Interesting story, to me at least. Michael Medved, conservative, religious fellow that he is camped there illegally in his college days. swears up and down they had to hightail it out of there due to ghosts.

When someone like that, who is not prone to believe in such things, tells you a story like that, it gives one pause...

The walking tour, or the individually licensed tour guides are worth it.

Throughout 40 days of the Normandy Invasion, 2700 allied combat deaths. Over the 3 days of Gettysburg,7800.

Love to go sometime and relive the story of the Minnesota 1st!

We visited there on a beautiful, early December day. The holly was blooming, the air was balmy, and at each turn, another marker described the carnage that had taken place there.

The stories were beyond poignant: one told of a Confederate farmboy who found himself back in his hometown of Gettysburg. He and his brother (a Union soldier) hunkered down in their farmhouse trying to keep it from being destroyed.

The beauty of the day juxtaposed against the horror that took place still makes my mind reel.

Make it sooner than later, Marty - seems nothing is forever...

I've flown over it probably a thousand times, so I got pretty good at identifying the major landmarks of the battlefield. I have not been to it on the ground, but I would very much enjoy that experience.

Ive been there once and its really interesting but spread out. Very hard to get a sense of how it alltook place. Just last night i talked to my son in law who had that day talked to fellow who said one of his relatives was in Pickett's charge and the color bearer fell as soon as it started so he picked it up and made it all the way to the Federal lines without a scratch, was captured and spent the rest of the war in a Federal prison camp and survived it all. I live twenty minutes from Appomattox "where the North and South reunited".

Weird coincidence of the day: my post above was my 1,863rd on the AGF. What are the chances of that?

I was there on a beautiful fall day a few years ago. I'm not a civil War buff but I still found it very interesting. Terrain of Rolling hills and farmland is so peaceful it's hard to imagine the carnage that was taking place. I also went to the nearby cemetery where Lincoln gave his famous address.