Gettysburg Battlefield

While at Ft Mead, south of Baltimore, we decided to visit Gettysburg, about 60 mile NW of us.  We made arrangements to meet Dennis and Judy, our friends from the FamCamp at Andrews AFB, there.  They had left Andrews and were in a campground near Gettysburg.   

Our vehicles, both land and water!

We met up with them at the Visitors Center and after a quick tour of that very nice and modern facility headed out on the self-guided auto tour.  We stopped first at the battle ground next to the cemetery where Lincoln made his Gettysburg address.  As we walked the cemetery we were struck by the great number of unknown soldiers buried there, both Confederate and Union soldiers were buried there.   All were American Servicemen.

As we continued to tour the battlefields we were struck by the great variety and number of monuments that were placed all around the battlefield.  You had monuments to the Generals, to the soldiers, to various units and to the losses the States suffered.  There were monuments from Southern States as well as Northern States.

A general's monument

A soldier's monument

The PA Monument which we happened to see on our way out after we enjoyed a late lunch with Dennis and Judy was the largest monument by far at Gettysburg - they were the "host" I guess.  It had the name of every PA soldier that fought at Gettysburg engraved on the monument.  The leading PA generals names were chiseled in the granite walls, the other names were on bronze plagues surrounding the base and lower level of the monument.

The PA Monument at Gettysburg

It was an interesting afternoon in nice weather, cool but not raining for a change!

To avoid some of the confusion about getting there, on the way home BJ pulled out her iPhone and practiced her map reading skills on it.  While she needs some more experience, it did help us get back to Ft Mead without some of the scenic tours I have been known to conduct!

We have enjoyed our chance to tour the early history of our wonderful country, but we are getting anxious to see the Girls and get on with some warm weather.  We are missing both!!