My class at EMI finished today, but I won’t catch my flight until tomorrow morning. With my free time this evening I took a drive up to see Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The last time I was here was in 1976 when my family took a USA road trip. Needless to say, I don’t remember Gettysburg.
Since I arrived late in the evening, I only had the chance to see some of the park. The area is beautiful which makes it so unfortunate that so many died in this area. Of course the other side of this is that if you had to die, what a great area to die in.
For those that don’t remember history class the fighting at Gettysburg is considered the greatest battle of the Civil War. More men died here than in any other battle fought in North America. The total casualties are 51,000 (23,000 Union and 28,000 Confederate). The battle occurred July 1-3, 1863 where the Confederacy and Union met in Gettysburg by chance, and three days later the Union prevailed as the Confederacy retreated due to heavy losses.
A few months later Abraham Lincoln spoke the infamous Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery.
The next time you’re in Maryland, Virginia, or southern Pennsylvania, I recommend visiting this historic site. There are beautiful views in the evening and a piece of American history to absorb.
