Battle of Gettysburg--150 years later

[TheOfficialBren]

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, arguably the climactic action of the American Civil War.

Just an interesting side note for our history buffs.

[MNlad]

The 1st Minnesota paid a terribly brutal price at a little place called Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg. Stemming a Confederate charge, the unit suffered over 80 percent casualties. Can there be a more apt name for a battleground? 18th Century tactics, 19th Century weaponry—the carnage in that war seems almost unbelievable today.

As we celebrate our independence today in America, let us not forget that 85 years later we nearly severed the compact that has held us all together. Happy 4th.

[Blupiper]

My son is a re-enactor here in Washington state. He is back at Gettysburg with some of his fellows performing as a member of the 7th Tennessee, Company C (he has ancestors on my side of the family from the Volunteer State.) His unit will be taking part in the re-enactment of Pickett's Charge, probably the final high water mark for the Confederacy in the Civil War. He is also there because an ancestor on his Mom's side died there with one of the Pennsylvania units. Lots of careers and names were made there (Chamberlain) and lost there (Lee.) Many lives were lost and we should never forget that, as well.

JMB

[tripleblessed]

Hardly a side note. A different result could well have changed the outcomes of later wars. A major engagement
and one of the largest battles fought on this continent.

One of my great-grandfathers was in the 141st Pennsylvania, and was in the peach orchard the second day. His regiment had sustained 50% casualties just weeks before at Chancellorsville, and on July 2nd Gen. Barksdale launched over 1400
Mississippians at the salient around the orchard, incurring about 50% casualties in breaking the line and himself dying on the
field. The 141st's casualties were about 70%. Orrin Soper survived some of the worst battles of the war to muster out in 1865. His obituary lists my grandmother's birth as 1894, more than 30 years after Gettysburg.

Reading US and Scottish history, I find myself grateful any of us are here.

[Scout]

Gettysburg was indeed the largest battle fought on the North American continent and one of the key turning points of the Civil War. Although the war would drag on for two more long years, afterwards, the Confederacy was never able to mount another offensive into Federal territory.

On the afternoon of July 3rd, 1863, at about the same time that "Pickett's Charge" was underway, 423 troopers of the 6th US Cavalry Regiment were hotly engaged with 1,577 Confederate troopers of the 6th, 7th and 11th Virginia Cavalry Regiments near the town of Fairfield, a few miles west of Gettysburg. While the Union was victorious in the overall Gettysburg campaign, the 6th US was decimated in the fight at Fairfield suffering 242 casualties. My Great-Great-Grandfather, fighting with the 6th US, suffered a pistol ball to his chest and a saber wound to his hand during a mounted charge on the Fairfield-Ortanna Road (known today as Carroll's Tract Road). He survived his wounds and served through the end of the war. He lived for another nineteen years with the pistol ball still lodged in his chest.

Not to change the subject, but while few subjects in American history have been written about more than Gettysburg, very little has been done on the actions immediately following the battle. The next 10 days of Confederate retreat and Union Cavalry pursuit is an incredible tale that is largely unknown. I'm a bit of a Civil War Cavalry historian and a couple of years ago co-authored "One Continuous Fight - The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4th-14th, 1863" with my friends Eric Wittenberg and J.D. Petruzzi. Not something you'll find on the NY Times bestseller list or Oprah's bookclub, but an interesting read for Civil War afficianados.

(Sorry, didn't mean to be tooting my own horn so much )

[cormacmacguardhe]

My Great-grandfather was with the 5th New York Cavalry at Gettysburg. He joined as a private, when the war was over he was a Captain. He went on to be a minister, was Chaplin at the Conneticut State prison.

[sydnie7]

Not Gettysburg-specific, but a collection of photographs from the era. Be aware that these include some unblinking "aftermath" photos. Probably all Brady's, but the page doesn't specify.

Brady photos

[Friday]

50 years ago I walked across the field toward the angle on Cemetery Ridge as part of Pickets Charge as a re-enactor. That was a long walk when no one was firing at you the courage of those on both sides amaze me. I live only about 45 minutes south of Gettysburg and history of this area has always be of interest to me.

[FatherWilliam57]

My great-great-grandfather, Francis Marion Anderson, was a member of Company F, 10th Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Infantry (39th Volunteers) at Gettysburg. He was 23 years of age during the battle.

[Sir William]

I visited on the 3rd. Friends of mine from NM and AZ came back to attend the weeklong events, so I drove up for the day. No kilt, but I was in period uniform throughout the day and evening (we had dinner with Gen Lee).