Gettysburg was again the “the turning point” of the war with the North v South. South wanted their independence and the North wanted to keep the Union together. 10,000 soldiers lost their lives at Gettysburg and one local named Jennie Wade while baking bread.  The town didn’t suffer; but they did after during the weeks that followed.  20,000 injured soldiers were left behind to be cared for by the townspeople.  General George Mead was in charge for the three days.  Mead lost 24,000 soldiers in those three days.  It was the bloodiest days in American history.  There is a monument of Mead on his horse with all four legs down so he was not injured while in service.  If there had been legs down, it would mean that he had been injured.  Two legs down indicate that the soldier was killed in service.

 

Why at Gettysburg?  South under Lee came from the north with 73,000 and the North under Mead came from the South with 93,000 soldiers.  Soldiers enlisted for 3 months to a year and many were coming to the end of their obligation.  The organization of the Army went from Companies to Regiments to Brigade to Divisions to Corp then Army. Regiments formed from one area of one state The Mason Dixon Line is 10 miles south of here and they chose Gettysburg to get supplies for Lee’s army and disrupt the North.  The entire battle lasted only 3 days with over 50,000 casualties.  The devastation was immense.  The townspeople were left to bury the dead and care for the wounded.  Land was decimated and the smell was foul.  Many left the area for good.

 

Wells House is where Lincoln ate, slept and wrote the second part of the Gettysburg Address for the dedication in 1863.  It was purchased by the State Park service four years ago and is undergoing restoration.  Everything is part of the National Park Service purchased 70 years ago except the town and the college.  The Park Service is trying to keep everything as it was, or returning it to its former condition.  Buildings still show the signs of the battle with fragments becoming part of their siding.  1,300 monuments on the battlefield and all were put here in the 1^st 50 years after the battle, except for the flame one.  Most were put up between 15-30 years after the battle.  Regiment men put up the monuments where they wanted and said what they wanted on them.  One of the monuments depicts 70 year old John Burns who fought along with the soldiers and was wounded three times. 

 Monuments line the road on both sides.

 

  McPherson barn is where the battle began with a chance meeting of a few thousand men.  Noone intended to start a battle there and unfortunately it didn’t end there.