Gettysburg

Gettysburg National Military Park Pennsylvania National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Cover: Detail from the painting of Pickett's charge by Paul Phil ippoteaux Three Days in July On June 3, 1863, a month after his dramatic victory at Chancellorsville, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee began marching his Army of Northern Virginia westward from its camps around Fredericksburg, Va. Once through the gaps of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Southerners trudged northward into Maryland and Pennsylvania. They were followed by the Union Army of the Potomac under Gen. Joseph Hooker, but Lee, whose cavalry under J. E. B. Stuart was absent on a brash raid around the Federal forces, had no way of knowing his adversary's whereabouts. The two armies touched by chance at Gettysburg on June 30. The main battle opened on July 1 with Confederates attacking Union troops on McPherson Ridge west of town. Though outnumbered, the Federal forces (now commanded by Gen. George G. Meade) held their position until afternoon, when they were finally overpowered and driven back to Cemetery Hill south of town. The Northerners labored long into the night over their defenses while the bulk of Meade's army arrived and took up positions. on the Federal left overran the Peach Orchard, left the Wheatfield strewn with dead and wounded, and turned the base of Little Round Top into a shambles. Farther north, Richard S. Ewell's evening attack on the Federal right at East Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, though momentarily successful, could not be exploited to Confederate advantage. On July 2 the battlelines were drawn up in two sweeping arcs. The main portions of both armies were nearly 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) apart on parallel ridges: Union forces on Cemetery Ridge, Confederate forces on Seminary Ridge to the west. Lee ordered an attack against both Union flanks. James Longstreet's thrust On July 3 Lee's artillery opened a 2-hour bombardment that for a time engaged the massed guns of both sides in a thundering duel for supremacy, but did little to soften up the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge. Then, in a desperate attempt to recapture the partial success of the previous day, some 12,000 Confederates Far left: Robert E. Lee, Confederate commander at Gettysburg. under George E. Pickett advanced across the open fields toward the Federal center. Only one Southerner in three retired to safety. With the repulse of Pickett's assault, the Battle of Gettysburg was over. The Confederate army that staggered back into Virginia was physically and spiritually exhausted. Never again would Lee attempt an offensive operation of such magnitude. And Meade, though criticized for not pursuing Lee's troops, would forever be remembered as the man who won the battle that has come to be known as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy." Far left: Gettysburg in 1863 as seen from Seminary Ridge. The battle began here along the Chambersburg Pike (right foreground) on July 1. Left: George Gordon Meade, Union commander. Far left: Abraham Lincoln, November 8, 1863 Left: The only known photograph showing Lincoln (inside white circle) at Gettysburg during the dedication of the National Cemetery on November 19 1863 Left: Meade's Headquarters in 1863 Visiting the Park The fighting at Gettysburg is history. Upon these peaceful, tilled Pennsylvania fields more men fell than in any other battle fought in North America before or since: Many of the Union soldiers who died here are buried in the National Cemetery where Abraham Lincoln delivered that simple, poignant statement of purpose— the Gettysburg Address. Much has been written and said about this, the greatest battleoftheCivil War, and many are the treasured artifacts collected in museums here and across the country. But the most tangible link to those 3 days in July is still the battlefield itself, parts of which look much the same today as they did at the time of the battle. Fences, rocks, hills, cannon, and even the monuments (which were not here then, of course) offer the imaginative visitor the opportunity to ponder and try to understand what happened here. Park rangers lead walks, give talks, and present programs at various locations on the battlefield to help visitors visualize the personal impact of past events. The Visitor Center has orientation displays, Civil War exhibits, current schedules of ranger-conducted programs, and the Electric Map presentation that shows, through the use of colored lights, troop movement during the battle. Admission is charged for the map program. Auto tours conducted for a fee ($10) by licensed battlefield guides begin at the visitor center. Groups may wish to make advance reservations for bus tours with the services of a licensed battlefield guide included ($20). Reservations also can be made for organized youth group camping, available from mid- April to mid-October (no charge). Inquiries should be made to Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, PA 17325. Please state the day and hours of your visit. The Cyclorama Center has exhibits, a 10-minute film, "FromThese Honored Dead," and the Gettysburg Cyclorama, a spectacular painting by Paul Philippoteaux of Pickett's charge displayed with a sound-andlight program inside a large circular auditorium. Both the film and the Cyclorama program are presented regularly; admission is charged only for the Cyclorama