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| West of Gettysburg, looking west along the old Cashtown Pike OAFS Photo |
Today's photos aren't presented in the order they were taken, rather they're in the order matching the timeline of Gettysburg. Today's post will also be a bit "jumbled and confused," if you will. Being on the battlefield has rather overwhelmed my senses and my thoughts. I've waited sixty something years to see this and frankly,
... it's all a bit much.
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| Statue of Brigadier General John Buford Commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, Army of the Potomac OAFS Photo |
Buford's boys "opened the ball" as it were, firing the first shots of the battle. Heth's boys deployed and tried to brush the cavalry aside, thinking they were facing militia. Nope, they had found the Army of the Potomac.
Buford's cavalry held the Confederates long enough for John Reynold's I Corps to come up.
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| Statue of Major General John Reynolds Commanding I Corps of the Army of the Potomac OAFS Photo |
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| Closer view of General Reynolds monument OAFS Photo |
A sobering thought, even generals took their chances in those days.
Another stop we made on the second day was Culp's Hill. Again, I was stunned at the terrain the Confederates fought through on their way up a wooded hill, against breastworks, under heavy cannon and rifle fire.
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| Gun emplacement atop Culp's Hill OAFS Photo |
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| The photo describes itself ... OAFS Photo |
And so it was ...
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| Source |
"No, head up to that stand of trees."
A monument to guys from my home state. Men who had stood on this ground nearly 162 years before and attacked the flank of Pickett's attack as it climbed the ridge. They had shed blood for this place, and here I was, a tourist. I felt a bit humbled.
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| The Copse of Trees OAFS Photo |
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| The ground crossed by Pickett's Charge OAFS Photo |
And stood in awe of what those men did over a century ago.
Dear Lord, was it worth it?
My sleep was restless Friday night, strange place, strange bed, a normal thing with me. But at around 0300 I jerked awake, sat up in a cold sweat. Voices in the night ...
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| Artillery limbers, Army of the Potomac, atop Cemetery Ridge OAFS Photo |
Was it a dream, was this place haunted? Though our Airbnb lies some three miles west of Gettysburg, it was perhaps close enough to feel the spirits of those who died there.
Left me unsettled it did. Seeing that Vermont monument was the straw that broke the camel's back, I suppose.
We quit the field early so the grandkids could have some respite from Grandpa's strange obsession. I made no protest, I was quite ready to quit the field.
I have much to think about, and perhaps a story to tell.
We shall see ...
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| Gettysburg National Military Park Museum OAFS Photo |
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| Gettysburg National Military Park Museum OAFS Photo |
Excellent photos Sarge, noticed that battlefield land was already being purchased in 1864. Reading these posts made me look up what happened to the First Minnesota on the second day at Gettysburg, don't blame you for strange feelings.
ReplyDeleteThere are places on that field that are, unsettling. Places I wouldn't want to be alone.
DeleteThe Minnesota reg. story is powerful /tragic, and hits "parallel" to home. Had a Norski ancestor who came over here to do farmwork, and got caught up in the "conflicts" Luckily,? he served in a Minn. cavalry reg. that were fighting Red Cloud's Sioux. (he survived). Had another that was in a Ohio cav.reg. killed at Franklin or Nashville at 42yo! Cav dudes are typically smaller, My "modern" family have always been 6' +/-4" not cavalry fodder , maybe artillery? big bullet stop in the infantry. I do engineering, so there is that.
DeleteAmazing family history.
DeleteGreat photographs. Especially the view of the ground crossed by Pickett's Charge. A line of men about 1700 yards long stepping out to cover about 1500 yards of open ground under fire.
ReplyDeleteYour first photo, 3-in. Rifled Gun (Wrought Iron) more commonly known as the 3 Inch Ordnance Rifle, was likely the best Field Artillery piece in our inventory until we started using breach loading guns. One Confederate proclaimed that federal artillerists could 'Shoot at the head of a pickle barrel at the better part of a mile and hit it 9 times out of 10. A bit of an exaggeration, but not too far off.Table of fire for said gun: https://regimentalquartermaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_5360.jpg and https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0613/05/table-fire-limber-chest-inch-ordnance_1_7b019485c76176c84582cba22dac7e31.jpg
One minor correction, the photo you have labeled as "Gun Limbers" shows caissons and their limbers. Two ammunition chests per caisson, plus the chest on the limber itself. And another on the limber for the gun. A caisson accompanied each gun. (this was the standard for all field guns, the gun and limber along with the caisson and limber). Chests contained 50 rounds and the standard load out was 25 rounds common shell, 20 rounds of case (and for some reason it was still called spherical case even though it wasn't spherical), and 5 rounds of canister. It could be changed up a little, but that was the basic load. Yes, I'm a "gun nut." Not a howitzer nut or mortar nut. Just guns.
This is probably THE book on Civil War Artillery: https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL1078366A/James_C._Hazlett
Okay, I changed the caption to say artillery, instead of gun. To the non-gunner that should suffice.
DeleteI the first photo I noticed the firewood being used as a fence, I'll bet that there were not many fences left in the area after the different armies had visited...
