On Tuesday, June 30 1863, some one hundred and sixty-five thousand men marched towards a mammoth collision on
the fields in and around what would never again be the unremarkable town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Within
three days, about 10,000 formerly whole men with families and futures would be dead. Three times that amount
would be wounded, with another 10,000 captured or missing. This level of carnage surpassed all to that date,
but had ceased to be surprising. The men had seen and knew what was to come. Yet,
for complex motives perhaps now difficult for us to grasp, they fought on.
As part of the search for the reasons men fought, a visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Battlefield in south central
Pennsylvania leaves you deeply immersed in thought. You feel a growing sense of wonder as
you consider the unimaginable events that unfolded on these now consecrated fields. Questions swirl seeking
what led the tens of thousands to act as they did during those three hot, humid days in July of 1863. An
almost reverent awe consumes you as you stand in the shadow of such enormity and among the ghosts of
staggering courage. Yet that awe mingles with a sadness for the lives lost,
bodies shattered, families broken, and futures sacrificed.
This site attempts to capture a portion of the essence of Gettysburg. To add context, we include the many other battles, fields,
and events which led up to this historic clash, helping to make the American Civil War a signal event in American history and a
subject that fascinates even to this day. Indeed, included within this site is a large collection of pictures, descriptions,
thoughts, letters, and quotes should you choose to reflect on the monumental events of some 140 or more years past.
On the fields
you will see within, on this soil, these grounds, the participants of the War Between the States, the War of the Rebellion,
the Brothers War, drilled, marched, longed for home, tempered their
resolve, thought, fought, fled, bled, survived and died. And some, over all obstacles and against all odds, triumphed.
When viewing this site, please take into consideration that many of the fields pictured within are in the process of
change. The United States National Park Service is engaged in an ambitious
multi-year project
to restore the Gettysburg Battlefield to its 1863 condition. Trees are being culled, orchards planted, and
fences re-built. Their astounding progress greatly adds to the visitor's ability to interpret the actions of
Southern and Northern men from over a century ago.
The web site's author offers a heartfelt thanks to all
of those whose research, publications, and knowledge
have made this site possible.
