And Willie Said: Humbled at the History!

Day 39 - Monday, August 22, 2022

Artillery Ridge Campground and Horse Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

This campground is huge! And this morning we walk a different area, beginning at the entrance with the horse trail -- yes you can ride a horse here -- and there is a lovely goldfish pond.

At the back of the campground are the stables and a wooden corral containing the horses. They are beautiful! God did not make any ugly horses! I walk across the dew laden grass and aim my camera through the wooden fence to get a photo of the horses that are simply standing, resting.

Now as we walk back to our site, I take a photo of all the street signs, which relate to the Battle of Gettysburg.

We are pleased to see that the Gettysburg National Cemetery is just up the street from our RV park. At the entrance there is a map of the area showing the walking paths and serves as a guide for the various areas.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1-3, 1863 by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's attempt to invade the North.

In the center of the half moon area is a bust of Abraham Lincoln, but we could not get up close because the bottom step is undergoing repair. A sign nearby states that the monument commemorates his Gettysburg Address, given November 19, 1863. It is thought that the address wa delivered about 300 years from this spot, and marked by the Soldiers' National Monument.

As we walk toward the entrance gate we pass by cannons (possibly replicas) used in the Battle of Gettysburg, and tombstones and grave markers can be seen inside the fence.

A plaque honors the Third Volunteer Brigade, and inside the fence we begin to see grave markers with only a number. Nearby are plaques with a few lines of the poem, "Bivouac of the Dead," written by Theodore O'Hara.

Although I can not find any information, I think it is safe to assume the copies of the speech we see are written in Lincoln's own handwriting. I clearly remember having to memorize and recite the speech in my high school history class, taught by my mother, the late Marie C. Pittman.

We stop to read every monument in the cemetery, and are humbled at what happened here 159 years ago.

Although humbled at the many lives lost, we enjoy reliving what we studied many years ago. And now time for a late lunch -- as we were drive through the town, Tommy's Pizza sign gets my attention, and I can't ever get enough pizza. Herb humors me. Our drinks are served in glasses with the inscription, "Fourscore."