Gettysburg: 33rd Mass Infantry

A simple scene of a sunny picket fence along a farm road?

Until you spy the cannon in the distance.

Then you realize something is up.

This was the area of operation for the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry on Cemetery Hill, in Gettysburg, PA. Having spent the last several days in and about the battlefield, walking and exploring with National Park Service Ranger-lead tours, I have even greater respect for what was accomplished here upon these hallowed grounds 145 years ago.

The history of the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry can be found here.

LaBella Italia - Gettysburg, PA

dinner placemat

Dolores and I had a great dinner here this evening. The food was well prepared and served hot. The service excellent and pricing reasonable. If you are in this neck of the woods you won't go wrong coming here.

Located on the corner of York St (Route 30) and Fourth Ave.

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Gettysburg: Witness tree

Gettysburg: Witness tree, originally uploaded by shersteve.

The story has it that this tree was on the grounds at the National Cemetery in Gettysburg at the time Abraham Lincoln gave his "Gettysburg Address".

One of the reasons Lincoln prepared only a few remarks is that the lead speech, reported to be about two hours long, was delivered by Edward Everett of Massachusetts.

The full text of Everett's speech can be found here.

Hallowed grounds

Two views: The Union view




The Confederate view:





Of the action that took place on these and the surrounding land over the course of three days (July, 1, 2, 3 1863) Abraham Lincoln had this to say:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal"

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground -- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The Nicolay transcript of the Gettysburg Address.

Gettysburg: Eternal Flame

Arrived in time to catch a few photos at dusk. This view from a Confederate battery position looks over the fields towards Seminary Ridge where over 2,000 fell on the first day of the battle.

Dolores is the small figure in blue at the foot of the monument.

The monument was dedicated 75 years after the battle. Coincidentally, about 2,000 survivors of the battle representing both sides were present at the dedication.

"An enduring light to guide us in unity and fellowship"