Buyers of Time: A Unique Family Connection That Changed American History
February 14, 2023
When studying the history of America it’s not unusual to discover individuals who have unique historical connections. This is often the case among the many individuals who fought in the Civil War, many of whom hail from legendary American bloodlines and carry with them a rich family history.
One such individual who fought here at Gettysburg was Lt. Col. Rufus Dawes of the 6th Wisconsin. Dawes’s infantry regiment was part of the famed Iron Brigade which consisted of the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, the 19th Indiana, and the 24th Michigan. The brigade was part of the 1st corps Army of the Potomac under the command of Major General John Reynolds. Dawes and his 6th Wisconsin would charge the unfinished railroad on the morning of July 1st, 1863. At that time, the railroad was just a rough cut in the earth (much like a trench) and sat west of Gettysburg, running parallel to modern-day route 30 (then called “the Chambersburg Pike”).
The Devil’s Den: Exploring the Key to Little Round Top
January 28, 2023One of the most famous battlefield locations at Gettysburg is Devil’s Den, a boulder-strewn hill rock formation located on the southmost end of Houck’s Ridge, about 500 yards west of the hill known as Little Round Top. Used extensively as a firing position by artillery and sharpshooters on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, it was the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war and is an important stop on battlefield tours of the area.
President Nixon’s Intriguing Connection To Gettysburg
January 23, 2023
If you ever find yourself walking through The Soldiers National Cemetery here in Gettysburg and visit the Ohio section row C, grave number #4 you will find a marker that bears a last name that will be very familiar to most people. That name is “Nixon”— specifically George Nixon, who it just so happens was the Great Grandfather of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States.
History Uncovered at the National Soldier’s Orphans’ Homestead!
January 16, 2023
History came to life during the annual interior painting and maintenance at the National Soldier’s Orphan’s Homestead in Gettysburg. A wall in the original dining area was in need of repair, and the decision was made to cut a small hole to see what was behind the drywall. Fortunately, the hole was in an area that revealed plaster, layers of wallpaper, and the original brick. As Laurie Crown, Manager of Ghostly Images and Eric Nelson, Lead Tour Guide and Trainer, worked to uncover the brick, they discovered what appeared to be one side of a window frame. After several days of careful work, three of the original windows were uncovered. The very windows that Major General Oliver O. Howard of the XI Corps perhaps used to monitor the Battle of Gettysburg. The very windows later used by the children of the Orphanage to catch a glimpse of the normal life they once enjoyed, and desperately longed for.
The Devil’s Kitchen
January 11, 2023
Almost everyone has heard of Devils Den and at least visited it once, but have you heard of The Devils Kitchen? If you park at the parking space in front of Devils Den and cross the little wooden bridge over Plum Run creek and turn left, you begin to follow a prescribed path that enters Big Round Top’s woods, and then it’s a short hike to a foreboding group of rocks known as The Devils Kitchen.
The Story of the Friend to Friend Masonic Monument
January 4, 2023
The Friend to Friend Masonic Monument located in the Gettysburg National Cemetery Annex on Steinwher Avenue. This touching monument depicts Union Army Captain Henry H. Bingham assisting the severely wounded Confederate Brigadier General Lewis Armistead after Pickett’s Charge. Both men were Freemasons, and it was said that as General Armistead fell, he gave a Masonic sign asking for assistance (although this is disputed).
Haunted Gettysburg
October 14, 2022Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is known throughout the world as the location of one of the largest, most expensive, and deadliest battles of the American Civil War. With over 50,000 estimated casualties, the famous Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 is widely believed to mark the turning point of the war. Over 160 years have passed since those three bloody days at Gettysburg, but some believe the nightmare of that battle never ended for some of the poor souls killed there. Across the hallowed grounds of the battlefield and throughout the town and environs, it is believed by some that the haunted souls of those who suffered there may still roam.
Ike at Gettysburg
September 22, 2022The name Gettysburg has long been enshrined in history as the site of one of the greatest battles ever fought on American soil. But long after the events of the Civil War, this historic town continues to elicit praise and attention for being representative of qualities near and dear to the collective heart of the American republic.
There is no greater example of this than the lifelong investment and love shown to Gettysburg by one of America’s greatest war and peacetime leaders, President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Gettysburg By Night: Experiencing the Town After Sunset
September 1, 2022Gettysburg is a well-known historical destination for travelers and tourists from all over the world. And there are certainly a great many things to see and experience in Gettysburg during the day, but that doesn’t mean that the town stops being a first-class destination when the sun sets! There’s plenty to do in this Gettysburg by night! Below are just some of the many great activities available to visitors after dark.
The High-Water Mark: Revisiting a Pivotal Moment of the Battle of Gettysburg
July 19, 2022What is the High-Water Mark?
The High-Water Mark of the Confederacy or “high tide of the Confederacy” refers to an area on Cemetery Ridge near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, marking the farthest point reached by Confederate forces during the action known as Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863. Like a high-water mark denoting a level of water, the term is a reference to arguably the Confederate Army’s best chance of achieving victory in the war. The designation “High-Water Mark” was formally evoked by historians in the years following the Civil War, based on the idea that the battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the war.