Monday, September 15, 2014

August 28, 2014


As we entered the Gettysburg National Park we found the museum which had a short movie and a wonderful cyclorama. 
 
 
We also had some pictures made outside the museum.
 
 
The cyclorama of the battlefield was painted in 1874 by an artist and 10 assistants.  It was wrapped on a scroll and shipped by train car.  It weighs 50 tons, 45 of which are paint.  It is wrapped around the room and is unbelievable.  It is a breathtaking canvas that measures 377 feet in circumference and is 42 feet high.  Longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story structure, it is a wonderful depiction of the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Even being from the south, it is amazing.
 
 
 
We then toured the battlefield.  It was amazing to see an original barn still standing in the middle of the battlefield.  We stopped at a few monuments that meant a lot to us.  They were in the part of the battlefield where the south won Day 1 of the battle.  We found the Virginia monument 
and the Alabama monument.
 
 
We also stopped at the Monument of Peace. 
The battlefield is huge and it hard to think about how many men died in those three days.  After we completed the battlefield, we went to the National cemetery.  The rows of monuments to the Union casualties was impressive.  We also remembered that there are no Confederate soldiers buried there since they were considered traitors.  Later, some or most, of the Confederate bodies were returned to the south.  There were between 45,000 and 55,000 causalities in this three day battle.  This is the place where it is believed that Lincoln gave the “Gettysburg Address” which both James and I remember having to memorize in school. 
Well – after that tour we headed back to the room and agreed that tomorrow would be a day of rest.  We are both tired.  I talked to Stacey and the additional test were negative and the doctor dismissed her.  PRAISE THE LORD!  I’ll sleep better tonight.

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment