| We also went into Gettysburg itself where we found a
museum at the National Park information centre. The weapons used all look
very similar, all still being single shot, but they were made by different
manufacturers. Many were bought from England or France both of whom had a
serious arms trade even then and were quite happy to deal with both sides.
These are all English Lee Enfield rifle muskets from four different
manufacturers, all to an 1853 design. Almost a million were imported,
roughly half by each side. |  |
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There were even more pistols and revolvers used by officers and others.
Almost every one uses different calibre bullets. It s the same with the
rifles. Ammunition supply must have been a nightmare. |
| Then there were swords which ranged from very rare
custom made dress swords for special officers to some heavy short cutlasses
used by navy personnel. The weapons are of great interest to the many civil
war buffs over here. We simply marvelled at the variety. |  |
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The same was also true of the cannons. This was a little more pristine than
most. The barrels oxidise quite quickly so must have been tricky to keep
clean. |
| In those days instructions to the troops were
transmitted by drum beats played by drummers who were usually very young.
The drums were often very ornate. |  |
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It is difficult to go far in these places without finding a bust or a statue
of Abraham Lincoln. After the battle they created a national cemetery which
was dedicated with great ceremony. The keynote speaker was a very famous
speaker of the day who gave a speech lasting over two hours. President
Lincoln was then asked to say a few words. His address consisted of 267
words. No photos exist of him making the speech since he'd sat down before
the photographers of the day had set up their cameras. This was the
Gettysburg address, one of the most famous speeches of all time. |
| We happened on a guided tour of the cemetery given by
a park ranger. These are always interesting to listen to and he did an
excellent job of explaining the significance of the place and the events. |  |
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This archway to the Evergreen cemetery next door is a very famous building,
being a landmark during the actual battle. |
| This bronze of Elizabeth Thorn is just inside the
cemetery. She took on the job of burying the first 91 soldiers who died in
the battle despite being six months pregnant. The statue celebrates the part
played by women in this conflict and the emotional toll it took. |  |
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Dressing up as a civil war soldier is a very popular weekend pastime and we
found about 100 Union troops being reviewed by their officer, having camped
in the tents just below the Pennsylvania memorial. They always look better
fed than their troops. |
| There were several groups but these were the most
colourful. I think they are representing Duryee's Zouaves from New York, a
famous volunteer regiment. The colourful pantaloons and name came from the
French North African troops who were famous fighters. |  |
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Dwight D Eisenhower was a military historian who loved the civil war. He
bought this farm next door to the battlefield. Today it can be visited
although we didn't go. The farm buildings are in the centre of the far row
of trees... |
| ...it's amazing what you can do with a digital camera
and a computer. |  |
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Back in the town we wandered through to look at the architecture. Many of
the buildings are little changed even down to the bullet holes in the walls.
There are many tourist traps and 'retired civil war veterans' on rocking
chairs or steps hoping to guide you on one of the many 'ghost' tours on
offer. |
| We also found a street antiques market which was very
reminiscent of towns in France. The 'junk' level was also comparable. This
stall was better than most but we didn't see anything of interest. |  |
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