The Gettysburg Battle

[Spr.Earl]

I just got back from Pennsylvania and went down to Gettysburg,sad to say I did not take photo's of the whole Battle
Field reason why was I asked a Park Ranger what was the frontage for the Confredrate's?
When he said 9 and half mile's I was shocked at how wide it was from flank to flank then he informed me that the Union's
was 5 and half mile's from flank to flank!!

I never thought it was that big untill I leanrt that 160,000 men fought in that battle.

I did take some photo's of the eternal flame and with in the National Cemetary and also on Cemetary Ridge and in side of the museum if they turn out I will post them.

Just on a historical note ,50,000 men were killed in three day's at Gettysburg from July 1st to the 3rd.
Monument's all over the place,you need at least 2 full day's just to realy see the battle field alone.

 

[Infanteer]

That's pretty cool, Earl.  Civil War Battlefields are starting to pique my interest of late, as I am nearing the end of the first book of Shelby Foote's gargantuan "Civil War: A Narrative".

 

[Michael Dorosh]

While Antietam (or Sharpsburg, depending on your sympathies) was the costliest single day of battle in the Civil War, Gettysburg was the costliest battle overall.

The difference in frontage was, of course, a result of the Union being in a nice defensive posture with good interior lines and possession of the high ground in the south.

 

[Spr.Earl]

It was somthing to see Michael,looking down the slope toward's the bottom and trying to imagine thousand's of men trying to charge up the slope,a perfect killing ground.
Cemetery Ridge was very steep with arty located all along the ridge,all dug in.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

It was somthing to see Michael,looking down the slope toward's the bottom and trying to imagine thousand's of men trying to charge up the slope,a perfect killing ground.
Cemetery Ridge was very steep with arty located all along the ridge,all dug in.

One of several places I would love to see someday.

 

[Spr.Earl]

I have just posted some of the many I took ,sorry for the detai of the photo's   as I'm still not used to scanning and what our site will take but I've tried
The Scan's don't do justice to my Photo's !!!

Mike what is the perfect scan?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I have just posted some of the many I took ,sorry for the detai of the photo's  as I'm still not used to scanning and what our site will take but I've tried
The Scan's don't do justice to my Photo's !!!

Mike what is the perfect scan?

One that works? 

I find that scanning photos isn't a great way to do things; unfortunately some detail will always be lost unless you have a really good hardware setup.  Which I don't have, but I am lucky to have a decent digital camera.  Wave of the future, babe.

 

[Spr.Earl]

I kept it to 100 dpi to enable too post on the site as I said I'm rathe daft when it come's to Computers.
Also what I learned from the re-enactors i have noty stated  but I any one has any question's don't hesitate too ask.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I kept it to 100 dpi to enable too post on the site as I said I'm rathe daft when it come's to Computers.
Also what I learned from the re-enactors i have noty stated   but I any one has any question's don't hesitate too ask.

I would recommend at least 300 dpi; that is the minimum for printing, according to my publisher, and should ensure a good video picture also.

 

[Limpy]

If your into American Civil War history I would highly reccomend the movie Gettysburg. It's a favorite of mine.

 

[Highland Laddie]

It was somthing to see Michael,looking down the slope toward's the bottom and trying to imagine thousand's of men trying to charge up the slope,a perfect killing ground.
Cemetery Ridge was very steep with arty located all along the ridge,all dug in.

I think you might mean Little Round Top on the Union left flank. Cemetery Ridge in the center of the Union lines (by 'The Angle') is actually quite gentle.

About thirty officers (including myself) from our Brigade went there for a PD trip at the end of March. We walked / ran the distance from the Confederate lines to the Union lines on the gentle slope of Cemetary Ridge on the same route / pace as the men in Pickett's Charge. Talk about a giant and exposed KZ.

Little Round Top on the Union left was actually the turning point of the battle, and occured on the second day. Hard to believe that many men and horses died in that small area known as 'the wheatfield'. The area is a perfect KZ, with slopes and trees on two sides and Little Round Top on the third side (east).

From a larger perspective, the battle is a great PD lesson on 'selection and maintenance of the aim' and 'commander's intent'. The Union side had it, the Confederate's didn't, and in the end they lost the battle.

 

[Spr.Earl]

No Oak Hill has a slope to the West down to the tree line but the back slope is a lot steeper.
Cemetery Ridge was steeper over all than Oak Hill.
But as you say the whole Battle Field is one perfect KZ.
Sad to say we never made it to Little Round Top as we got lost on the way from Ft. Indiangap Town and did not get there till close to 11 am  
We spent a lot of time in the National Parks Museum and in the Cemetery then over to Cemetery Ridge.
If you had been there in late June you would have not walked or run,it was about 35c and thats with out the humid ex!
We also missed the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg which is the main museum for the Civil War.
Oh by the way did you try the local beer available only in Pennsylvania "Yuengling"?
They make a great Lager,Black and Tan and a Porter all made to the Heidelberg Brewing Laws.
Great beer!!

 

[Highland Laddie]

No Oak Hill has a slope to the West down to the tree line but the back slope is a lot steeper.
Cemetery Ridge was steeper over all than Oak Hill.
But as you say the whole Battle Field is one perfect KZ.
Sad to say we never made it to Little Round Top as we got lost on the way from Ft. Indiangap Town and did not get there till close to 11 am  
We spent a lot of time in the National Parks Museum and in the Cemetery then over to Cemetery Ridge.
If you had been there in late June you would have not walked or run,it was about 35c and thats with out the humid ex!
We also missed the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg which is the main museum for the Civil War.
Oh by the way did you try the local beer available only in Pennsylvania "Yuengling"?
They make a great Lager,Black and Tan and a Porter all made to the Heidelberg Brewing Laws.
Great beer!!

Right you are about the hills. I misunderstood what you meant (my bad). Too bad you missed Little Round Top. If you wanted a practical example of 'vital ground' that would be it, with a great 'KZ' too boot.

Speaking of KZs, we had a great guide for the three days we were there. He was an ex USMC LCOL, and was a late WWII Pacific theatre and Korean war vet. The guy was incredible, and was used to speaking to military people studying the battle.

Here's a tidbit for all the arty guys. Our guide had researched the location, arcs, and type of cannon used by both sides, and then plotted out the arcs of fire on a battlefield map. By the middle of the third day (about the time of Picket's Charge) there was not a single portion of the battlefield that was not within the fields of fire of the Union side. The Confederates were very different, and largely had ineffective deployment and use of their cannons by the third day (ammo and resupply issues also played a critical role). The leadership of the artillery elements on both sides was markedly different.

As for the "Yuengling", much was enjoyed  ;D