[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Gettysburg (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 7/3/2011 6:30:26 PM EDT
So me and a buddy went to Gettysburg today. They were doing their reenacting, but even the cheap seats cost $30- so we passed. 
We try to get there a few times a year, and he gets there more than I do. So here are some pics of the monuments. If you have any pics, from there or elsewhere, please feel free to ad them. 
And just this once, can we NOT re-fight the damn war?? 
Some stuff he pointed out to me. (he really does know his stuff!) Here are some fun facts, in the early days of WWII Gettysburg had almost 200 extra cannons, I believe 80 went to Va. 35 to another battlefield, and the rest to the scrap drives. Along with a bunch of cannon balls, and bullets that were found. They even had someone come along and photograph all the monuments, in case they had to go towards the war effort. Gettysburg was allowed to keep 4 off of the melt down lists. They have something like over 1700 monuments. Gen'l Longstreet's was paid for by the North... They were supposed to use a pedestal for it, but the money ran out, which is why it looks like he's on a pony, up higher, it works but not so much on the ground. ***************************************** The Story of Penelope While touring the Gettysburg Battlefield, you will see row upon row of cannon. Not all of them are on the battlefield though. You can actually find one right in town in a very unusual spot. At 126 Baltimore Street sits the breech of a cannon named "Penelope" which is cemented into the pavement. On a plaque nearby it states: This is the 1863 site of the COMPILER Newspaper Office, Gettysburg's weekly voice of the Democratic party and home of its outspoken publisher Henry Stahle. "Penelope" the cannon would be fired to celebrate Democratic election victories. In 1855, her barrel ruptured when she was overcharged with powder. After that incident, old "Penelope" was retired to her permanent spot in the sidewalk. She still remains there today. 
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Did you goto National soldier factory on steinwher ave? Only the best surplus shop EVER. No I didn't, as you can imagine today the place was LOUSY with tourists...
The week of July 8th is their 'Bike Week'. Rumor has it, they ride through the battlefield at night. I bet thats cool.
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I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there
You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Did you goto National soldier factory on steinwher ave? Only the best surplus shop EVER. No I didn't, as you can imagine today the place was LOUSY with tourists... The week of July 8th is their 'Bike Week'. Rumor has it, they ride through the battlefield at night. I bet thats cool. Rumor also has it that the local cops will ticket and/or tow a bike for ANYTHING during the bike week. Parking with any part of your bike over a line is good for a tow. Battlefield was closed at dark when I went there several years ago. If you can make it out at daylight, though, there's some eerie and deep moments. My dawn trips through the park are something very special to me. |
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Fascinating place. If I ever find the time I'd like to spend several days exploring there. But NOT in this kind of heat (unlike the poor souls who actually fought the battle in it).  My buddy said one time around winter, there was some fog on the ground, and they came up on Longstreets. It said it was almost surreal We spend the better part of a day there, and still haven't see the whole thing yet! They have doubledecker bus tours Horseback tours and segway tours!  I so want to do that one!!!
My grandpa went on a tour with his uncle, who FOUGHT THERE!. But grandpa was like 8yrs old, so that awesome experience was wasted on a little kid.
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Thanks for the pictures. Please keep them coming folks. Oh, and may God grant that those brave men who died at Gettysburg may rest in peace. Amen. A few years back, I heard they found a couple more bodies while working near some train tracks. Those guys went through hell, while alive and after dying. 
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I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there
You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. Yep, and from looking up from Devils Den. |
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Did you goto National soldier factory on steinwher ave? Only the best surplus shop EVER. No I didn't, as you can imagine today the place was LOUSY with tourists...
