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The Battle Of Gettysburg: Days Of Thunder
Introduction
Culp’s Hill. Cemetery Ridge. Pickett’s Charge. For three days in July of 1863, American fought American in what would become a turning point in the Civil War. General Lee hoped that an invasion of the Union would fuel the North’s peace movement and disrupt the war effort. The Army of the Potomac had just been turned over to General Meade, who was desperate for reconnaissance of Lee’s intentions. Washington had to be protected. Over 170,000 soldiers from two armies marched toward battle, and Gettysburg, a farming town, lay quiet, unsuspecting of its destiny. And then, the first shots were fired across Marsh Creek.
Program Description
No more significant battle has been fought on North American soil than the Battle of Gettysburg. Its outcome turned the Civil War, which in turn redefined the United States, ending slavery and preserving a unified American nation. From July 1 to July 3, 1863, Lee’s 75,000-man Army of Northern Virginia met the 95,000 soldiers of Meade’s Army of the Potomac on the fields of Gettysburg.
You will walk through each skirmish of the battle in chronological order to understand its scope and the courage of those who fought and died here. Historians, Civil War experts and re-enactors bring the battle to life — from the first shots over Marsh Creek to Pickett’s Charge.
At private farms, property closed to the public, and Gettysburg National Park, you will experience those three terrible days and learn the personal stories both of Confederate and Union soldiers. Consider the events that led to the battle as well as the strategy and intention of Lee and Meade. Walk with a historian through the bullet-riddled barn on the privately owned Rummel Farm, and examine his personal collection of ammunition and weaponry. Explore Slyder Farm with its barn, blacksmith shop and smokehouse to gain insights into a working farm of the 1860s. Special permission has been granted to Road Scholars to explore Meade’s Headquarters, Lost Avenue on Wolf Hill, and a cannon restoration facility.
As you trace the footsteps of Meade and Lee and the thousands of Americans who fought here, you will experience events whose repercussions still resound today. It was here where ordinary men took extraordinary action and changed a nation.
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