Lest We Forget...
With this being the weekend that our nation celebrates her Independence, how many of us know what transpired in Pennsylvania about 147 years ago TODAY?
Think about it...
Anyone with a smattering of the "history gene" will recall the Battle of Gettysburg.
Today marks the third (and final) day of fighting,. culminating in Pickett's Charge.
Some time back, I managed to attend a reenactment of the battle in Gettysburg, on a field not far from town with over 20,000 re-enactors, complete with period cannons. That was amazing, and fortunately, I still have the video from that weekend.
To fully appreciate the complexities of the combatants, the intricacies of the battle and events leading up to it, you simply have to read about it.
And there are plenty of books to choose from.
All you have to do is take your pick.
Here are but a few:
- Gettysburg: A Battlefield Atlas / Craig L. Symonds
- Blood & Fire at Gettysburg / Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
- Witness To Gettysburg / Richard Wheeler
- Gettysburg / George Gordon Meade
- Stars In Their Courses / Shelby Foote
- Gettysburg / Haskel (USA) & Coates (CSA)
This battle is often considered both the "high water mark" of the Confederacy, as well as a turning point in our Civil War.
Gettysburg is a wonderful town, along the southern part of Pennsylvania, with lots of farm land nearby, a small college, and a real sense of community, in spite of the hundreds of thousands of visitors it receives from all over the globe every year...and for almost the ENTIRE year.
The town has managed to preserve much of the original battlefields, and maintains a strict sense of honor when it comes to what happened in and around that town all those years ago.
The history from that time, seeps from every nook and cranny, and while there are SO many shops that one can purchase almost anything pertaining to Gettysburg (and the battle), it is in no way done with dollar signs in mind. The HISTORY comes first and foremost.
People STILL live on the land once occupied by thousands of soldiers in 1863. They STILL use the farms there.
If I were to wish to live anywhere in America, this place would be in the TOP FIVE...easily.
The setting is laid back, but yet has a sense of purpose. it's NOT "Mayberry", but it's not far removed, regarding the friendliness of it's townsfolk.
To tour the battlefields and sit upon the rocks on Little Round Top until the sun sets behind the hills to the west brings a lump to the throat.
I know...I've done it.
It is almost beyond words.
To walk among the memorials...to stand upon hallowed ground, is something that everyone must experience at least ONCE in their lives.
It gives one a profound sense of gratitude, for what took place there all those years ago.
So, that is why, although I am far from that place today, I will "return" for a few hours by watching the movie GETTYSBURG.
It's my own "homage" to the days when I also walked the wheat field, scaled Big Round Top, crossed through Devil's Den, and felt a true sense of unity with my fellow Americans, with my God, and with those that lived, fought, and died in that great battle back in 1863.
What better way to begin the Independence Day holiday, than with a remembrance of those fighting a war to preserve the union, that only a generation or two earlier many fought (and died) to establish.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.
((Tomorrow - the 4th of July history))