The week of July 8th is their 'Bike Week'. Rumor has it, they ride through the battlefield at night. I bet thats cool. Rumor also has it that the local cops will ticket and/or tow a bike for ANYTHING during the bike week. Parking with any part of your bike over a line is good for a tow. Battlefield was closed at dark when I went there several years ago. If you can make it out at daylight, though, there's some eerie and deep moments. My dawn trips through the park are something very special to me. Huh, you'd think the long term gain of having all those guys would out weigh any short term ticket money. I bet, even now, going through the woods and coming up on some monument unexpected. |
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I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there
You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. That's one of my favorite spots. I used to love to hit that early in the morning while nobody was around. Sitting there by the "far left flank" marker, in the morning quiet, to this day you can feel the intensity of what happened there. |
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Quoted: Quoted: I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. That's one of my favorite spots. I used to love to hit that early in the morning while nobody was around. Sitting there by the "far left flank" marker, in the morning quiet, to this day you can feel the intensity of what happened there. I spent some time in the Wheatfield at the break of dawn, and it was possibly the most moving moment I've ever experienced in my life. I also took some very eerie pictures there, but that's for another thread. |
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I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there
You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. That's one of my favorite spots. I used to love to hit that early in the morning while nobody was around. Sitting there by the "far left flank" marker, in the morning quiet, to this day you can feel the intensity of what happened there. I want to do this 
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When I was actively re-enacting back in the lae 80's, my unit was invited by the NPS to camp on the battle field and present a living history for a weekend.
Beautiful place. As I said before, I can understand why Lee wanted it and why the Federals fought so hard to keep it. |
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I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there
You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. That's one of my favorite spots. I used to love to hit that early in the morning while nobody was around. Sitting there by the "far left flank" marker, in the morning quiet, to this day you can feel the intensity of what happened there. I spent some time in the Wheatfield at the break of dawn, and it was possibly the most moving moment I've ever experienced in my life. I also took some very eerie pictures there, but that's for another thread. Standing on the north side of that field looking across towards the high water mark is always a moving experience. |
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I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there
You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. That's one of my favorite spots. I used to love to hit that early in the morning while nobody was around. Sitting there by the "far left flank" marker, in the morning quiet, to this day you can feel the intensity of what happened there. I spent some time in the Wheatfield at the break of dawn, and it was possibly the most moving moment I've ever experienced in my life. I also took some very eerie pictures there, but that's for another thread. I would very much like to see those pictures when you have time to post them. Gettysburg is a very, very haunted place, and with damned good reason too. |
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I will say, one of the very few nice things about living in the Peoples Republic of Marylandistan, we're soo close to all the History. I love going to Gettysburg and walking around the battlefield and the town, I wanted to go today, but some "family" stuff came up, and tomorrow is going to be balls hot, and I like to take the dog, but with this weather, we may hold off till next weekend when it's cooler, but being less than an hour away, we can go just about any time.
OP, thanks for sharing the pics, one can never have too much of the monuments dedicated to our history, that for some reason, our current leaders fail to forget. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I was to Gettysburg when I was a little fella, I need to go again check out all the cools shops, and hell maybe I can find a BP rifle up there You get any pics of little round top? I always had a fascination with that part of Gettysburg, and what the 20th Maine did there. That's one of my favorite spots. I used to love to hit that early in the morning while nobody was around. Sitting there by the "far left flank" marker, in the morning quiet, to this day you can feel the intensity of what happened there. I spent some time in the Wheatfield at the break of dawn, and it was possibly the most moving moment I've ever experienced in my life. I also took some very eerie pictures there, but that's for another thread. I would very much like to see those pictures when you have time to post them. Gettysburg is a very, very haunted place, and with damned good reason too. Would make for a good thread. Soon as I find them, I'll post them. |
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I will say, one of the very few nice things about living in the Peoples Republic of Marylandistan, we're soo close to all the History. I love going to Gettysburg and walking around the battlefield and the town, I wanted to go today, but some "family" stuff came up, and tomorrow is going to be balls hot, and I like to take the dog, but with this weather, we may hold off till next weekend when it's cooler, but being less than an hour away, we can go just about any time. OP, thanks for sharing the pics, one can never have too much of the monuments dedicated to our history, that for some reason, our current leaders fail to forget. Glad you liked them.
One of the things that I like, are the way people leave wreaths, flowers and little flags. It's nice to see some people remember and respect the dead. |
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I was there last week. My team was up there doing some training at the NETC and we finished early on Friday and headed up there. It was my first time going and that place is amazing. I will try to upload some of my pics when I get home from work. Awesome, can't wait! 