program. Council or write them at Gettysburg, PA 17325. Gettysburg National Military Park is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. A superintendent, whose address is Gettysburg, PA 17325, is in charge. How to See the Battlefield The Gettysburg Address You have probably come to Gettysburg inyourcar. By following the Auto Tour on the other side of this folder, you can easily drive around the battlefield in 2-3 hours. At most of the numbered stops, markers describe significant action during the 3 days of battle. After Abraham Lincoln completed his "few appropriate remarks" at the dedication of Gettysburg National Cemetery, he turned to his friend Ward Lamon and remarked: 'Lamon, that speech won't scour. It is a flat failure." The world has not affirmed that judgment and, instead, considers it one of the supreme masterpieces of eloquence in the English language. The best way to sense the land and the slower pace of Gettysburg's past is to walk the battlefield as thousands of soldiers once did The High Water Mark Trail, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) long, begins at the Cyclorama Center. You will see regimental monuments, part of an artillery battery, the land defended by Union soldiers in repulsing Pickett's charge, and General Meade's headquarters. For information about motel accommodations, restaurants, privately owned campgrounds, museums, and other facilities in the community, please check at the visitor center with a representative of the Gettysburg Travel by the armies are visible along the way. The 1.6kilometer (1-mile) trail takes about an hour to walk and starts just beyond Auto Tour Stop 3. For a longer hike, inquire about the 16-kilometer (10-mile) Compass Hike used by the Boy Scouts of America as part of their Heritage Trails Program. Besides these trails, there are paths to Devi Is Den and to the Point of Woods near the Virginia Memorial where General Lee spoke to his defeated men, and a selfguided tour through the National Cemetery. The Big Round Top Loop Trail reveals something of the plants, animals, and rocks of the Pennsylvania hardwood forest. Stone breastworks built Gettysburg National Cemetery This situation so distressed Pennsylvania's Gov. Andrew Curtin that he commissioned a local attorney, David Wills, to purchase land for a proper burial ground for the Union dead. Within 4 months of the battle, reinterment began on 6.9 hectares (17 acres) that became Gettysburg National Cemetery. The cemetery was dedicated on November 19, 1863. The principal speaker, Edward Everett, delivered awell-received 2-hour oration rich in historical detail and classical allusion. He wasfollowed by President Abraham Lincoln, whose 2-minute address transformed Gettysburg from a scene of carnage into a symbol, giving meaning to the sacrifice of the dead and inspiration to the living. Less than half of the Union battle dead finally interred in the national cemetery had been removed from their field graves by the day of the dedication. Within a few years, however, the bodies of 3,700 Union soldiers killed in the battle had been reinterred in the cemetery and the landscaping completed. Through the years, from the Spanish- The second draft, written entirely in ink on two pages of the same paper used for part of the first draft, reflects Lincoln's first revision of the address and, except for the words "under God," constitutes the text of the speech he delivered at the dedication ceremony. Although the exact origin of this draft cannot be determined, evidence suggests that Lincoln wrote it shortly after his return to Washington. The Gettysburg Address contains 272 words and took about two minutes to deliver. Contrary to popular belief, Lincoln The best place to begin your tour of the battlefield is the park visitor center, shown on the map at right. The Cyclorama Center and the National Cemetery are both only a short walk away. When the armies marched away from Gettysburg on July 5, 1863, they left behind a community in shambles and more than 51,000 casualties. Wounded and dying were crowded into nearly every building. Most of the dead lay in hasty and inadequate graves; some had not been buried at all. During the summer season, thanks to an agreement between the Library of Congress and the National Park Service, the Cyclorama Center contains a special Gettysburg Address Exhibit in which, depending upon the time of your visit, you will be able to see the original of Lincoln's first or second draft copy. did not write the speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg. Actually he took great pains in its formulation. Hewrotethe first draft in Washington shortly before November 18 and revised it at the home of David Wills in Gettysburg sometime before the dedication. American War to the Vietnam conflict, United States veterans continued to be buried here. Today the cemetery is the final resting place for more than 7,000 honorably discharged servicemen and their dependents. Eisenhower National Historic Site If you have time, you might want to plan a visit to Eisenhower National Historic Site. Due to critical space limitations in the Eisenhower home and the lack of onsite parking, all visits to the site are conducted through a reservation/ shuttlebus system and begin at the Tour Information Center at the lower end of Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. Only a limited number of tours are available each day and tickets are distributed on a first-come first- served basis. Tickets are free