Arguably the most famous battle of the Civil War was the three day battle from July 1-3, 1863 at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. While the war continued until the final surrender of Lee's Confederate army to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, most Civil War experts consider Gettysburg to have been a crucial turning point for the Union.
The buildup to this battle began in early June when Lee began marching his army westward through the Blue Ridge Mountains, into Maryland and onward into Pennsylvania. Unknown to Lee they were being followed by Union troops and the unexpected collision of these two armies took place at Gettysburg. By the end of the three days of fighting it is estimated that over 7 million rounds of ammunition (not including cannonballs) were fired. It is estimated that around 51,000 troops were killed, injured, captured or declared missing. With over 24,000 causalities, Antietam was the deadliest single day battle. Gettysburg was the deadliest battle of this terrible war.
Today this small Pennsylvania borough of just over 7,000 residents hosts over one million visitors per year. The battlefield is obviously the reason for most visits, however, Gettysburg does offer much more. There is a small, very nice downtown with numerous museums, shops and restaurants. Gettysburg has numerous hiking and biking trails for outdoor adventures, The battlefield is a National Military Park that is operated and maintained by the National Park Service. The Visitors Center, Museum and Battlefield Tours are operated by the Gettysburg Foundation.
Gettysburg National Military Park
From Sharpsburg it was just over an hours drive to Gettysburg. We had the pleasure of having Ben join us on this adventure. He made the three and a half hour drive over from Western Pennsylvania to spend his days off with us. Although it was somewhat busy when we arrived, the visitors center wasn't overly crowded. There are multiple things to see and do and multiple ways to do it. We consulted with a very nice gentleman at the information desk who helped us decide on a plan.
We chose to do the package deal of the introductory film (A New Birth of Freedom, narrated by Morgan Freeman, the Cyclorama (a 337 foot painting in the round of Picketts Charge on day 3 of the battle) and the Museum. All three were excellent and very helpful in understanding the events leading up to, during and after the Battle of Gettysburg. If you're visiting and choose this package you should count on around two hours for these three activities.
There are three ways to see the battlefield, on your own (pamphlets are free or audio guides can be purchased), on a bus with a guide or with a private guide who is employed by the foundation. Since there was a private guide available for the time we wanted, we chose that option. Guides are limited but will take up to six individuals, so if there are three or more it's actually as affordable as the bus.
Our guide was named David and in addition to serving as a guide, he is a history professor with over thirty years of teaching experience at nearby Shippensburg University. He was passionate in his narration as we went along the route, taking time to explain points of interest and events in great detail, as well as answering our many questions. His knowledge of the Gettysburg battle was amazing and we're quite certain that we barely scratched the surface of what he knows. All guides are certified by the National Park Service, so I'm sure that if you elect to hire a private guide your experience would be similar.
