Some pictures I took at Gettysburg this weekend

They found remains here as recently as 1997

Arkansas' monument shows its troops trampling someone.  Now who do you reckon that is?

In these woods the 20th Maine defended Little Round Top against as many as five assaults by the 15th Alabama in the deepening twilight of July 2nd, 1863.  The Alabama troops had been marching half the  night and all day to get there; 26 miles in all.  With no time allowed to even fill their canteens with water they were thrown into the fight. The Mainers had marched about 15 miles in the hours leading up the battle as well.

It's on this precise rock that Colonel William Oates, Alabama's Commander, says his own brother was killed during the assault.  Colonel Joshua Chamberlain who commanded the 20th Maine says no, the Alabaman's never reached that far.  The monument commission sided with Chamberlain.  No monument was ever raised for the 15th Alabama on the spot of their struggle with the 20th Maine.

The Devils Den as seen from the top of Little Roundtop.  That's 500 yards away!  On the afternoon of the July 2nd, Confederate snipers likely hidden among the rocks there managed to shoot Brigader General Stephen Weed in the chest as he stood on Little Roundtop.  Almost to prove the first shot was no fluke, only a few moments later Weed's artillery commander Lt. Charles Hazlett was leaning over his dying commander and was himself shot in the head.  He died instantly and General Weed expired of his wounds later that night.

Read the sign placed at the scene and note how its author says the Confederates were "only 500 yards" away.  I'd like to see that guy make a head shot with TODAYs rifles at 500 yards - under fire!

Here's the view from Devils Den looking up at Little Round Top.

Here's a view of The Wheatfield.  By the end of the second days's fighting this 16 acre parcel of ground was covered in dead and dying.  It changed hands between North and South about four times.

Across this 1000 yard stretch of open ground 15,000 Southerners advanced under heavy rifle and cannon fire.  They broke through the line and advanced only a short distance before being repulsed.  Less than half the men that when up that gentle incline ever came back down.  The Copse of Trees in the center of the photograph was their goal.  It became forever known as the Highwater Mark of the Confederacy.

Here's the same field but seen from the yankee perspective.  This photo was taken the following morning and the weather had changed more to fit the somber nature of the place.

Deo Vindice