I’ve been thinking a lot about the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, happening July 1st, 2nd and 3rd this year. In 1863 about 160,000 men fought there in the largest battle ever in North America. When it had ended one out of every four of those men had been killed, wounded or captured.

I first toured Gettysburg in 1980. I’ve been back many times with family and friends. Aside from the fact that it’s a beautiful park there is always another tidbit of history that I read about somewhere that makes me want to go back to see “where that happened”.

In 1981 I participated in my very first Civil War reenactment, which, appropriately enough was at Gettysburg. We did “Pickett’s Charge” in the pouring rain. The humidity held the clouds of powder smoke right on the ground making visibility next to nothing. The Union position looked like a fog bank, lit here and there by flashes of musket and cannon fire. We advanced into the cloud and suddenly, as if I had stepped through a curtain, I could see the whole Union line blazing away, with a carpet of gray and butternut clad bodies in front of them. That was a heck of an introduction to reenacting!

I distinctly remember the 125th anniversary in 1988. By that time the members of our reenactment unit had become good friends. I was also travelling with my best friend, Mike Kahill, who had started reenacting the year before. I had been studying the war for a while and was a veteran reenactor. By then I think I “got it”. When we all fell in for “Pickett’s Charge” we felt both the weight and the pride of representing the original participants. There were many handshakes, hugs and not a few tears as we prepared to advance across that field.

The 130th anniversary is a bit of a blur. I remember parts of “Pickett’s Charge” because our unit got squeezed out of the line as we advanced, circled behind the front line to our left and went in again. I also remember having heat exhaustion right after the “Charge”. I was rescued by my friend Dick Croxton and the wonderful ladies of the 26th North Carolina who cooled me off with ice packs and a cold drink.

I’m pretty sure that the biggest historical reenactment ever, anywhere, was the 135th Gettysburg. It is estimated that there were 30,000 to 40,000 reenactors there that weekend. My partner for this trip was my oldest daughter, Katie. “Awesome” barely describes this event. “Pickett’s Charge” was full scale. In fact we may have had more men advancing than were in the actual attack. I was in the front rank as we stepped out. When we crossed the “Emmitsburg Road” I took my obligatory hit and lay there, watching the advance. Pretty soon I found myself talking out loud, “Damn! Look at this! Just look at this!” After the event Katie and I did some touring. Near the “High Water Mark”, standing beside the marker for the 26th North Carolina, I looked at Katie and saw that she had tears rolling down her cheeks. She “got it” too.

Since then real life has gotten in the way of reenacting. I missed the 140th and 145th events because of work. Circumstances have kept me home during the 150th too. But I am thinking about my friends who are there, and about the men they are representing.

On July 3rd, 1863 some 10,000 men from three Confederate divisions; Pickett’s, Pettigrew’s and Trimble’s, were in position along Seminary Ridge. At about 3 PM these men from North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi stepped out into the open, dressed ranks and began advancing toward the Union position three quarters of a mile away. Please remember and understand one thing. These men KNEW what they were facing. They knew that the Union artillery would be pounding them all the way across those fields. They knew that Union muskets would open fire as they came into range. They knew that Union soldiers would stand and fight with bayonets when the lines came into hand to hand distance. And they went anyway. They believed they were right and they believed they could win.

On Cemetery Ridge men from Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maine and Rhode Island watched as a seemingly unstoppable force in gray and butternut came closer and closer. They knew that Confederate muskets would open fire as they came into range. They knew that Confederate soldiers would charge and fight with bayonets when the lines came into hand to hand distance. And they waited anyway. They believed they were right and they believed they could win.

If you ever visit Gettysburg take some time to stand beside the North Carolina, Virginia or Tennessee monuments on Seminary Ridge, or at “The Angle” on Cemetery Ridge. Think about the men who fought there. I hope that you too feel the sorrow at their losses and the pride in their courage. I hope you “get it”. Maybe you’ll remember these words from Major General Joshua Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top, spoken at Gettysburg on October 3, 1889.

“In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! the shadows of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.”

135th anniversary of "Pickett's Charge"

thankyou Pumpkin, your words got to me here on the otherside of the world. my eyes got a mistyfied just reading those lines. they knew and they went anyway.....real men.....people to look up to.
I am please you lot keep the memories alive, hopefully it will keep others from repeating mistakes made before so history doesnt have to repeat.

I remember visiting Gettysburg back in 1970 as a boy of 10, it has the same solem feeling the Australian war museum has.
I was very impressed with the layout of the exibutes and in awe of the fact that mini balls and shrapenal penetrated 2 feet into the surrounding trees.
Yes the men on both sides were brave and committed to their cause.
You Americans really do justice to your war museums and monuments.
Thanks for sharing.

Great write up Mike.

Nice Pumpkin!! I sent that around as a 4th of July remembrance to some of my friends. Very well done but.... where's the Natives servin coffee an fry-bread......

Pumpkin, Ive been to Arlington and that was very moving, to see a re-enactment of a battle on that scale must be truly awesome. Nice words.
Maybe one day I will go there, Bucket List material - but something to think about

If any of you folks go to visit Gettysburg let me know! I might be persuaded to act as a tour guide...

I think it will be awesome to be in the middle of the mass charge.
Very interesting Pumps.