GETTYSBURG – a sense of loss
Thursday – Today as I wake to the amazing silence of Gettysburg, I look forward in anticipation to acquainting ourselves with the battlefields, memorials and history that occurred here over 3 days in July 1863. The morning is cold as we head across the road for our brekky at the main part of the hotel.
The eating area is small and there are quite a few people here but we survive without too much drama. Muffins, vegemite, juice and coffee is the order of the day so once I satisfy my inner self it is time to move. Back across the road, collect our cameras, extra jackets and anything else we may need and we are off. This is going to be a BIG day – I may have to split this post but we will see how we go. First stop of course is the Visitor Centre – always the very best place to start. Gettysburg is such a huge part of the drama that was the American Civil War. For three days North fought South – brother fought brother – friend fought friend – what a tragic scenario.
There are many websites you can visit that explain Gettysburg and the Civil War better than I can ever hope to do – so there will be no long history lessons – just short ones (I hear the long sigh of relief and maybe a little bit of disbelief)! There will also be a visual account of the places we visit, my thoughts and feelings and then you can take it from there.
At the Visitor’s Centre I purchase the TravelBrains Gettysburg Field Guide. It is an Audio Guide to which you can listen as you travel along the Audio trail. It is narrated by Wayne Motts, a highly qualified Gettysburg Guide who takes you through the main parts of the Battle of Gettysburg and even when you return home you can relive the experience of actually seeing and walking on these hallowed grounds.
Ready to go – it is a sad sign of the times when we get lost getting out of the parking area – well, that’s not really true, we get out of the parking area and then we get lost heading to Stop 1. We head back to the parking area and start again. The first stop on our tour is McPherson Ridge and Reynolds Woods formerly known as Herbst Woods. They are west of the Lutheran Seminary on the south side of Chambersburg Pike.
Here, on the first day of the battle – Wednesday 1st July 1863, the Union launched a surprise counterattack on the Confederates. After an intense fight the Union soldiers were able to turn back the Confederate attack – for the moment. Today it is a quiet solitary spot with the only sounds being the wind and the occasional rustle of Autumn leaves under foot.
At the beginning of the fighting Major General John Reynolds, senior Union commander on the field, arrived at the battlefield, met with General Buford and advanced his lead brigade to relieve the hard-pressed cavalry.
As he directed troops into the fighting near here, Reynolds was shot in the back of his head. Falling from his horse, he was dead before he hit the ground. This silent memorial pays tribute at the approximate place where he fell and his death cost Meade one of the army’s best commanders.
Adored by his men, one of the general aides commented, ‘I do not think the love of any commander was ever felt more deeply or sincerely than his.’ Reynolds was also described by another officer as ‘a superb looking man…and sat on his horse like a Centaur, tall, straight and graceful, the ideal soldier.’
Our next stop is Oak Hill. This is where the Eternal Light Peace Memorial stands as a reminder of reconciliation between the Blue and the Grey.
It is also where fighting continued on the afternoon of 1st July. Three Union brigades attacked and these first assaults ended in disaster for the Confederates.
It is so cold, the wind has picked up and looking across the open fields the clouds are rolling in – I wonder if we will get snow, it is that cold. Certainly a different type of weather that the Blues and Greys experienced – they fought their battles in Summer heat.
I would imagine that this photo would be how the soldier viewed the battle. Of course you have to use some imagination here. Imagine troops coming toward you – shots being fired all around – noise and the smell of gunpowder all the time fallen comrades and foe lay silent forever.
By this time Kylie and Tyler have taken refuge in the car; me – I continue on snapping and contemplating. Realising that my fingers are starting to freeze around the shutter of the camera I decide retreat is the better part of valour and I join them.
Stop number #3 – Oak Ridge. At 3.30pm approximately 1,400 Georgians came screaming over fences , through a creek and slammed into the Union position atop the hill.
The Union soldiers were stunned and before order could be restored two more Confederate brigades came crashing in from the side. The entire Union defence began to crumble.
With precious few minutes to spare, Union Brig Gen John Robinson who was in command rode over to the 298 men of the 16th Maine and commanded them to ‘take that position and hold it any cost’. They charged into the fire but unfortunately they were unable to carry out the orders.
