Visiting Gettysburg and York, Pennsylvania

We have visited Gettysburg, PA several times previously, but we were compelled to come again as part of our summer multi-state Civil War battlefield tour.

So, off we went to Gettysburg National Military Park, where we participated in an informative and intriguing ranger-led program.  It helped me to understand the magnitude of this battle and to complete an extremely complex Junior Ranger booklet, earning myself another badge (yes, my mean parents made me EARN the badge, even though it was given to them at the time of receiving the booklet).

 

Now remember, folks, I am a cotton-brained stuffed rat, not a historian or Civil War expert.   And, in the interest of keeping you awake, I will refrain from providing too many details.

 

Up until this time in the Civil War, the South was putting up a good fight, despite the North being better equipped/supplied and having at least twice (sometimes three times!) as many troops whose skills were more polished.  With most of the battles occurring in Virginia, General Lee decided his home state needed a break from warfare, time to replant/re-harvest crops, and an opportunity to return to some level of normalcy.   So, General Lee goes north, seeking a major victory and an end to the war. 

 

But some things went very wrong for General Lee.   He no longer could rely on his right-hand man, Stonewall Jackson.  You see, just a few months earlier, Stonewall was wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, and subsequently, he died of pneumonia.   Then General Lee lost contact with General J.E.B. Stuart and his calvary, who performed reconnaissance.  With no “eyes and ears” to report intel, General Lee was not aware of the Union troop movements and was caught off guard by General Meade’s Army at Gettysburg.

    

Hence, the 3-day Battle at Gettysburg took place from July 1-3, 1863.  It included fighting at the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and Devil's Den, among other locations.  

The Peach Orchard.

New York Monuments on...

...Little Round Top.

Devil's Den is below and to the left of this 91st Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers Infantry Monument on Little Round Top.

But the Battle of Gettysburg is best known for the ill-fated Pickett’s Charge at Cemetery Ridge, where the Confederates, thinking the Union center was vulnerable, marched ¾ mile along open ground to attack, only to find the Union center had been fortified overnight.  The assault, ordered by General Lee, was a major mistake, and Pickett’s division suffered a 50% casualty rate in less than an hour of fighting.

 

The High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument refers to Pickett's Charge, the deepest penetration into Union lines on July 3, 1863.

Union Regulars Monument near Cemetery Ridge.

Pennsylvania State Memorial at Cemetery Ridge.

Virginia Monument shows General Lee on his horse Traveler.  It stands in the location from which he watched his Confederate troops' final assault of the Battle of Gettysburg at Cemetery Ridge.

The Battle of Gettysburg represented the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with 51,000 casualties, including 7,100 deaths.  The lives of 10 Generals, (5 Union, 5 Confederate), perished on this battlefield.  Though it was a major victory for the Union Army with Lee retreating on July 4, 1863 (the same day as the Union victory at Vicksburg), Lee took with him a 17-mile-long train of wagons, many of which were filled with supplies to continue the war.

Gettysburg National Military Park contains about 1,300 monuments.  Initially, only Union monuments were permitted here.  However, in 1917, the first Confederate monuments were erected within the Park, mostly funded by the Daughters of the Confederacy.  Some are tucked away off the beaten path, some stand proudly on the hilltops.  Some are elaborate, some are simplistic in design.  But all pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives for their beliefs/convictions. 

15th and 50th New York Engineers Monument.

13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry Monument.

Irish Brigade Monument.

North Carolina State Monument, sculpted by Gutzon Borglum of Mt. Rushmore fame.

Louisiana State Monument.

Mississippi State Monument.

Texas State Monument.

83rd New York Infantry Monument, where we spotted a hawk that was stalking his lunch.

We made a point of paying our respects at the National Cemetery at Gettysburg.  It was on these grounds that Lincoln delivered his epic Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.

 

The Friend to Friend Masonic Memorial within Gettysburg National Cemetery is very poignant.

These squares marked the gravesites of the many unknown Union soldiers who perished at Gettysburg.

Monument commemorating Lincoln's Gettysburg Address of November 19, 1863.

God painted a masterpiece that evening in the cemetery.

We walked around Gettysburg’s downtown area.  Settled in 1780, Gettysburg has a rich history.  Its population has increased from 2,300 during the Civil War to nearly 9,000 today. Trying to blend history and modernism is no easy feat.  Many structures that were once homes of historic record are now commercial enterprises, from emporiums, to eateries, to locations of alleged paranormal activities.  Housed in one of Gettysburg's antebellum structures is Mama Ventura’s Italian Restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious meal.  Magnifico! 

This dude was a combo of Uncle Si Robertson from Duck Dynasty and ZZ Top.

Jennie Wade was the only civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg.  She was killed on July 3, 1863, by a stray bullet while she was baking biscuits for Union soldiers.

Exterior of Mamma Ventura's.

On another day in Gettysburg, we visited the Eisenhower National Historic Site.  This was the retirement home of Dwight D. Eisenhower (2-term President, 5-star General, and planner of D-day) and his wife, Mamie.  They lived here together from 1955 until 1969 when Dwight died.  Mamie continued to call this home until her death in 1979.  They decided in their early years here to donate the home to the National Park Service after their deaths.   They kept detailed records and a photo history of the home’s furnishings, which is why the home is 98% original.  They purchased the home for $42,000.  As they began renovations, they found a cabin from 1720 was INSIDE the late-1850s exterior.  Though they tore the original cabin down, they repurposed all the wood for Ike’s "man cave".  The tear down and other renovations cost the Eisenhowers $250,000, which would be $3.2 million today. 

Formal rooms...

...for entertaining.

But it was this enclosed back porch that was the Eisenhowers favorite room.  They often ate here with TV trays.

Ike's "man cave", where he/Mamie repurposed the wood from the 1720 cabin.

Just a sampling of the bedrooms.

Great views from the barn and pastures.

The home served as a family gathering place, but when Ike became President, many diplomatic activities took place here as well.  The USSR’s Nikita Khrushchev earned the title “most notorious guest”.

 

I am so glad we made this visit to the Eisenhower National Historic Site.  I enjoyed listening to the interpretive program presented by Volunteer Brooklyn, walking the bucolic grounds, and earning myself another Junior Ranger Badge!

 

My parents were super excited because we found a post on-line about line dance lessons being offered for $10/person at 2 venues in York, not far from Ben Franklin RV Park where we were staying in York.  What a disappointment when we arrived at one of the venues to learn the posted information was false.  There is no instruction.  The woman who did the post simply acts as a DJ, announcing the name of the song and the dance to be performed.  And, of course, my parents knew none of the dances.

 

At least they had an opportunity to play doubles in pickleball with Ivan/Morgan, a young, friendly couple whom we met on municipal courts in York.  Though they have played pickleball for about a month, it was their first foray in playing doubles.  Ivan/Morgan were grateful to learn the rules for doubles and my parents were happy to participate in a real game instead of just practicing/drilling.

 

Well, I’ll sign off now.  We are off to Washington, D.C. tomorrow.  I’ll talk to you again soon!