160 years ago...

[Shanghai McCoy]

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought.
Let us all pause over the next few days and remember the fallen in some appropriate way if we can.

 

[eastbank]

i had a great,great uncle frank who was killed while fighting with rickkerts artillery at gettysburg. the day and where he was killed is lost to history.

 

[dave951]

Probably the best monument at Gettysburg. Its the North Carolina monument at the start line for Pickett's Charge. Other monuments don't quite capture what this one does- the color bearer with a group of men, one wounded and down encouraging his comrades to keep going. A sense of movement and purpose forever frozen in bronze.



And a view from the other side.



It also really reminds me of this one-

 

[JmacD]

Had a cousin (using the term loosely; not sure how many numbers removed etc) on the union side killed on little round top of my memory serves. Another killed on the other side and don’t recall where. ETA: after thinking about it all night, I believe it was devil’s den possibly. Been way to long since I was there.

 

[Lyle]

This is my favorite monument at Gettysburg.
Confederate Brigadier General and Freemason Lewis A. Armistead was wounded in battle crossing a wall during Pickett’s Charge in the American Civil War.

Fellow Freemason and Union Captain Henry H. Bingham soon attended to Brother Armistead, an old friend, despite being on opposing sides of the war.

A true representation of the unique bond between Masons and the strength of our Brotherhood, the moment was later memorialized with the Friend-to-Friend Monument in Gettysburg on August 21, 1993.

Learn more: https://www.gettysburgfreemasons.org/friend-to-friend-monument/

 

[hawg]

I know of about 10 family members that fought for the south but I don't think any of them were at Gettysburg. One was a LT in company A of the 43rd VA. cavalry under Mosby. Mosby himself called him the bravest of the brave. Only one family member died in the war and I'm pretty sure he was one of the two men killed by a sniper on the steps of the Atlanta courthouse the day after the battle for Atlanta. One of them wasn't named but the other one was his commanding officer.

 

[4v50 Gary]

And tomorrow is the anniversary of Pemberton's surrender of Vicksburg; a victory with far greater significance than Gettysburg. Lincoln found the fighting general he had been seeking.

 

[Speedo66]

Enjoy any statues now, someone is sure to want to tear them down for any number of reasons.

There may come a time when any statue displaying a weapon will be subject to destruction.

 

[hawg]

Enjoy any statues now, someone is sure to want to tear them down for any number of reasons.

There may come a time when any statue displaying a weapon will be subject to destruction.

There was an uproar about our Confederate soldier statue on the courthouse square. They voted on moving it out to the cemetery a couple of years ago but it's still there. I haven't heard anymore about moving it.

 

[eastbank]

***,s wrong with these people who want to erase our history, we are a nation that has not always been prefect, but we have always gone foreward trying to improve, adding admendments over the years to address and improve conditions. as a veteran of the vietnam war and having traveled all over the world hunting and sight seeing, in 90 percent of the time when asking people in those countries if they would like to live here the answer was a big YES. and while enjoying those countries that i visited i was always very glad to see the shores of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. i was, am, and will always be a proud american citizen untill the day i die. sorry for this rant, but thats how i feel and nothing will change that.

 

[Acorn Mush]

There was an uproar about our Confederate soldier statue on the courthouse square. They voted on moving it out to the cemetery a couple of years ago but it's still there. I haven't heard anymore about moving it.

I for one hope it will always stay on the square. At the 50th anniversary of Gettysburg, did not veterans from both sides shake hands at the stone wall atop Cemetery Ridge? The men who actually fired at (and killed) each other in anger were able to forgive and join hands as AMERICANS. Why won't we do the same?

My Great Grandfather fought for the Union and was wounded at Port Hudson, Louisiana in 1863. I have shed tears on more than one battlefield of the WBTS for the brave men on BOTH sides who fought so bravely and well. It is impossible for us to truly understand the Hell they experienced so again I ask the question (of America as a whole). If they could forgive each other, why won't we? God bless every veteran who fought for this country.

p.s. eastbank, I agree with your comments 100%.

Rant off. (Sound of soapbox being pushed back under the table.)

 

[Chief TC]

I implore anyone to visit Gettysburg. It is something you will never forget and you can really get sense of the battlefield and how things unfolded. I agree with some of the sentiments here. It was American against American and we as a country needed to heal and treating the south as perpetual traitors was not going to resolve or fix anything. I applaud the people that forgave and moved on but the facts are clear, the USA had to fight a domestic enemy that decided to secede, create their own country and NOT follow the US Constitution. I grew up as a Texan admiring every Texan and Confederate soldier that were fighting for their independence and values. I still respect their resolve and concerns about federal government but I spent a lifetime in the military and I am an American first who supports ALL of the US Constitution. So while I think we can respect ALL the people of that era, celebrating the CSA and its soldiers has always been a little beyond the American scope since they technically were traitors to the USA and its constitution. All to say that like so many other things, its super complicated, we weren't there living it and you can't just use a sentence or two to explain it.

 

[Acorn Mush]

All to say that like so many other things, its super complicated, we weren't there living it and you can't just use a sentence or two to explain it.

Well said. The more I learn about it, the more complicated it becomes. I second your recommendation regarding visiting Gettysburg. In my most humble opinion, EVERYONE should visit there.

 

[Rustmangler]

Great posts great people thanks all for posting.