Gettysburg....

Ronna and I took a trip to the Gettysburg National Battlefield in September with side trips to the Flight 93 Memorial, Philadelphia and Valley Forge.

On the ride out we passed a vehicle towing a horse trailer; nothing unusual about that as I have seen hundreds of them while on the road. What made this one different was that the windows of the trailer were open and the horses were poking their heads out, much like a dog. Ronna was able to snap a picture with her cell phone as we passed them by.

We stopped for lunch at The Red Arrow Restaurant, a local establishment near Freemont IN, done up with American Indian décor. This is one of those locally owned places known for good food, good service and good prices. It was such a nice change from the usual burger chain places, and the reason we seek out local eateries whenever possible.

Our first night was spent at Findley State Park in Ohio; a nice, clean place that was decorated for the Halloween season. Since we were only there for the night we left the camper on the truck and hit the road early the following morning. The two things that I didn’t like about the Ohio State Park system is the fact that you can’t reserve a single weekend night, you have to reserve 2 nights. And their online reservation system hits you for an $8.25 service charge. That brought the cost up to $34.25 for a one night’s stay on an electric only site which is a bit high for a state park.

Stopping to fill up the gas tank before we started our day’s drive we spied the Apple Pie Inn right next to the gas station. From the outside it didn’t look like much but the inside had been completely remodeled and decorated with Ohio State Buckeyes football team in mind. Scarlet and gray were everywhere and it proved to be another good, local place to eat.

On our way to Gettysburg Campground, where we would spend 3 days exploring, we visited the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, PA. The visitor center and memorial groves are still under construction but the Wall of Names and Memorial Plaza has been completed. The Wall of Names is positioned to line up with the flight path of Flight 93 and the impact area is marked with a large boulder. It was a very solemn experience to be at this place. The plane was only 18 minutes flight time from the terrorist’s intended target when these brave people thwarted the attack and made the ultimate sacrifice. Their remains are still here and I had very mixed emotions about taking photographs.

We entered the Flight 93 memorial from US 30 and decided to continue along US 30 into Gettysburg. If you’re pulling a large trailer or 5^th wheel or driving a class A unit you might want to consider a different route. This highway passes through the ridge and valley section of the Appalachians, across the Tuscarora Mountain Ridge and Buchanan Summit. The speed limit for big trucks is 20 MPH with lots of 10% grades and tight curves.

Gettysburg Campground is a nice place with full hookups, propane sales, pool, camp store, Wi-Fi, miniature golf and fishing among its many amenities. The Northeast Truck Camper Jamboree was being held at the same time we were there and there must have been at least 50 other truck campers. But we had a fairly busy schedule didn’t spend much time at the campground. We were lucky enough to meet up with Bud & Penny and Glen & Linda, all members of the Northwood RV Owners Association. And, as usual, my rig attracted a few other truck camper owners.

We spent time on Wednesday with a certified battlefield guide which was very cool. The guide drove my truck which allowed Ronna and I to take in the view as he pointed out highlights and related the history of the battle. I was surprised to learn that the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Lee, approached Gettysburg from the north and west while the Army of the Potomac, commanded by General Meade, advanced from the south and east.While we did make a few stops along the driving tour, I decided to wait until the following day to take some pictures. Afterwards we got a bite to eat at the Blue and Gray Grill and headed back to the campground.

Thursday was a busy day. The park is almost overwhelming with all its history, monuments and historical markers so I won’t get into too many details about the battle, which lasted 3 days; July 1st to July 3rd.  But I will explain the images I decided to take.

Marker where General John F. Reynolds was killed early on the first day of the battle. He was the highest ranking Union officer killed at Gettysburg.

 Eternal Light Peace Memorial on Oak Hill dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt on July 3rd, 1938, the 75th anniversary of the battle. This is the only peace memorial on the battleground.

 View from Oak Hill which was commanded by Confederate artillery on the first day of the battle.

The widow Mary Thompson’s house.

Confederate position along Seminary Ridge.

View from Little Round Top with Devils Den in the center background. Devils Den was a position held by Confederate troops during their assault on Little Round Top.

The Valley of Death and Bloody Run Creek as viewed from Little Round Top.

Statue of Brigadier General Gouverneur Kemble Warren, the “Hero of Little Round Top”.  When he reached this point he discovered Little Round Top was unoccupied except for a small Signal Corps detachment. On his own authority he found Vincent's and Weed's brigades and diverted them to what became the successful defense of the position.

Close-up of Devils Den. According to our guide, most of the Confederate casualties here weren’t killed or even wounded by gunfire. Taking cover amongst the large boulders, they died from concussions suffered from Union artillery. You can read more here: http://www.historynet.com/devils-den-gettysburg

View of Little Round Top from Devils Den.

