Two years ago, I headed out to Gettysburg and Antietam and I had heard that they were trying to make Gettysburg more like Antietam in that they would try to make it look like it did back in 1863. Since my mom was with me and it was a few years since she's been there, she wanted to go there. I don't really mind because I'd have to say that Gettysburg is one of the coolest historical sites I've been to. Compound that with the fact that I've probably still missed a good deal of it. At any rate, the last part didn't change as we pretty much stuck to the Union lines and just the battlefield itself.
Since this is a blog that focus on Michigan things, I always try to find the Michigan units when I'm at Gettysburg. This is the 3rd Michigan Infantry which was mustered at Grand Rapids. They fought in the Peach Orchard on July 2nd. They were mustered out after the war.
This is a stand of peach trees that is being grown for the peach orchard. Like I said, I think this is for more authenticity of the battlefield.
I'm not sure what style fence this is but for some reason, I always associate it with the Civil War.
One of the cannons from the part of the Confederate Lines that I did visit.
Looking towards Little Round Top.
Pulling back a little from the cannon.
A statue dedicated to the Alabama units that fought at Gettysburg.
Another view of Little Round Top.
A view of Round Top. This is where the Confederate troops attacked first and they were repulsed through the heroic efforts of the 20th Maine. This group has a loose Michigan connection in that their leader, Colonel Joshua Chamberlain was depicted by Michigan's Jeff Daniels.
A statue dedicated to the soldiers and sailors of the Confederate Army.
A detail of that statue.
Looking up at that statue.
A statue of Brevet General William Wells from Vermont. He was in charge of the Vermont calvary corps and was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry at Gettysburg. He was later a prisoner and was mustered out in 1866.
Another angle of that statue.
A statue depicting an infantryman from one of the Pennsylvania units.
Looking up at that statue.
A monument to the New York units that fought at Gettysburg. It seemed like there was competition between the states of who could outdo the other in terms of the size of their monuments.
A memorial to the 16th Michigan Infantry. They played an important role in the battle of Little Round Top.
Looking up at the New York Memorial.
A memorial dedicated to Col. O'Rorke. He would lead the reserves that helped keep Little Round Top in Union hands. He was kiled in the engagement though.
Another memorial to another Pennsylvania Unit.
A couple of Civil War re-enactors.
I'm not sure what general this is. Turns out that this is Governeur Warren who was a civil engineer and Major General at Gettysburg. He is called the "Hero of Little Round Top" for organizing a hasty defense against the Confederate Attack against the hill on July 2. He would serve for the rest of the war.
This is vaguely similar to a picture I took here a couple years ago.
A statue dedicated to one of the Zouave Units. The Zouave units wore flashy uniforms that were similar to French units. There were Zouave units on both sides.
A statue dedicated to General Sedgwick.
Another angle of that statue.
When you see a cannon barrel like this at a Civil War battlefield, it means that a General was killed on this particular spot. This one was dedicated to General Sykes. I tried to get a picture of the one dedicated to General Sedgwick, but I was shooting right into the sun. (Note: It turns out I was wrong. It is the upside down cannon that marks a spot where a General was killed. This indicates a headquarters spot.)
As I moved away from the statue of Sedgwick, I looked back and liked this particular shot. I'm not sure what kind of flowers these are, but I think they are pretty.
This is a statue of Father William Corby at Gettysburg. He absolved the men for the sin they were about to commit. After the war, he would become a President of Notre Dame and is one of the possible origins of the term "Fighting Irish".
One of the cannons from the Union side.
A statue dedicated to the men of Minnesota that fought at Gettysburg.
A closeup of the statue at the top.
The monument dedicated to the men from Pennsylvania. It is probably the most impressive monument at Gettysburg.
Another Michigan unit. This time the 1st Michigan Horse Artillery. This was a group that would fling horses at the Confederates. This was a designation for light artillery. It was highly mobile and could keep up with the cavalry units.
This is a memorial in front of the Copse of Trees at Gettysburg. The copse of trees represents the high water mark of the Confederacy. It was the furthest north the Confederates pushed.
A cannon at the side of that memorial.
A statue for one of the New York units.
A group of cannons at the point which would be the end of Pickett's Charge.
Looking towards the Confederate Lines.
Another group of cannons.
I don't remember which General this was.
General Webb. He commanded the units that resisted General Longstreet's assault.
A statue depicting a dismounted cavalryman.
A closeup of that statue.
Once again, I was at Gettysburg but I didn't feel like I spent enough time there. I know that I only scratched the surface again. But it is still an impressive place.
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