Something different at Gettysburg Battlefield...at least for my family.

[439th Signal Battalion]

The face of SGT Amos Humiston is also depicted on this mural.

 

 

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

19. The kids and I eating ice cream at Mr. G's on Baltimore Street. Interestingly, there are two witness trees beside this spot with plaques at their base.

 

 

 

[12thengr]

Excellent post; thank you.With the anniversary coming up, a great reminder too.

[sundance]

I had never seen this discussion before but was glad I found it. I've always been interested in Gettysburg as I have an ancestor who died on Little Roundtop. I've visited there often as a child with my family and later with my own family. I was also happy to learn of the Battle of Gettysburg website which I'm sure I'll be looking at frequently. I have taken the "Gettysburg Then and Now" book and searched out a few locations around Devil's Den. When you locate a spot it really brings a new level of feeling as to what went on there. Thanks.

[JasonT]

Thanks a lot for sharing these photos! reminds me that I need to make another road trip back there again soon

[Garandomatic]

Awesome post.

[willysmb44]

When I was stationed at Aberdeen, I think I went up there at least once a month. Too many antiques and military sales places (never miss a chance to walk into the "Horse Soldier" store downtown) in the general area (not to mention hobby shops, along the way) as well as the battlefield. I never spent much time on the interstates, and the drive was actually quite calming even though it took just shy of 2 hours each way.

I never got tired of the place. Ironically, I went to three battlefield 'staff rides' for the Army and each one was to Gettysburg, even once I got to Ft Lewis! Those got a little repetitive but I always marveled that I was being paid to go hang around Gettysburg.

[Garandomatic]

The Horse Soldier was awesome... Nice to see several original Henry rifles just sitting there...

[manayunkman]

Spent many many hours at the battlefield especially when I went to college there in the 70's.

 

The boys at the Horse Soldier always treated me right as they were the recipients of the many of my 1700-1890's military groupings.

 

Many great memories for me.

 

Thanks for posting.

[Backtheattack]

Great pics. Must have been an interesting trip. Like such trips on the footsteps of history.

[439th Signal Battalion]

Although I have been to the battlefield a few times since the new Gettysburg Visitor's Center opened, we decided to go this time around, and boy was it crowded! It was actually worse than the battlefield itself.

The cost for a family of four for admission to the cyclorama and museum was a bit steep in my opinion ($60 something. I'm sure that they could use some of that money for proper mowing and landscaping around the center and while I am at it it, does the NPS use Morgan Freeman to narrate ALL their films? But I digress).

Some of the great memories I have of Gettysburg in the past were of spending a lot of time at the OLD visitor's center, gazing at all the numerous small-arms, hundreds of officer and enlisted uniforms, and the "light map display" that gave you a really good idea mentally of the number of troops that were involved and the sheer amount of casualties that suffered on both sides. I understand that most of this is in storage somewhere and most likely will not be displayed in that capacity again and that the light display is gone forever.

Although I was happy to see the cyclorama once more and my wife and kids enjoyed seeing it for the first time, I was actually disappointed at the museum (and the museum book/gift shop) as I was expecting something more like the old one. In the future, I will avoid the visitor's center at all costs and save my money for another fine meal at the Cashtown Inn, Dobbins House, Tommy's Pizza, Lincolns Diner or elsewhere.

[willysmb44]

I was actually disappointed at the museum (and the museum book/gift shop) as I was expecting something more like the old one.

 

If the gift shop was disappointing now, it must have been horrible as it wasn't much to write home about back in the day!

That never bugged me as there's an almost infinite amount of G-burg stuff in the town to separate you from your money anyway...

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

 

If the gift shop was disappointing now, it must have been horrible as it wasn't much to write home about back in the day!

That never bugged me as there's an almost infinite amount of G-burg stuff in the town to separate you from your money anyway...

 

 

You are very correct, although I feel that the gift shop/book store at the old museum had more of a scholarly and serious approach (although it was much smaller) instead of the new one.

[439th Signal Battalion]

I would add that there is a relatively new book store on Baltimore Street (can't remember the name right now) with a superb selection of military/reference books on all eras and that the owner/manager of the Union Drummer Boy was a very kind individual as he engaged us in polite conversation while there and he even pulled off the rack an original 1861 Springfield with attached bayonet so that my wife and children could get a good feel and pic!

 

 

 

 

[tim novak]

thank you, great post

[Manchu Warrior]

I have been to Gettysburg at least twenty five times and I believe I saw more of and learned more from this thread.

[willysmb44]

Good then/now shots.

One of my Army staff rides there, I had a book showing those photos and their locations. At one spot, I noted some of my fellow officers were standing exactly where several boated corpses were photographed after the battle. I walked over and pointed it out. You'd have though I told them they were standing on a land mine, the way they hot-footed off that spot.

It's really sobering to be standing in what comes across as a pleasant field on a nice summer's day, only to realize the unspeakable horrors that happened on that very spot in 1863.