September 14, 2006

September 14, 2006 It rained all night. This morning it is still cloudy but the rain seems to have stopped. At the camp office, we buy an audio car tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield. Apparently the battlefield is so big that you need to drive it. The tour starts on the northwest side of town and this section covers the initial skirmishes by the lead elements of both forces on the first day of the battle, July 1, 1863. The southern forces were victorious and drove the Union forces back thru town and to the highlands just south of Gettysburg. The tour swings around to the southeast of town where Union forces start to dig in on a local hilltop at the end of the first day. The tour then runs down the left side where the Confederate forces were arrayed on Seminary Ridge.

The tour then goes back up the center Union line along Cemetery Ridge. This was where General Robert E. Lee thinking himself now invincible after two years of success after success ordered the famous Pickett’s charge on July 3rd. Ultimately the Union forces were victorious as they remained on the defensive entrenched in the highest areas of the local geography. It is amazing how bloody this battle was and because of one major blunder how close the Union was to losing the battle. After heavy losses, Lee retreated back to Virginia fittingly on July 4, 1863. This was the last major offensive battle by Lee and the beginning of the end for the South. If he had been successful, it was likely Lincoln would not have been reelected and the South may very well have been victorious. What a different United States we would have been!

We follow the tour very slowly and pause to read and view more than a few of the thousands of monuments, statues and cannons spread throughout the area. As a result we are not finished and close to 7pm we retreat back to a campground for food and rest. We have plenty of time tomorrow to finish.