ReplyDeleteFirewood used as a fence ...
DeleteThe fate of many a fence on a Civil War battlefield.
Two thoughts, Sarge; YES, we ought to be humbled, regardless of our thoughts on that war. Second "Was it worth it?" is immaterial; t'is done, the battle and the war are history, and history plays out, as it will and I think as it ought to have. This from someone who considers the whole thing a tragedy and a travesty that could have been avoided. It wasn't avoided, though and here we are.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing for me, and something you have a particular gift for; is remembering the people who fought there. They were flesh and blood and many died there, others scarred and maimed internally and physically. They are our family, our ancestors and their time on this earth matters.
Now with our nation being assaulted from within, we are in danger of another tragic travesty. There are people now talking of establishing a "shadow government" and congressional "representatives" advocating for civil war. This cannot stand; these people are ignorant and arrogant they are children with matches and gasoline; quite literally.
Boat Guy
As to the worth, I say yes. Too bad there are too many morons, yes morons, in this country who think a repeat is a good idea.
DeleteChildren with matches and gasoline - an apt analogy.
Not so much an analogy, Sarge; given the spate of arson currently and the left's "fiery but peaceful" riots of a few years ago.
DeleteBG
Yup and it's insane.
Delete"Being on the battlefield has rather overwhelmed my senses and my thoughts. I've waited sixty something years to see this and frankly,...it's all a bit much."
ReplyDeleteSarge, I know precisely what you are talking about. Having walked history happened that I read about - where Gunner Hamundarson and Njall Thorgeirson stood at the ancient Icelandic Parliament of Thingvellir or being at the Oracle of Delphi where the great Greeks went for guidance (including seeing where the memorial of the Battle of Platea stood) or standing in Haghia Sophia in what was Old Constantinople (including seeing the Varangian Guard's graffiti "Haldan was here") - sometimes long years after having read about them and studying them was something I cannot explain to anyone that has not had the experience.
Can battlefields be haunted? I do not know why not. The psychic energy of death and dying and suffering can infuse a location with a spirituality that defies measurement - we went to Tuol Sleng Genocide museum in Phnom Penh which was (literally) an interrogation and death camp. The very buildings and rooms oozed evil even 45 years later.
Standing in a place where history was made can be inspiring. It can also be a little scary!
DeleteYou have written about many conflicts, do you have a favorite battle, or war? Probably the one you've written about the most, but I am not sure which one that is.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is Waterloo!
DeleteTuna - I've probably written mostly about WWII. But my favorite period of history is the Age of Napoléon.
DeleteRob - That would be an excellent guess!
DeleteHad an interesting "divine" intervention on Little Round Top. Up top wandering amongst all the monuments, and still recognizable fighting positions, Lots of people, cars, busses, kind of "too touristy" for a solemn place. I see an ominous dark cloudbank rolling in "Boys we might want to get to the truck" Shortly, all hell broke loose, bit of thunder and lightning... but the rain...(found leaks in my truck I never had before or since) Washed all those people and cars back to somewhere else, the busloads of soggy people must have been fun.
ReplyDeleteThat left my boys and I all alone to wander down to the 20th Maine position. all. by. ourselves. The 3 of us had that hill alone for nearly an hour. Little humid and muddy but well worth the "quiet" time.
Sarge, is that you popping a salute or "tipping your hat" in the "The ground crossed by Pickett's Charge" photo?
DeleteDV #1 - At Little Round Top on Friday the tourists weren't too bad. There were too many of them but the cold and the wind made their appearances brief.
DeleteSaturday on Cemetery Ridge the tourists were many and they were indeed annoying.
DV #2 - I had to look at that picture again, no, wasn't me. It was windy up there, the fellow may have just been securing his cover.
DeleteOf all the sights I saw at Gettysburg seeing that field of Picket's Charge was the most sobering. It had to have been at least 1500-2000 yards of open field to the treeline, and artillery shells are raining on them.
ReplyDeleteThat and the slope leading up to Little Round Top, also the woods on Culp's Hill. All very nasty places to fight.
DeleteMy great grandfather after whom I was named and his brother were members of the 2nd New Hampshire Volunteers and fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. My great grandfather was wounded in the leg; he survived his wound, did not lose his leg and lived to 86 years of age. His brother who survived the Battle was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his part at Gettysburg.
ReplyDeleteI need to read a good history of the Battle to find out more about what happened there.
The Killer Angels, though fictional, is a good place to start.
DeleteSecond "Killer Angels" as a START. Hard to beat Bruce Catton or Shelby Foote.
DeleteBG
Both are superb.
Delete" the cannon fire started fading... drums, then a band could be heard. Then a line of men in grey, a mile and a half long marched out of those trees."
ReplyDeleteThat moment that Shelby Foote spoke about as the moment when anything was possible for the Confederacy. again , with age I see both sides.
Same here.
DeleteThere was major push to return the vegetation around park to how it was those days. According to Dr. Fennel it would dramatically change some of the views.
ReplyDeleteThat would certainly impact what the field looks like now as opposed to then. It seems much like it was these days, well, minus all the new roads for the auto tour!
Delete