Standing by real Civil War cannons
Yesterday was our much-anticipated trip to Gettysburg! Cooper led us through the three days of the battle and highlighted not only troop movements and strategies, but also stories of individual stories of soldiers present, questions about displaying Confederate monuments, and the Confederate presence in Carlisle that preceded the Gettysburg battle. At the Eternal Peace Monument, Professor Pinsker told us about meeting a Carlisle man who had shaken the hands of Gettysburg veterans, making the battle seem not so far away.
On the battlefield
We later moved to visiting McPherson Ridge, Little Round Top, and Cemetery Ridge. Getting to walk among these spots gave us a sense of the battle’s huge scale and insight into what motivated the generals to make the defensive choices they did. We wrapped up by visiting the National Cemetery (where Lincoln gave his famous speech) and took a quiet moment among the graves of all of the unidentified soldiers from the battle.
Jackson is ready to serve
After a quick lunch break, we headed into the museum to look at recreations of a soldier’s camp, walk through exhibits on the cause of the Civil War, and even try on Union uniforms. We then watched a movie that brought the battle to life and viewed the Cyclorama, a circular painting nearly 400 feet that depicts Pickett’s Charge. Before we headed back to Carlisle, we took our annual picture with the statue of Lincoln. In the evening, students were still not done and continued to work on their close reading essays. All in all, it was an incredible day, especially for people like me who had never visited Gettysburg.
Posing with Abe!
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