One of the bloodiest areas of the battle; 6,000 dead spread over just 19 acres.

Near the high water mark of the Confederates on Cemetery ridge. This is furthest advance of Confederate forces on Cemetery Ridge.

View of Seminary Ridge from Cemertary Ridge. You can walk the same ground as Pickett’s men did in their charge on Union Forces as they crossed this field (just stay on the mowed paths).  Seminary Ridge is the far tree line.

The farm house of widow Lydia Leister where General Meade made his headquarters. Strange that both Meade’s and Lee’s headquarters were at the homes of widows.

Wanting a souvenir of our trip we decided on a photo taken dressed in the period. The photographer, Victorian Photography Studio, used a wet plate process that was used during the Civil War and we had to use vintage head rest stands as the image required a 16 second exposure. Witnessing the entire development process was not only fascinating but very informative as well. It was hard to believe that Civil War photographer Matthew Brady was using this wet plate process in the field.

The Dobbin House Tavern was built as a farmhouse in 1776 and served as a hospital during the Gettysburg battle as well as a station of the Underground Railroad. The house appears virtually the same as it did over 200 years ago. We ate lunch in the basement Springhouse Tavern, surrounded by cool stone walls and candlelight. There is also fine dining available in the Alexander Dobbin Dining Rooms; a historic place to visit and wonderful food. Read more here: http://www.dobbinhouse.com/

After lunch we took time to visit the Gettysburg National Cemetery. Here lie the remains of more than 3500 Union soldiers, as well as the remains of other Americans who died in other wars. It’s also the place where Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address during the cemetery’s dedication on November 19^th, 1863. A memorial to that occasion is currently under construction.

The Soldiers National Monument, dedicated July 1^st, 1869.

The New York State Memorial with many grave markers of unknown soldiers.

Excelsior at the top of the New York State Memorial.

 Memorial to Major General John F. Reynolds.

Graves of American soldiers who fought in other wars.

Here’s an interesting article about the Confederate dead at Gettysburg:

http://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/what-happened-to-gettysburgs-confederate-dead/

On Friday we took a drive to Philadelphia to visit Liberty Hall and to view the Liberty Bell. If you plan on taking the pick-up truck to this destination be warned that some of the underground parking has height limits of 6’ to 6’6”. We found street parking but remember this area is known for strict parking enforcement.

The room where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. Incidentally, you can tell paintings of these two occasions apart by looking for George Washington. He didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence as he was in the field with the army. Eighty seven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, almost to the day, the battle of Gettysburg was raging.

The lowest chamber of the original wooden steeple on Liberty Hall was the first home of the Liberty Bell. When that steeple was removed in the 1780s the bell was lowered into the highest chamber of the brick tower, where it remained until the 1850s. The Centennial Bell, created for the United States Centennial Exposition in 1876, now hangs in the cupola of the steeple. It weighs 13,000 pounds (1,000 pounds for each of the original 13 colonies) and is partly cast from the metal of 4 cannons; 2 from the Revolutionary War; 1 American and one British and 2 from the Civil War; 1 Union and 1 Confederate.

The Liberty Bell was displayed on the ground floor of Liberty Hall from the 1850s until 1976, and is now on display in the Liberty Bell Center. How it developed its distinctive crack is still a matter of controversy: http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/why-is-the-liberty-bell-cracked

On the return trip to Gettysburg we stopped at the Valley Forge National Park, the site of the 1777 – 1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army. It’s an easy 1-2 hours to tour the grounds and walk in George Washington footsteps.

Typical enlisted men’s quarters.

They slept 12 to a cabin.

National Memorial Arch, dedicated June 19^th, 1917.

Washington’s headquarters. This building is 80%original to the encampment era, including the floors. It was almost eerie climbing the same stairs that Washington used well over 200 years ago. The building was owned by Isaac Potts and was being rented by his aunt, Deborah Hewes. She sublet the house to Washington for £100 Pennsylvania currency.

Statue of Washington. One of only seven bronze copies cast from the original marble that stands in the rotunda of the Virginia capitol building.

Leaving early Saturday morning, we spent the night at Huron River Valley Resort near Huron OH. Not a bad place, water and electric for $19.00 per night. However being deep in the river valley made cell phone service spotty and over the air digital was non-existent. Mostly year-round campers here and it can be a bit loud as quiet hour doesn't kick in till 11 PM. But I would return for a one night stay.

The days are growing shorter here in the soon to be great white north and my thoughts are turning to the warmth of the southern states for the winter months. I will be headed down there in a few short weeks. Hope this post finds everyone happy and healthy!