Yesterday, we took an afternoon drive to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to see the famous Civil War battlefield.
Looking at the landscape, it is not difficult to see why the high ground was so vital to the battle. This is the spot where Confederate Major General Pickett led 12,000 men in "Pickett's Charge" against 7,000 Union soldiers on July 3, 1863, the final day of the three-day battle. When the Union army held the high ground and defeated the charge, General Robert E. Lee began the Confederate retreat out of Union territory.
One of the saddest parts of the day was visiting the cemetery.
Especially seeing the rows and rows of graves for unknown soldiers. The battle was the bloodiest of the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln dedicated the Gettysburg National Cemetery several months after the battle. His short speech began with these now-famous words.
My favorite part of the Gettysburg Address comes at the end: "That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, 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."
Visiting the Gettysburg Battlefield gave us a greater appreciation of those soldiers who have preserved our freedom, of great leaders like President Abraham Lincoln who have stepped forward at crucial times, and most importantly of the amazing country we live in.
4 comments:
Fun! Andrea, you look way cute in your picture! I like that sweater. :)
I just barely learned about Gettysburg and Pickett's March in history!! That's so fun to be able to go and see that.
That is a place I would love to visit. We missed you guys at the Christmas party, but loved seeing your pictures on the slide show!
Thank you. It is good to remember their sacrifices to help us appreciate our blessings.
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