Gettysburg, PA

PA memorial

Lee statue

Little Round Hill

On top of Little Round HIll

monument for Maine infintry

Our chauffer

November 7th-We decided to experience Gettysburg outside and not inside the museum.  We hired a private driver/tour guide who drove our car through the battlefields and brought the events July 1-3, 1863 to life.  Janae and Stefan loved having a chauffer. He did an excellent job of setting the stage as to why it happened here and the stategy of the battle and as he, a retired army man said, "War is ugly" so he spared us the horrid details.
We learned:
*165,000 troopds descended upon Gettysburg
*1 out of 3 would be injured or die
*Union waas loosing the war-hadn't won a major battle-The anty was up-This was their home turf.
*Lee thought  if could win a battle in north, Lincoln would let them succeed.  Were on the way  up north.  Location for battle hadn't been deteremined.  North was moving south to stop them and they all collided in Gettysburg.
*2500 townspeople thrilled-like having a big parade of thousands of their troops, cheering as they marched down the street.  By end of 1st day, different story.  Union lost and running scared through town.
*People stayed next two days in basements.  One civilian shot and killed:  woman making bread in kitchen, bullet went through door.
*General Meade sending reiforcements and he himself arrived on  2nd day.
*All 11 southern states have put in  monuments, TN being last in 1982.  S. Carolina's artist did Mt. Rushmore next.
*Lee 56 years old-Didn't like war.  Good family man.  Loved grandkids tickeling feet.  Troops called him old man until they started winning.  Horse was gray with black mane and tail (Travelor)
*As north waiting for more reinforcements, decided on plan.  Danial Sickles supposed to defend Little Round Top.  He decided to disobey orders aand they became sitting docks in open.  Little Round Top was only defended by three flag men.  Minutes before Confederates to take hill, 300 men from Maine infintry arrived and defended hill.
*At same time, another infintry from Mass. had been running all night 17 miles and arrived late in afternoon just when Conderates were thinking of taking where Pickett's Charge happened.  Exhausted from battle, they saw a "new" wave of union.  Through the smoke, they didn't know these men were as exhausted as they were, so they held out to the next day when Pickett's Charge occured.
*The farm land is so beautiful and has been restored.  Hard to believe what happened here.
*Can still see canon hole in brick barn.
*NY,PA, Ohio lost most men.
*PA memorial -only memorial that lists all  men that fought-35,000.  One our of 4 died and have star by name.
*Personal Connections
-Lee and Grant West Point grads-Not sure if they knew each other
-Longstreet-Conderate general-here is only statue of him in world-friends with Grant and introduced him to his cousin, whom Grant married.
-Meade and Lee collegues in Mexican War.
-Most moving story-Hancock(Union) and his best friend Armasted (Conderate)-generals in Pickett's Charge.  Both were wounded.  Armasted died and his last words being carried off the field, Tell Hancock, I'm sorry this had to happen.  When Hancock lost the presidental race to Buchanon, he was asked if he had any regrets.  His two were loosing a child and my soldiers had to shoot down my friend.
DWIGHT D. EISENHAUER
We rushed our tour a bit to make it to the Dwight D. Eisenhauer home which hindsight being 20/20 maybe shouldn't have done.  Stefan said "I don't really get why we were talking about the civil war and then all of a sudden we were talking about WWII."

Ike was 34th President-West Point Grad-Known for his leadership in WWII, President of Columbia University then President.
Created NASA and Interstate Highway Bill
Had two sons, first one died at three.

We learned that Dwight raised black angus cattle and showed them under a fictious name.
Also became a good artist later in life.  Enjoyed golf too.
He was one of 6 boys.  His mother made each son cook a day a week.  She cooked on Sundays
Maime, when turned 50, stayed in bed until noon everyday and conducted her affairs propt up with pillows.

Beautiful early evening, warm and sun begining to go down.  We were lucky to hear a brief lecture from a man who wrote his PhD dissertation on the Gettysburg Address.  He was leading a group of business people from the Lincoln Center of Leadership in Gettysburg,

He shared that Lincoln had come here Gettysburg to ponder, to reorient the meaning of the war.  First 2 years were about preservingtheUnion, next 2 would be ending institution of slavery.
Of the people, by the people, for people=Impt. lesson in communication.  One of most famous speeches ever.  Just two minutes long, it emcompasses all styles of communication-has brevity and detail, China and France based their constitutions on this speech.

Ohio monument

Lincoln gave his address in Nov. 1863(5 months after Gettysburg) to dedicate Soldier's National Monument.  Not only was this to  commemorate the past but to inspire the living for increased devotion.