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Gettysburg is on my bucket list. I'm hoping that will be my retirement trip in a few years. I'd love to see more battlefields, but this one is closest to us. So we'll make a day of it.
I think Antietam is an hour or so away. I'm hoping to get there soon too.
Today we saw license plates from Tx, Ca, Ohio, Md, Va, NY, NJ, hell all over, yet we (as a country) still seem to either forget our history. Or just not care.
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excellent pictures and excellent monuments. Nothing beats the old time memorials and monuments. Boy you can say that again! They really put effort into them. And boy does it show. They're so awesome looking. To tell the truth, I think NY wins in the fancy monument category. That castle on Little Round Top is theirs. And a couple other big ones. |
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Gettysburg is on my bucket list. I'm hoping that will be my retirement trip in a few years. I'd love to see more battlefields, but this one is closest to us. So we'll make a day of it.
I think Antietam is an hour or so away. I'm hoping to get there soon too.
Today we saw license plates from Tx, Ca, Ohio, Md, Va, NY, NJ, hell all over, yet we (as a country) still seem to either forget our history. Or just not care. Many who should remember seem to forget, like you are saying in your post. It is too bad that how this country came to be, and is what it is, has been mostly forgotten in the bastion of liberalism that exists all along the Eastern coast. This thread deserves an A+. I have visited Gettysburg three times, and spending most of one week there ten or so years ago. I will always cherish those memories and the history that still exists and is there just for taking if a person is interested enough to look for it. |
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Many who should remember seem to forget, like you are saying in your post. It is too bad that how this country came to be, and is what it is, has been mostly forgotten in the bastion of liberalism that exists all along the Eastern coast. This thread deserves an A+. I have visited Gettysburg three times, and spending most of one week there ten or so years ago. I will always cherish those memories and the history that still exists and is there just for taking if a person is interested enough to look for it. Thanks.
They're trying to get it looking the way it did back then. They tore down some stuff, planted trees etc etc. There are some amazing things just around the next block. Me and my buddy went to the Danial Boone homestead a few years ago. I felt kind of ripped off, its around Reading PA. And yes, he was born there, but they moved when he was like 2 yrs old. But it was still interesting, the small cemetery had 2 Revolutionary War vets in it. |
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neat pictures. my one comment is, theres a LOT of debate about who actually fired the first shot at gettysburg. the railroad cut is creepy as hell. theres a few little known spots like on the railroad, theres a spot where a cannon crew was moving their gun by hand, loading, setting down, firing at advancing rebels, then repeating. they did this all the way to friendly lines |
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Gettysburg is on my bucket list. I'm hoping that will be my retirement trip in a few years. I'd love to see more battlefields, but this one is closest to us. So we'll make a day of it.
I think Antietam is an hour or so away. I'm hoping to get there soon too.
Today we saw license plates from Tx, Ca, Ohio, Md, Va, NY, NJ, hell all over, yet we (as a country) still seem to either forget our history. Or just not care. Definitely see Antietam. IMO, more awesomer than Gettysburg. If you make it to Missippi/Louisiana way someday, go visit Vicksburg. |
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neat pictures. my one comment is, theres a LOT of debate about who actually fired the first shot at gettysburg. the railroad cut is creepy as hell. theres a few little known spots like on the railroad, theres a spot where a cannon crew was moving their gun by hand, loading, setting down, firing at advancing rebels, then repeating. they did this all the way to friendly lines 
I find its best not to argue with cannons...just sayin But yeh, its like anything that huge, everyone wants the credit.
Thats a interesting story, for some reason it seems like the Civil War has more unusual stories. Did you ever hear the pikes? It seems BOTH sides had them, but the South were smart enough to leave the damn things in Ga.
I had a book about little known facts of the Civil War, and in it, one of the Union guys said about the pikes 'it wasn't bad enough they were shooting at us, but they were laughing at us as well' |
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"Double canister at ten yards!"
Antietam is a great visit as well, the battle there only lasted about a day, so it's a lot easier to see it. Unlike Gettysburg, there was no little town nearby, just a dinky little convenience store. I ate an MRE rather than risk any of the pre wrapped sandwiches they were selling. |