Visiting Gettysburg: A Longfellow Exclusive

By Longfellow

The West Virginia monument at Gettysburg

My wife and I visited Gettysburg on July 3 for the 150th anniversary of the battle that took place there. The town was crowded for the occasion, but that added to the fun. It is a town full of history, located in Adams County, PA, and has a square in the center of the downtown area.

We drove the 6,000-acre park to take photos of the monuments, of which there are more than 1,300. There are monuments which represent each state with a soldier who participated in the battle at Gettysburg. Some have prominent placement while others are so small, they are barely visible in the grass; Pennsylvania’s own is possibly the most outstanding.  The best way to tour the park and see the majority of the monuments is by driving along the motor trail, which is a wide one-way road. You can park on the right side of the trail and drive on the left, which makes it possible to park anytime you’d like for as long as you’d like. Taking the driving tour can take six hours if you do it completely, and there are tour materials available at the Gettysburg visitor’s center. There are also several observation decks placed throughout the park, allowing a bird’s eye view of the battlefields. Some of the local stores sell 1863-era clothing, military weapons and collectibles. They were enjoyable and, surprisingly, not all that expensive.

On July 4, we went to one of the re-enactments, which was not held in the park. About 10,000 Union and Confederate soldiers faced off in a large field. They were well prepared for the crowd of approximately 15,000 in attendance. There were police and volunteers everywhere, along with free water tents set up for spectators to help fight the summer heat. There was a narrator, who explained everything as it happened, including behind-the-scenes information about re-enforcements and the strategy of each commander. As I watched the battle, I could not help but think about how modern warfare differs from the time when our country was at war with itself.

In the real battle, which took place from July 1-3, 1863, 75,000 Confederates under General Robert E. Lee and 97,000 Union soldiers, led by General George G. Meade, faced off for three days in the Pennsylvania fields. This was the pivotal battle of the war, often called the turning point, and the beginning of the end for the South. There were 51,000 dead, wounded or missing soldiers and 5,000 horses lay dead at the end of the three-day American-against-American slaughter. The oldest soldier was 73 years old, the youngest was 9 and the mean age was about 19 years old. It took two more years of carnage on both sides before the South had nothing left to give, leaving the Union victorious and creating the blueprint for our nation today.

Gettysburg is a great place to visit, with 150 years of tourism practice to offer. There are numerous activities for adults and families. Big Round Top, Little Round Top and the other monument areas in the park can be visited by driving, walking, cycling and horseback riding, among others. There are also several points of interest around the town itself.

From my experience during a busy time, I could offer one hint: if you need to go from one end of the town to the other, use the side streets.

About the Author

Longfellow is a longtime resident of the Kanawha Valley. He travels often and enjoys sharing his experiences with others. This mysterious man on the move will be providing more feature stories on our Web site in the future, so if you enjoyed this story, keep your eye out for more.