Haunting.Those are the words that come to mind when I think of Gettysburg. The Gettysburg Civil War Battle Reenactment in Gettysburg is held in July, usually to coincide with Independence Day. This is the first year that it was not, but, we will look back to one of the reenactments that I attended. I cannot think of a better way to make history come alive than to experience it first hand. It was so real! There were live mortars, charges with horses, and artillery shells. I bought the tickets online and headed up to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Have you ever wondered why both sides of the Civil War still fought with rows of infantrymen facing off against each other? One would think that this tactic was disproven 80-90 years previously during the Revolutionary War when the Colonists used guerrilla tactics to counter the advantages of the linear volleys the British presented.
The Civil War reenactment is done by living historians to educate and recreate the events of that time. I think it is one of the best reenactments that I have ever seen, hands down.
In reality, this usage “of rocks, trees, rifles, and militia” (guerrilla tactics)only worked once, at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The British quickly adapted by maintaining their firing while charging the militiamen with bayonets before the militia was able to reload.
The fact is, that with the technology of the day, this was still the best tactics during the Civil War. With the invention of the Minié ball (the first “bullet”)and rifled barrels by Claude-Etienne Minié in 1847, the effective range of Revolutionary War muskets (50-100 yards) was expanded out to as far as 350yards. The increased range made “charging with bayonets before your enemy could reload” impossible and necessitated this force on force “concentrated fire” to attrite your enemy.
Across the hot, sun-scorched fields of Gettysburg came waves of soldiers in gray, steady, and ready, making their way towards the thinning blue line of Union soldiers. One by one, they fell. - at Gettysburg Battlefield.
Gettysburg became one of the turning points in the Civil War. It was General Robert E. Lee's plan to invade the North and force an immediate end to the war.
Gunshots rang out, followed by the sounds of cannon fire. The musket and cannon fire grew more and more intense — at Gettysburg Battlefield.
I cannot, for the life of me understand, especially when I see the sheer number of opposing forces - above me, the sky, the sky is choking on clouds of smoke. -at Gettysburg Battlefield
Columns of blue-clad infantry arrived just in time and moved quickly toward McPherson's Woods to shore up the collapsing Federal line — at Gettysburg Battlefield. source
The only real option to this battle of attrition was for one side to wear down their enemy (and win!), for the one side (or both) to retreat or to try and out-flank your enemy. If you succeeded in flanking your enemy, you were able to fire down their line rather than perpendicular to them (like the line vs.line). When firing down their lines, it was almost impossible to miss, and your enemy can’t effectively return fire without shooting their own men who were in their way of returning fire. When a side was able to flank an enemy, that portion of the battle was basically over. The flanked side retreated as quickly as they could, surrendered or died.
The battle involved the largest number of casualties. Up to 10,000 soldiers lost their lives, both Union and Confederate. This was considered the war’s turning point.
Flags fluttering the buglers blowing, troops of troops colliding; the land boiling with smoke and fire. — at Gettysburg Battlefield.
You can see pictures and paintings, but it is really hard to imagine. I walked through the camps, where everything was, just as it had been. The reality of it is beyond words. — at Gettysburg Battlefield.
July 1-3 in 1863, Union troops repelled a massive artillery assault on Cemetery Ridge in southern Pennsylvania. As a consequence, Confederate General Robert El Lee was forced to retreat and ultimately abandon his attempt to reach Washington, DC via Pennsylvania.
´¨)
¸.• ´¸.•´¨) ¸.•¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•'
Let the sun shine in on your life
So the joy may touch your soul
Happy Birthday, USA! I hope it was a good one! While life is not always perfect here, my love for you is deeply entrenched.
As always, there must be a flower. Always. To color my world. #alwaysaflower
And just like that, this post is over! Come back tomorrow and we'll do it again! Parts of this post had been previously used last year as there was no reenactment this year! Have a great day!
Thank you for visiting my post 💖 Don't ever forget what a wonderful world we live in, people. Some days, it is not as easy to see,just how wonderful it really is. For me, I try to do my part. Kindness counts. Wherever you go, whatever you do.
they set my aunts house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?
i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
dear god
i come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.
later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered,
"where does it hurt?"
it answered,
"everywhere"
"everywhere"
"everywhere"
warsan shire
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It always amazes me the time and effort the actors put into their costumes! Such a sad part of our history!
My father was a Civil War re-enactor (Sergeant in the Indiana "Bloody" Ninth regiment). When I was a little kid (probably 2-3 years old, around 1979-1980), we made the trip up to Gettysburg so he could participate. Of course, as observers we also dressed for the occasion. The memories of seeing that massive battlefield, all the guns, the cannon fire, the horses, the smells, everything was unbelievable. It had poured down rain about 24 hours before everybody showed up, so pretty much everywhere that wasn't pavement was solid mud. Dad pitched his tent and dragged his footlocker over to rough it out in the field with his buddies -- the rest of us slept in an actual bed at a local hotel.
The people who do that re-enacting are hardcore to a fault: when they're doing a battle, they live, breathe, and eat the Civil War. They wear those multi-layered wool uniforms, lug a full infantryman's kit, cook over campfires, drink out of canteens, and slum it under a canvas tent. It's fascinating. These pictures brought back so many memories of being a young kid around that environment. Thank you for sharing -- this was a phenomenal essay! :)
This is absolutely incredible, @dswigle. I devoured every word, as a lover of history. I'm always alarmed when I read about the Civil War at how little I actually understand of its length and magnitude. Then thousand died at Gettysburg alone? Incredible. What a terrible time in U.S. history.
Thanks for sharing this with us! I think I would be very emotional, but I would love to see a Civil War reenactment sometime.
From the documentaries I watched that was an intense battle.
Asides from large railway mortars and double barrled cannons, the Civil War had submarines, ironclads, air balloons, and gatling guns. It was the early dawn of modern warfare and the last major US war without mechanization.
History, something everyone should know, battles that occurred over the years to settle differences of opinion. Modern day protests, not quite the same, still vocal and destructive!
Interesting reenactment on the period when wars faced off on battle fields standing resolute in their opinion.
Photography story to hold onto with pride knowing ones heritage Denise.
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Great post. A lot there I never knew.
Guess you're a real history buff. I wish they taught history like this post. I probably would remember more.
Hope you had a great 4th. Your patriotism is inspiring:)
Beautiful photo shoots! My United States history is a bit thin, so I did learn a few things here!
Horrible crazy times it was just like lining in shooting gallery waiting to be shot sad times life was taken away so easily 🤔
I love these reenactments they give you a good idea of what it was like back then.
I was working out in Washington a few years back and have been kicking myself for not making the trip out to Gettysburg.
Totally amazing Denise. This reenactment must be something to see. Something about that war and Gettysburg stirs some kind of a memory in me.
Lovely photo of you.💞
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