Gettysburg National Cemetery

The Gettysburg Address was given in this general area. When you see Cemetery Ridge on the map you realize why. About ten years before, the people of Gettysburg started burying their dead in their new city cemetery. During the battle, all of these headstones were uproots and used as a barricade. In the aftermath of the battle and the process of buring the thousands of dead, the repositioning of the headstones was a low priority. Do you see the three headstones with the circles? Historians think he would have been near the one all the way on the right.

The next three pictures are from what is called the Cyclorama at the Visitors Center. This painting has recently been restored but was painted in less that a year only a few years after the Civil War. The painting is a mural probably twice as large as our gym at the middle school! Painted in a circular building you get a panoramic view of the battle. These pictures don't do it justice.

All of these pictures are of Pickett's Charge

A 34-Star American Flag. And what state was Kansas? The flag celebrating our entry into the war would have been the flag flown during the first two years of the war.

Gettysburg National Cemetery was the first federal cemetery. It's dedication is why Lincoln comes to Gettysburg in November of 1863. Arlington National Cemtery is actually the third national cemtery. Any guesses as two number two? 

The cemetery is laid out in a circle. The statue they encircle is below. Note that the soldier at Gettysburg don't have individual headstones. You won't see those until later.

(I apologize for not rotating these...Blogger and I are at odd on doing this-I rotate and it undoes it.)

Markers for unknown soldiers at Gettysburg.

All of the headstones encircle this statute.

This part of the statue repesents war. He has a brother on the otherside which represents peace and prosperity.

This muse represents history. Her sister on the other side represents plenty.

(Again,sorry for the wonky perspective.)

Unknown markers for soldiers from Pennsylvania.

They allow soldiers who either fought at Gettysburg or soldeirs who died in later wars to be buried in what is called the annex.