I have been traveling quite a lot lately. My next few blog entries will be from what I called the “Mid-America Tour.” I made a list of several places I wanted to visit in the mid-west. I then charted a path and planned a trip. My son bravely accompanied me on this endeavor. The journey was a different trip for me in that I knew where I wanted to go but did not reserve hotels ahead of time. This style of travel allowed us the flexibility to stay at places as long or as little as desired. I usually have everything booked and mapped out on a spreadsheet. The idea of taking this trip a day at a time was unsettling at first but liberating in the end.

Gettysburg was first on our list. I am interested in the history of the American civil war. I am not obsessed to the level of reenacting, but I do like to read about the civil war. The civil war was an epic struggle that helped define, and still defines, our nation. It was the largest war ever fought in the western hemisphere. The war also provided a stage for one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, Abraham Lincoln.

The Gettysburg National Military Park covers over 6000 acres and is managed by the National Park Service. In addition to the battlefield, there is a wonderful museum located in the visitor’s center. We spent most of our first day enjoying the automobile audio tour. This tour led us to all the major sights on the battlefield. The tour was easy to follow, and the audio was very informative. For those knowledgeable about the Battle of Gettysburg, the highlight of the tour is visiting Little Round Top and Cemetery Ridge. After completing this outing, we had a better understanding of the lay of the land and the locations of the various forces.

Our next activity was to take a 90-minute battlefield hike led by a ranger. The ranger was very informative, and our hike culminated at Cemetery Ridge. The weather was great, and you could almost feel the ebb and flow of the battle.

Visiting the museum was next. As mentioned earlier, this a great museum. They have many artifacts from the battle as well as mementos that helped me understand how the combatants lived during this time. The Civil War was another one of those struggles where the tactics lagged the weapon technology. The tactics most often used were designed for smoothbore muskets and cannons. Smoothbore firearms have limited range and are not accurate. The actual soldiers where firing rifled shots from muskets and cannon. A rifled shot is much more accurate and dramatically increases the range of fire. The action of a frontal assault on a fortified position staffed by rifled weapons consistently ended with enormous casualties. Such was the outcome of the infamous Pickett’s Charge. Robert E. Lee believed the Northern army was weak in the middle and ordered a direct assault on Cemetery Ridge to break the Union lines. Despite protests from some of his top generals, Lee ordered General Pickett to charge the Union line. The Confederate troops bravely charged ahead into a hail of cannon and rifle fire. The Confederates almost broke through the Union line at the top of Cemetery Ridge at a place call the High-Water Mark. The Union drove the Southerners back in defeat on this day. The term High-Water Mark indicates the closest point the Confederates ever got to defeating the Union Army. This point of the battle was indeed the turning point of the war and the beginning of the end of the Confederacy.

Finally, we visited the Soldiers National Cemetery. Many of the Union soldiers killed at Gettysburg are buried here. This is a very solemn place consisting of row after row of tombstones, many of them marked unknown. This is also the place where Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.

Gettysburg is a great place to visit for history buffs. I believe every American would benefit from visiting these hallowed grounds. There are lessons to be learned about sacrifice, leadership, and unity that apply well to our culture of today.

One more point, Pennsylvania is a beautiful state, with rolling hills and plenty of forests.

Make a point to visit Gettysburg; you will be glad you did!

Make the most of this day!