but there is a small fee for the concessionoperated shuttlebus. Eisenhower National Historic Site is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Address all inquiries to the Superintendent, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, PA 17325. GPO: 1981 - 3 4 1 578/83 Reprint 1981 Gettysburg Regulations and Safety Tips Use extreme caution driving the park roads, especially where they intersect with heavily traveled highways Please obey the posted speed limits and be cautious at blind curves and on one-way roads Bikers should keeptothe right with the flow of traffic Park in designated areas or on the avenues, not on the grass Do not climb on cannon and monuments. Pets must be leashed and attended at all times They may not be taken into the visitor center or Cyclorama Center or crowded areas Running and climbing youngsters frequently fall and injure themselves, so parents are urged to closely supervise their children. All historic sites, structures, and exhibits, as well as all plants, animals, and minerals, must be left undisturbed. Relic collecting or possession of metal detectors within the park is not allowed. Please picnic in designated areas Touring the Park sion on this hill at 1 p.m. (ff The Peach Orchard on July 1 threatened FedOn July 2 Gen Daniel eral forces west and Sickles' Union salient north of Gettysburg. extended from Devil's Den to here, then angled northward on the Em- (0 Oak Ridge mitsburg Road Federal ,' Union troops here held stubbornly against batteries from this high Rodes' advance from ground bombarded ConOak Hill to the north on federates to the south the afternoon of July 1. and west before Longstreet's attack shattered their line. (0 Barlow Knoll When Jubal Early's Confederates smashed O High Water Mark 0 Pitzer Woods Union defenders hereon Here at the Copse of After a skirmish at noon the afternoon of July 1, Trees and The Angle, on July 2, the Confedthe Federal line north of Pickett's charge was erates occupied these Gettysburg collapsed. halted on July 3. This woods Four hours later was the climax at they attacked and From Barlow Knoll, take Gettysburg. smashed Sickles' line U.S. 15 toward Gettysalong the road .5 kiloburg to the point where Q Pennsylvania Memorial meter (.3 mile) to the it curves right. Just past On a field noted for its east. the curve, turn left on monuments, this one is Stratton Street. Continue outstanding. Statues of 0 Virginia Memorial to East Middle Street, officers and bronze General Lee watched thei then turn left and drive nameplates call the roll gallant charge of July 3 east one block to East of nearly 35,000 Pennfrom here. And when it Confederate Avenue sylvanians who fought failed, he rode forward (Liberty Street). Turn here. to the fields in front of youi right on East Confedand rallied his men. erate Avenue and pro0 Little Round Top ceed to Culp's Hill View. Quick action by Meade's 0 North Carolina Memorial "- chief engineer, Gen. Along and in front of this Q Culp's Hill View Gouverneur Warren, ridge, Lee marshaled I At dusk on July 2 Gen. alerted Union comhis forces, among them Edward Johnson s ConmandePsTo the impendthousands of North Caro federates unsuccessfully ing Confederate attack linians, for the supreme attacked Union troops on here on July 2e,nd foiled effort on July 3. Culp's Hill (ahead), adsouthern hopes for early vancing over the fields to victory. 0 McPherson Ridge your left. fT Just beyond McPherO Devil's Den son's barn, the Battle of Longstreet's July 2 attack Gettysburg began early I0 Spangler's Spring Though repulsed at cleared Union troops on July 1. Gen. John F. Culp's Hill, the Confedfrom these boulders. Reynolds, whose Union erates seized this spring Confederate sharpinfantry held this line, and the Union earthshooters, one of whose was killed in the woods works north of it, only to barricades can still be to the left. N . lose them the next seen, fired on Little morning. Round Top from here. 0 Eternal Light Peace ^ s Memorial 0 The Wheatfield This memorial was ded- (0 Cemetery Hill Clash after clash of Here Union troops rallied icated in 1938. on the troops on July 2 left late offjuly 1 • The next 75th anniversary of the these fields bloodevening they repelled a battle, to Peace Eternal soaked but resulted in Confederate assault that in a Nation United." The little significant gain for reached the crest of the arrival of Gen. Robert either side. hill east of this road. Rodes' Confederate diviAn absorbing historical n experience awaits those who want to tour the battlefield at their own pace. The following narrative describes stops on the auto tour, which begins at the visitor center. (For walking tours of the park, see the section "How to See the Battlefield" on the other side of the folder.) / National Cemetery Soldiers' National Monument, commemorating Union dead who fell here, stands near the spot where President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address. This concludes the auto tour except for the East Cavalry Battlefield Site, 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Gettysburg on Pa. 116. Here Union cavalry under Gen. D. M. Gregg intercepted and defeated J.E.B, Stuart's cavalry. Note: Bikers are wel/ come on all park roads, but the less-traveled roads are best for bicycle-riding. The Bike Tours shown on the map are recommended. The park also has a 13-kilometer (8-mile) Bridle Trail for those with horses It begins at McMillan Woods and passes through much of the second- and third-day battl e areas. !