Gettysburg National Military Park, PA

2009-10-02: Gettysburg is sort of a strange place to visit. Although Gettysburg National Military Park was the destination, monuments, memorials, markers, and various relics were strewn about the little town. Every bit of statuary seemed to be unique from the others, suggesting that the design was left to whoever it represented. It was odd to gaze across an open field or into a grove of trees and see a massive stone monument.

The Visitor Center had an impressive display of weapons, uniforms, and equipment that was used in the famous battle. Regarding that battle, I learned nearly every little detail of it while touring the various exhibits. It could be considered beginning of the decline of the Confederacy. It was also a bloodbath, resulting in around 50,000 casualties. Standing there on the battlefields, it was truly difficult to imagine it happening, especially considering the arms and tactics used at the time. As violent and tragic as all of it was in the past, it was also a very human experience to see what they saw.