Today I went to Gettysburg. It wasn’t in my plans and out of my way… but I’m so glad I went. I only had one day but could have spent a week, easily. I started in the military museum and then did a car tour with cds I bought.
The museum has this thing called a cyclorama – the movie’s predecessor. It’s the largest oil on canvas painting on display in America. It’s in a circle and then they’ve added stuff to make it seem 3-D. That, and I watched a great film about the 4 day battle narrated by Morgan Freeman. with Sam Waterston voicing Abraham Lincoln. It’s was the perfect way to prepare to see the actual battlefields. I went out with fresh history of the many thousands upon thousands who died in the fields I was about to visit. The largest battle ever fought on US soil.
In the museum they have over a million artifacts that have been collected from the area. Not all are on display – but it’s amazing what they are showing. Can you imagine having your leg amputated with this? Oh and when they got to your leg, the hatchet was covered in the blood of the hundreds of men before you. Bacteria wasn’t a concern just yet.
Larry (and Trump) constantly bitch about the biased media. Why? It’s been this way since…. there was press? Just look at what the two Chicago papers said on the same day, November 20, 1863, about the Gettysburg Address:
Then off the see the battlefields. It’s overwhelming – the number of statues, memorials, monuments are in the fields and hills and in between trees and next to streams and tracks. There have to be hundreds if not thousands.
I found the one to North Carolina interesting. Their troop of 32 men all perished. The memorial was carved by Gutzon Borglum – the same guy who did Mt Rushmore.
There is a wheat field where 100,000 men fought on day 2. The field changed hands three times in one hour. There were in excess of 20,000 casualties. No wonder the top of the wheat is crimson.
I thought the Virginia memorial was the most beautiful with Robert E Lee high up on his horse, Traveller. Underneath him are examples of all the different men who fought – boys, business men, farmers…… Did you know that Robert E Lee’s home was converted into Arlington National Cemetery? I didn’t.
Pennsylvania has the biggest monument – fitting since Gettysburg is in Pennsylvania.
The battlefields are stunning. They all seem to have a slight glow – maybe from all the lost souls.
Oh… and look who else was in Gettysburg. He pulled right in front of me. I seriously doubt that Trump was on board. Do you think he’s ever seen the inside of his own campaign bus? I don’t. I did see a car with a giant inflatable screw attached to the top of a car. It said SCREW TRUMP. Hahahahaha!! Sorry I couldn’t get a photo.
Tomorrow I’m going to attempt to get into Delaware so as to check that state off (and buy cheap beer and wine – after noon on Sunday!). Then Maryland where I’ll stay tonight. Monday I hit Washington DC until Thursday and then down to Savannah where I bought a ticket for a ghost tour on Halloween night! In the most haunted city in America! Whoop!!
Onward ♋+♊
The Lolo Down 