For the 4th of July weekend, I had the privilege to travel to Pennsylvania for the 145th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. As most of you know, Jennifer and I have been involved with historical reenacting of the Civil War for about 5 years. She is one of the founding members of her civilian group, and I am a corporal in the 2nd Vermont Volunteer Regiment. Our events so far have taken us around Southern California, but this was a great opportunity for me to go out of state and do something back East. And if you're going to re-create a Civil War battle, there's no better place to do it than Gettysburg.
One of the major differences between western and eastern events is the sheer size. The largest event in California we've attended had about 800 total reenactors and 10,000 spectators. This weekend, we estimated at least 15,000 participants (and that number may have been closer to 20,000) with more than 50,000 spectators over the 3 days. It was amazing not only to see the difference of that many soldiers formed for battle but also to hear the sound of thousands of muskets and dozens of cannon going off in a constant barrage. On the the last day, to re-create Pickett's Charge, there were almost 100 artillery pieces firing at each other for the first 30 minutes of the battle. It truly was unlike anything I've ever seen or heard.
Even the weather seemed to cooperate. It was overcast almost the whole time, with a few scattered showers. How, you may ask, would rain help? Well, it kept the overall temperature down in the low to mid 80s. And even though it was humid and sticky, we all agreed that we would rather have a little rain than a lot of sun. (One soldier who attended last year told me the heat rose to over 100, and it was hot and miserable.) The rain also helped keep the bugs away. We could have been eaten alive by mosquitoes and ticks, but that problem was largely checked. And every evening the fireflies came out and danced for us, which is a treat that we on the West Coast do not get to enjoy.
Monday morning, after the battles were over and the soldiers had packed up and gone, I went to the National Park's museum and then took the time to walk around the battleground. (The reenactment was on a farm a few miles north of town, but the battle itself occurred largely south of the town.) I stood on Little Round Top overlooking Devil's Den, and I walked along Cemetery Ridge and the Angle where Pickett's Charge came over the wall. I felt like a lone pilgrim paying homage to the history and tragedy of what happened 145 years ago. Anyone who has made similar journeys will know how moving of an experience that can be.
I am grateful for the chance to go, and I hope to make other trips like it. I have yet to see many actual battlefields, so places like Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Vicksburg are still on my list of places to visit. Perhaps next time Jennifer can come with me, and we can experience it together.
