gettysburg....

[wilko]

ever been there ?

my wife and I visited Gettysburg and are immensely overwhelmed and impressed with its history... the honor and courage of all soldiers fighting there is not something you can capture in a few sentences and we hope to get back there to learn all we can about a generation of heroes..

if you have never been there.... you should.









'

[Cimarron Red]

For nearly 18 years I lived 30 miles from Gettysburg. My wife and I visited many times. It is truly an awe-inspiring place.

[handirifle]

We went there in Aug of '01. It's like you can sense the gravity of what they went through, when you learn how young many of the commanders were and the hardships they had to endure.

When we visited the various battlefields, it made us acutely aware of the trajic loss of good men, and how impassioned they were to preserve their respective ways of life.

What is sad to me, is even in my elementry school days of the 50's, it was never really taught to try and understand the war from each sides view. The fact that they were preserving what THEIR own ways of life and livelyhoods.

It matters not whether we agree with each side, just that we understand how and why each side felt so deeply about it that they were willing to go to war over it.

The country has endured, and is better for it, but that is easy to say, looking back. They had no way of looking into the future, just knew they were giving their life for their present.

Just like any war, it always amazes me how quickly a war can be won or lost, on a few, seemingly small (at the time)tactical moves. MANY brave men were laid to rest in that war. It saddens ones heart, big time.

[Hobie]

I have been there many times since the age of 5. I have stood near where my great-great-grandfather was wounded (and I know a descendant of one of the men on the other side who might have shot him!). I have been all over the battlefield and on the approaches (even the "back" roads). I never cease to wonder at what the men on either side had to do throughout this battle.

[Booger Bill]

Picture of my gr gr grandfather. He was with wisconsins iron briggade. Wounded at gettysberg and prior to that captured at bull run and either escaped or was traded to get shot at gettysberg run in the left arm.

[rjohns94]

I am honored to live very close. I was there on saturday. It is one of my favorite places. It is HOLY ground in my books.

[EdinCT]

I am moved when I am there. They were men of a type that I am sure are few and far between today. When I look across and picture the charge up the hill where Pickets Men twice went I think of the courage they had, to charge and the respect they must of had for General Lee.
Also I think of the fact that there was almost as many killed or wounded in three days has in Vietnam.

[Lobo]

Hi All,

I accompanied a couple of Boy Scout Troops to Gettysburg a couple of summers ago, spending a couple of days as tourists before going up Route 15 to spend a week at BSA summer camp. We got a general overview, then spent an afternoon following Pickett's Charge.

You could spend a lot of time there.

[wilko]

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/7038/1001944f.jpg

Devils den overseen from little round top

http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/1535/1001947m.jpg

The famous (staged?) confederate sharpshooter in Devils den looking at little round top

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/9803/1001960s.jpg

Union battery overseeing "the bend" where the confederates briefly broke through

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/6628/1001966e.jpg

"the bend" seen from confederate lines.. imagine marching through this field in blistering heat into musket and canister fire.....

[Ysabel Kid]

Wife and I visited Gettysburg about 18 years ago. Very impressive. Can't wait to take the kids - they are old enough to now to understand...

[Jeff Quinn]

I stopped by there on my way up north to visit S&W, USFA, and Savage.
Here in Tennessee, we have many battlefields from that war.
Lots of good men fought and died, and many civilians homes were looted and the men-folk murdered.

For ANYBODY interested at all in that war, I strongly suggest that you read "Jack Hinson's One-Man War"
The book contains a wealth of information that I did not know before, and had never even considered, such as this:
In the 1860 US census, there were over 10,000 BLACK folks that were slave-owners.

Since childhood, we have been taught that the "Civil War" was fought over slavery. That is absolutely untrue. Lincoln did not sign the Emancipation Proclamation until the war had been going for a couple of years, and then it only pertained to the states South of the Mason-Dixon line. In effect, the law did not pertain to the US, but only to the Confederate States of America.

Anyway, if you would like to be enlightened, give the book a read. I bought mine on Amazon for 17 bucks brand new.

[fordwannabe]

I live 11/2 to 2 hours from there, and I heartly agree with RJOHNS truely sacred ground, been many times and can't get enough yet at the samer time sad every time I go also. Lots of very brave men did something I doubt I would have the guts to do, but I hope I would. It even had a colt museum in town but I believe that has since closed. Tom

[HEAD0001]

Very hard to believe what those men went through. I was prety well speechless when I went there. The other place I would like to go, but will probably never get to go is the memorial to the Arizona.

My favorite TV is the history channel with their Civil War series. If they would only leave out a bit of the propaganda. But still great shows. Tom.

[gak]

I have never visited but have always wanted to--it's on my bucket list. I grew up (3-8) in Fairfax, Virginia, only a short distance from Manassas Battlefield--Bull Run in suburban DC (Virginia), and we spent many a Sunday out there. From what I hear it (and I'm sure many others as mentioned) had a similar setting and nearly-as-famous battle. Although I was very young and mostly enamored with the cannons and statue of Stonewall Jackson, and am sure did not have much "real appeciation" at that age, I have vivid memories of the size and scope of the place, and it now stirs the same feelings folks here describe about Gettysburg...the enormous bravery, courage and sacrifice. Among the great battles, it shares the distinction of its proximity--close to the north's/nation's capital and north-south boundary.