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Monday, March 16, 2009

As We See It


I had read the account many times in history. I had heard the stories and had seen movies greatly depicting the scenes. But when I stood there and saw the vastness of that battlefield, my heart was stirred. I believe it was 23 sq miles and we drove them all as we listened to accounts of the battle. I was so impressed by the land that stretched on and on and imagined it covered with men ready to die for a cause and with the bodies of those that already had given all.

I remember shuddering when I first realized that this red farm house stood in the middle of the battle. I tried to imagine living in the middle of that chaos.


One of the very first casualty of Gettysburg was a young girl who was preparing breakfast for the soldiers. Fence rails were pulverised by bullets, farmhouses were scared by cannons, family members were caught in the middle. Homes were used for military strategy meetings.

At one stop in our CD tour we came to a church that was used as a hospital. I have to tell you that surgery and emergency care was not what it is today. The best way to save many wounded men from death was amputation. It is said that behind this church were wagons full of discarded limbs.

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." -November 19, 1863 - Lincoln's Gettysburg Address -





VeryVerdant

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Those are some great shots of Gettysburg. I bet some would be great as postcards

Very Verdant said...

Thanks, Irohler. All but one of those pictures were taken by our daughters. Gettysburg really is a beautiful place.

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