Gettysburg Day

On Moday mom and I took a day trip on Gray Line from Union Station. It's about a 2 hour ride by bus up to Gettysburg. We were simply amazed by the all the scenery and It was so lush and green! Something we don't see much living in the desert. So much farming. Neither of us had ever been to Pennsylvania.

If you can simply imagine.......It was a three day battle here in Gettysburg and the summer heat and humidity on record back in July in 1863 read it was 85 degrees in the shade at 2PM. On July 23rd the mercury read 87 degrees. The humidity alone when we were there was a near 85 to 95 percent. With poor food, medical, and living conditions it is simply unimaginable to me. Let alone the heavy wool army uniforms these brave soliders were wearing.

Between 46,000 and 51,000 Americans were casualties in this three day war. We toured all the famous landmarks where the fighting took place: Cemetery Ridge, Little and Big Round Top, Wheatfield, Peach Orchard, Cemetery Hill, Devils Den and Culps Hill.

We especially enjoyed touring the Shriver House and seeing it from the civilians point of view. How fearful they must of been. The women would literally hide their milk cow in the parlor for fear the soldiers would steal them. A 15 year old neighbor girl of Hettie Shriver named Tillie Pierce kept quite a detailed journal of the battle and the aftermath. The things she wrote of are shocking and sad. Can you just imagine what these simple farm families must of thought when they saw the different armies coming into town?