Ok it was mentioned in one one of my earlier posts was that all I had to show of my trip to Gettysburg - half a dozen photos? Well the simple answer is no I have loads of photos on various devices (battery death on ipad and phone) which I'm currently collating and putting in order.
In the meantime however here's a few more with where I can remember some notes on location etc.
This was just onto Cemetary Ridge having passed the Barn at Meade's Headquarters - the woodline in the far distance is the Confederate line.
We spent quite a bit of time here this is the area of the Union line that was to receive Pickett's charge again their jump off point was the tree line in the distance - when we walked it from the Confederate side it was noticeable that there was quite a bit of dead ground en route but also not noticeable from this side theres quite a bit of a slope for the Confederates to climb on that last 100 yards or so,
The copse - this was the group of trees on the high point behind the Union Lines that Pickett's men used as their point of reference on the advance.
Whilst we still looked fresh :) the name of the farm behind me escapes me at the moment but Pickett's men advanced either side of it and of course it was safe haven for many a wounded man.
Walking down Cemetery ridge in the far distance Big Round Top
The Union did manage to get some guns onto Little Round Top again the tree line in the distance is where the Confederates moved along before they began their attack on Devils Den etc.
Looking out over the slaughter pen
A couple of shots looking up onto first the extreme left of the Union line held by 20th Maine and then up towards Little Round Top - some interesting lectures and talks make you realise just how close this action was and that in Wargames terms the Union had quite a bit of luck with some Brigade and Divisional commanders using their initiative.
The triangular field - allegedly the most haunted part of the battlefield! and the right flank of the Confederate army. There are a couple of good talks on the NPS Gettysburg site re this location.
General Longstreet's monument at the right flank of the Confederate line did his disagreement with Lee and tardyness in attacking Little Round Top cost them the Battle???
Hopefully once I get the rest of the photos sorted I will do a part 3 :)
Finally can I commend the following - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yulcQakhRAY&t=5s
One of many great talks, this is about General Sickles and the fight for the Peach Orchard and Wheatfield.
As a minor item Sickles was allegedly the first man to successfully use the defense of Temporary Insanity when he shot and killed his wifes lover near the Whitehouse (but there again he was a lawyer!! :)
6 comments:
Thanks for posting Graham. Always good to see this battlefield through someone else's pics. Winter landscape is quite barren but you can see further.
Chris,
Yes it was good to get an idea of the contours etc. The visibility allowed us to see a lot of how the battlefield flowed.
Summer of course is great to see it how it was and how the trees etc restricted line of sight or have cover
Many thanks for the photos Graham, well done. It must have been a high point for you.Hope you got your breath back from Salute.
Andy,
It was a day I will never forget thanks. Salute aftermath is still being worked through 🤣
Very evocative photos Graham, still hard to believe the scale of the slaughter. Do I recall that General Sickles was carried from the field puffing on a big cigar following his serious wound, to keep up the morale of his men?
That's about the size of it :)
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