Gettysburg Battlefield

[Drex]

realize this trip is a year or two away. It will cost some 5-6000 which is alot of money to me. but I will post pics when I get back.

[cesteman]

Yes, I understand. Everything costs money.
Christian

[Yogi the Great]

This won't be much help, but for what it's worth.  Many years ago when I was a kid we stopped at Gettysburg as part of a family trip.  We came upon a spot with sign that offered battlefield tours.  We went in and decided to do it.  An older probably "retired" person got in our car with us.  He directed us to all the battlefield spots and told us the story of what happened at each.  I still remember some 40+ years later standing with a view over the field of Pickets charge.  I was struck by how small of a hill was involved but in awe at the thought of the event and the guides description brought it to life.
Seeing Little Round Top and many other of the famous spots is still with me.  If they still offer such a service, you might really enjoy a guided tour.
 
Years later when I was going through the FBI National Academy in Quantico, I took a few weekend drives to a number of the battlfields of Nothern Virginia.  I still get a chill thinking of some of the unbelievable bravery and sacrifice of soldiers on each side.  Not to make a political statement just a historical one, it is indeed eye opening to think of how we view a few thousand casualties today over a period of years, and to wonder how people endured the Civil War where for instance as many as 7,000 fell in 20 minutes.  Talk about mass destruction.  At any rate whatever you may feel of war, we have to bow our hats to what the soldiers and nation somehow manage to endure all those years ago.  I wonder if we would still be able to do so today?

[cesteman]

ORIGINAL: Yogi the Great

This won't be much help, but for what it's worth.  Many years ago when I was a kid we stopped at Gettysburg as part of a family trip.  We came upon a spot with sign that offered battlefield tours.  We went in and decided to do it.  An older probably "retired" person got in our car with us.  He directed us to all the battlefield spots and told us the story of what happened at each.  I still remember some 40+ years later standing with a view over the field of Pickets charge.  I was struck by how small of a hill was involved but in awe at the thought of the event and the guides description brought it to life.
Seeing Little Round Top and many other of the famous spots is still with me.  If they still offer such a service, you might really enjoy a guided tour.

Years later when I was going through the FBI National Academy in Quantico, I took a few weekend drives to a number of the battlfields of Nothern Virginia.  I still get a chill thinking of some of the unbelievable bravery and sacrifice of soldiers on each side.  Not to make a political statement just a historical one, it is indeed eye opening to think of how we view a few thousand casualties today over a period of years, and to wonder how people endured the Civil War where for instance as many as 7,000 fell in 20 minutes.  Talk about mass destruction.  At any rate whatever you may feel of war, we have to bow our hats to what the soldiers and nation somehow manage to endure all those years ago.  I wonder if we would still be able to do so today?

Yogi
Great insight and thanks for letting us know. I just wanted to point out that Gettysburg is where I got hooked on the ACW. I was on vacation with my family in 82 and we took an audio tour of the battlefield. I still remember a lot of what we visited including the NP visitor center which had a lot of interesting things to see including a panarama when you walked into the movie theater. I remember the cemeteries and markers the most. Amazing things to see and a kid of only 13! I just wanted to point out that if you included all the battles/wars since the civil war, they STILL wouldn't add up to the men/women lost during the Civil war. Horrible thing to even consider. The tatics played a major role in the losses from what I read.
Christian

[jkBluesman]

Is it worth doing a trip to the Western battlefields as well? How much was preserved at Chattanooga or Vicksburg or around Atlanta?

[Walloc]

I went to the Gettysburg battlefield in the fall of 2003.

I can second Yogi in regards too tours.
I had my GF along and we went on a official buss tour of the battlefield. Apparently i wasnt the only wacko who that had dragged along a GF / wife. I was very much expected them all to be VERY bored. Ok so this is hill number 10?? just like the others 9 hills, kinda deal.

I must say i was pleasently supprised. The guide spend as much time on telling "personal" stories about G.K Governour, Charmberlain, the Charmer R.E Lee, Dan Sickles as a ladies man and O.O Howardhe is so stupid stories. All those human side stories keept the ladies on the buss as intrigued as all the men. While the men had time to relished in the war stories / show of terrain.
So in no way did my GF had that look afterwards. Ok, now we go shopping for xxxx amount of hours.
So if You can stand those human side stories, take ur wife / GF along on the official tour she will have a gran time too.

Kind regards,

Rasmus