Diary/Photo
Journal
Week of August 24, 2003
There are places in this world that inspire awe through their incredible beauty and then there are places in which you feel awe leaching from the soil, from the trees and from the very air around you. Gettysburg is a place that you feel from the inside out. It is difficult to ignore the tightening of your chest as you look out over the battlefields. It is difficult to not try and swallow that large lump that sticks in your throat, and it is difficult to not blink to clear your eyes. If you have not visited the place where the Civil War turned and where this country's direction and fate were decided, then I strongly recommend a visit as soon as possible.
Here are just a few of the head-shakingly fascinating facts surrounding the battle at Gettysburg and the Civil War itself:
* 620,000 Americans casualties in the Civil War (more than WWI and WWII combined)
* 52,000 American casualties (over 12,000 dead) at Gettysburg (in three days - July 1-2, 1863)
* 800,000 of the soldiers were under 18 years of age and of those,
over 200,000 were under 16
Winston Churchill once stated that the Civil War was the "Last war among
gentlemen" because all of the officers (both Confederate and Union) were
educated at West Point and many knew each other while serving in the Army.
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View from Little Round Top where Union Officers surveyed the war |
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Gerson at Little Round Top looking down into Devil's Den. The wall was built by soldiers |
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View from Devil's Den - Confederate sharpshooters would pick off the Union officers where you see people on the ridge Gerson at Devil's Den |
 
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Gerson overlooking a battlefield and at the Eternal Light Peace Memorial |
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Irish-American soldiers memorial Celtic Cross |
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National Cemetery Where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address each "wave" in the grass are hundreds of Civil War graves, by State and 2' apart |
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Louise on walls used to mark pasture boundaries and used as defense by soldiers Trostle Farm and cannon damage still visible |
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View from Seminary Ridge to Gettysburg and view to battlefield Imagine 10,000 soldiers coming at you in this view, and over half dying within a few hours |
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Gettysburg sunset |
There was one story that will particularly affect animal lovers. Sally Ann was a mascot for an Infantry Unit from Pennsylvania. A large portion of this Unit was wiped out on the first day of fighting near Seminary Ridge and Sally Ann being the loyal dog that she was, stayed with the soldiers throughout the remaining two days of the battle (without food or water). She was found huddled close to her fallen "family" and has been immortalized with her own statue at the base of the Pennsylvania memorial.
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The loyal Sally Ann. Look closely and you can see dog biscuits people leave behind for this beloved animal |
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Dobbin House built in 1776 by Rev. Dobbin Known for providing a safehouse for slaves and is now a restaurant |
We had dinner at the Dobbin House, which was used as a slave safehouse. The Rev. Dobbin built the home in 1776 and had an attic that was separated from the floor below by a three foot crawl space, allowing the slaves a place to sit or lie down while remaining undetected between the floors. Even though the home is now a restaurant, much of the original construction is intact.
The next day, August 25, 2003, we celebrated our one year Anniversary. We traveled from Gettysburg to Amish country near Lancaster, and then on to New Jersey for our next day adventure to Philadelphia and Atlantic City. The day was just as we would have liked - warm and sunny, with a lazy morning and easy travel.
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Anniversary morning at our campsite |
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Some of the local riding units |
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Sasquehanna River |
The Amish lifestyle is to be envied for its simplicity and its success. 90% of Amish farms succeed for generations and all without massive inventories of mechanical and electronic "stuff". To understand the Amish way of life is to just appreciate the way they nurture the land. In these pictures, you won't see large farm machinery nor extensive watering systems. If you look closely in the 3rd picture (far right side), you will see the front of a mule that a man was guiding with a "plowlike" device with a woman raking behind. When you look at their land, you see the reward of their hard work.
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To appreciate the Amish, you first have to appreciate their love of the land |
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Opening a bottle of champagne that we
received at our wedding one year ago - Can you believe it! What a way to celebrate, jobless, homeless and loving it. |