They knew that they would either be killed or captured, Colonel Tilden grabbed his sword and broke it off at the hilt. Banding together, the remaining men broke the staff of the regimental flag and tore the banner into shreds and distributed the pieces among the survivors. When they were finally captured and sent to Confederate prisons, the parts went with them. Following the war, several pieces returned once again to the hallowed ground the regiment had defended to the last.
It is these little stories that add interest to our visit and I am sure that sometimes you would never know of them unless you stumble across them by accident.
We now change direction and head back across the highway, past our hotel on Buford Avenue and then right on to Seminary Ridge and West Confederate Avenue which is lined with cannon. We are now on day 2 of fighting – Thursday 2nd July 1863 – and stop #4 – the North Carolina Memorial.
Dedicated in 1929, and depicting a wounded officer urging his men forward as he points to the enemy, it was one of the earliest Southern state memorials on the battlefield. It is located in a general area where a brigade of North Carolinians emerged from the woods heading for the centre of the Union line during Pickett’s Charge (more about that later).
To stand here amongst the trees and now silent cannons and imagine a charging line of men heading towards an unknown future is a sobering experience. What they must have felt as they charged through these trees is unimaginable.
I am now going to jump over to day 3 of the battle for a visit to – Stop #5 – the Virginia Memorial, where depicted atop is General Robert E Lee riding his horse, Traveller.
On the final day of the battle, 3rd July, 1863, Lee positioned himself near this location to view the frontal attack known as Pickett’s Charge. Nearly 12,500 Confederates were stretched to attack their objective – a small cluster of trees on a barren section of Cemetery Ridge that offered little cover for the Union troops.
Almost certain death or wounding waited as they prepared to attack across nearly a mile of open fields. This must have been a terrifying experience – can you imagine cannon shells bursting all around and the sound of bullets zipping past your head and know that you have to get through all of this?
As we survey the open expanse of this area two words are at the forefront of my thoughts – tragedy and waste. Tragedy that a country had to be torn apart and the waste of human life.
Gathering our thoughts we proceed to stop #6 – Pitzer Woods, and back to day 2.
General Daniel E. Sickles commander of the Union 3rd Corps had taken it upon himself – without permission – to march his 10,000 man force out in front of the rest of the Union line. His decision was to cost those men dearly and threaten the entire Union army. Not only did his decision surprise the Confederates – the Union General Meade was furious when he learnt that Sickles’ new line was to advance in the Peach Orchard.
It was nearly at that instant that the Confederate assault began on the Union. The bloodiest day of Gettysburg had commenced.
The Mississippi State Memorial stands where General Barksdale’s Mississippi Brigade began their charge into the Peach Orchard and represents the desperate hand-to-hand fighting of that day.
The colour-bearer has fallen mortally wounded and his comrade steps over his body, using his clubbed musket to defend the fallen flag. It is a very poignant memorial and you can feel the determination to defend at any cost that is written on the face of the defender.
Mississippi sent over 4,900 men to Gettysburg, with almost 1,500 becoming casualties. It was the fifth largest contingent from the twelve Confederate States and had the fifth highest casualty total.
For those of you who want to visit Gettysburg and imagine somewhere lovely scenery and quiet times – it is a place where you get quiet time and lovely scenery especially in Autumn – but it also gives you a very sombre sense of what exactly went on here and why it should never happen again.
Time to go ahead to stop #7 – Warfield Ridge. We are now at the extreme right end of the Confederate line on the afternoon of 2nd July 1863.
Background – Brig. General Evander Law’s brigade is a perfect example of the hardship and physical punishment soldiers had to endure during this war. They marched for twelve hours and were ordered into the line and by the time they arrived at Gettysburg they were exhausted. Twenty two men headed out to find water and all twenty two were captured.
At around 4pm they stepped off in the direction of a rocky hill. As they left the cover of Warfield Ridge to attack, they were mown down by the Union soldiers known as Berdan Sharpshooters. Our history lessons are becoming lengthy (you really expected this) so you can read about them in the link.
Thus began the Battle of Little Round Top.
We are half way through the day’s journey so now may be a good time to stop and reflect on what we have seen and felt. There has been a lot of history and there is still so much more to come.
Continued in Part 2