My Father and I on a recent trip to Gettysburg
One
hundred years ago, the State of Pennsylvania invited all surviving veterans of
the Civil War to gather in the small town of Gettysburg to commemorate the
fiftieth anniversary of battle. Nearly 54,000 veterans from both sides,
representing 46 of the 48 states came to the sight over four days in July[1].
The spirit was not one of hostility of old enmities but rather of friendship
and patriotism. As one can imagine, this event gathered nationwide attention
and coverage. The highlights included a reenactment of Pickett's Charge and
address by Woodrow Wilson[2].
The
event left a lasting impact on both the veterans who attended but also the
Nation, who looked to these men with reverence. It produced a vast number
documents to record the actions of the reunion. These are state reports,
diaries, and newspaper accounts. All of these show a certain attitude of the
nation at the time. The important event became the background for my thesis. My
project analyzed these sources as well as other historians who have looked at
this event to show how it was used to reconcile the two sides. Ultimately the
thesis when on to prove that the reunion helped foster reconciliation between Northern
and Southern veterans. It is rare that two sides of a war can get together to
commemorate their dead and the survivors. While there may not be an exact
answer why Americans are drawn to this sacred place, but what can be done is
analyze.
[1] Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of
Gettysburg, (Harrisburg, PA: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1913), 48.
[2] Woodrow Wilson, "Woodrow Wilson:
Address at Gettysburg" The
American Presidency Project, 15 September, 2013, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=65370#axzz2fmPtexdp.
I've seen videos back in the day of the Civil War veterans gathered together. It's fascinating to me how such footage exists of people who fought in a 19th century war. I had the privilege of visiting Gettysburg many years ago, touring the battle sites. I think the reason why many are drawn to it is because it is a piece of our history of when this country was divided, and ultimately a place where history was made.
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