PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Finally got through the processing of the fall 2 day trip to Gettysburg. Rained the entire time shooting in the cemetery. Next day taking a tour where a National Park guide drives your car around the military park was mainly overcast but had a little sun to light up the fall colors.

If you have never had the chance to visit the area, I encourage you to go but do a little homework before you go and get at least a high level understanding of what happened there over 3 days in July. When you understand the magnitude of what happened there, being on the battlefield is a sobering experience. To stand in a place where so many men gave their lives to ensure that this country would no longer see any human life as a commodity to be bought and sold makes you stop and think about how we see things today.

Looking around from Little Round Top its hard to imagine what the fields looked like with the bodies of so many lying dead in the fields...

National Cemetery


Pennsylvania Cavalry Monument


Little Round Top


Lousiana Monument to its tropps


Confederate Drive


One of the fallen Civil War soldiers


Culp's Hill New York Monument

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Very nice.... I'm tempted to snatch a couple to see what monochrome would look like. Good job!

josquin1 Loc: Massachusetts

Went there many years ago and I still remember it as an incredibly moving experience. My 9 year old son and I reenacted Pickett's Charge and wondered how anyone survived it.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

A sobering experience indeed. I was there for the Centennial in 1963, playing in the Navy band for the occasion. BTW, the last Gettysburg battle burial took place in 1996. The remains, of course, were unidentifiable with no indication of North or South. He was buried with full military honors.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

thanks - I will be putting up some IR shots later today. Just need to do a little cleanup on them

Cmbtvet Loc: Elmira, NY

Very nice set, my wife were there for Veterans Day, it 70 degrees and the next day it was 30 with some snow. Gettysburg is a very powerful place that should be on everyone's bucket list

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

That is one of the questions that kept coming back before I went - what was Pickett thinking ?? One of the great things about the Park Guides is their absolute scholarship of the area, times and battle strategies. One thing that I overlooked is that the charge came after about 3 hours of heavy bombardment by both sides. It was a hot and muggy day and the smoke must have made it extremely difficult to see after 30 minutes (after 3 hours it must have looked like solid fog). Lee's forces were running low on munitions and the Union forces slowed their bombardment to conserve what they had. Pickett assumed the Union Troops had the same depleted munitions as they did. It wasn't until the Confederate troops were well into the vast empty space between the Angle and the tree line that the Union positions began firing again, wiping out huge swaths of men advancing towards the Union position.

Reading some of the letters of the soldiers that are on display in the welcome center, you can really be overwhelmed when looking at the location of Pickett's charge/wheat field/peach orchard. They describe a scene where the battlefield was literally covered with bodies so that you could walk from one side to the other without touching the ground. There is also correspondence about the aftermath of the battles where for weeks, you couldn't go outside because the smell of decomposing bodies was so overpowering.

As I stood at the Angle and Devil's Den, all I could think about for a few minutes is that no matter where I stood, there was a high probability that someone died in the very spot.

Thanks for looking in.

josquin1 Loc: Massachusetts

It probably would have taken more courage not to go than go. Pickett was following Lee's orders and no way could he refuse even though it was virtually suicidal.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Didn't realize how much the photos were degraded in the thumbnails - wanted to put one out there that you could download and look at in full size.

(Download)

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

last one for download - makes a huge difference

(Download)

steve49 Loc: massachusetts

Very moving place.
I have read a number of times that General Longstreet told Lee that it would be suicide to send Pickett's men up that hill. Lee commanded the charge. Pickett had no choice and his men were slaughtered.
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Bluetick Loc: Flowery Branch, GA

Lest we forget.

Nice set. Thanks for sharing.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Pickett never forgave General Lee, for the casualties his men took in that charge.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good series.

tommystrat Loc: Bigfork, Montana

Beautiful and moving series...