Lesser Known Civil War Celebrities – Mathew Brady
May 22, 2017
One of our favorite things to do with our social media pages is to scroll through the dozens of photos guests share when they visit Gettysburg. Some of the views guests capture from atop one of our double decker tour buses are incredible, and even after all these years we still find ourselves amazed by each unique photo that our visitors capture.
Thanks to the father of photojournalism Mathew Brady’s own vision, and the photographs he commissioned, we’re also able to appreciate the realness of the carnage from the Civil War, the people involved, and other images of the time.
Mathew Brady was born in 1822, although the exact location of his birth remains uncertain. It was most likely he was born in Warren County, New York, although census records and his own account claim he was born in Ireland.
In his late teens, Brady met up with portrait painter William Page and Page’s former teacher Samuel F. B. Morse. Better known for inventing the telegraph and developing Morse Code, Morse was a professor at New York University who taught art, painting, and design, and he took Brady under his wings. Here, Brady learned Morse’s process of creating a mirror image on a silver-surfaced copper plate, a process known as daguerreotype and named after Frenchman Louis Daguerre.
Using his new training, Brady eventually moved on and opened his own studio in New York City, where he photographed many famous people, including Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams, and collected numerous awards for his work.
As the Civil War broke out, due to his connections Brady reached out to President Lincoln for permission to travel to battle sites to document the war. Financed with his own funds, Brady hired a staff of photographers to help capture the essence of the war. He supervised and organized all activities of his team, and many of the photos from this time, including the First Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg, were thanks to his and his team’s efforts.
One obvious challenge for Civil War photographers was that the battles weren’t scheduled, so the photographers couldn’t plan to be present when the fighting started, and getting to a distant site would usually take longer than the fighting would last. Brady did come to Gettysburg, but not until about 2 weeks after the battle.
Unfortunately, the cost of his Civil War project quickly drove Brady into debt, and the public’s interest in the collection was dim due to the harsh realities of war and the population’s lack of interest in reliving the hell their fellow men and their families went through. Brady had expected the government to buy the photographic plates that he had created, and when the government declined to do so, he had to sell his New York studio and go into bankruptcy.
Mathew Brady died in a charity ward in 1896, but without his contributions we would be missing some of the most iconic imagery of the times. The truth is, you likely are in possession of some of Brady’s work at this exact moment. If you have a penny and/or five dollar bill, one of Brady’s photographs of Lincoln was used for these bills!
Gettysburg Tours – Group Itineraries for All Interests
April 6, 2017Planning a group tour of Gettysburg doesn’t have to be overwhelming! Gettysburg Group Reservations makes it easy to help plan your military and family reunions, Boy and Girl Scout outings, or other group event.
This is the first of our special group itineraries series, and we’ll start by discussing some group tour options. If you’d like to learn more about any of these, just click on the tour name or feel free to give us a call for more info.
5-Star General Experience In Gettysburg
This tour is perfect for anyone interested in interested in the military, President Eisenhower, or the history of Gettysburg. Included in this package is a tour of the Eisenhower National Historic Site, a tour of the US Army Heritage and Education Center, and a 90-minute history walk with a licensed town historian through downtown Gettysburg. Top off your day with a planned lunch or dinner, or visit other interesting sites like the National Cemetery.
Farm to Palate in Greater Gettysburg, PA
One of the new featured itineraries for this year takes your group from the farm to the table. Beginning at Eisenhower National Historic Site you’ll explore the Eisenhowers’ home, grounds and show barn that housed award-winning Black Angus cattle. After your trip to the farm you can stop at Reid’s Orchard & Winery, take a tour through Oyler’s Organic Farms, and visit the Hollabaugh Bros. Fruit Farm & Market. Don’t forget a stop at the new Mason Dixon Distillery, and be sure to end your day at the Shriver House Museum now that you better understand what civilian life was like in Gettysburg during the Civil War.
We always recommend spending more than just one day in Gettysburg because there’s just so much to see and do. This group tour offers two days packed full of history to give you the opportunity of experiencing the Battle of Gettysburg from both sides. Visit the Seminary Ridge Museum, take a bus tour with a licensed guide, tour the Jennie Wade House, and enjoy a ghost tour – all in day one! Round out your group visit on the second day with a trip to the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center, a stop at the Shriver House, listening to a Union soldier’s experience at the, and paying your respects at the Gettysburg National Cemetery.
Experience both sides of the war in just one day in another new group tour option we’ve added this year. Your day will begin in Gettysburg and cover some of the key events and locations in the Battle of Gettysburg. From here you’ll head to Antietam (Sharpsburg) and explore the location of another one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War.
Leave Gettysburg with a better understanding of how the battle was fought with the Billy Yank day trip. Tour the Seminary Ridge Museum, take a Gettysburg bus tour with a licensed battlefield guide, stop by the Gettysburg Heritage center, and round out the day with a stop in Emmitsburg, Maryland for dinner at the Historic Carriage House Inn, after which you’ll see a living history presentation by a union soldier, a general and his wife, or President Lincoln.
If you’re curious how civilians lived during the Civil War, the Civilian Experience is perfect for you. Featured in this group tour is a viewing of the Cyclorama, a guided tour through historic Gettysburg, a meal in one of Gettysburg’s historic Civil War era buildings, stops at historic homes for tales from the families who coped during those frightful three days of fighting, and a stirring presentation from a Union or Confederate soldier.
The Rebel Yell was incredibly distinct and was used to intimidate Union soldiers as well as rally and boost the morale of Confederate troops. See what the battle of Gettysburg was like with a focus on the Confederate perspective. This itinerary includes a visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center, a viewing of the famous Cyclorama, a ride with a licensed battlefield guide on our tour buses, a stop at the Gettysburg Heritage Center, and dinner at the Fairfield Inn, one of the area’s oldest taverns where Robert E. Lee dined during his retreat on July 4th 1863.
The best part about these sample itineraries is that they are all fully customizable, and we’d be more than happy to help discuss interests and options for your group trip to Gettysburg. To get started, give Gettysburg Group Reservations a call at 717-334-6020 or 1-800-447-8788.
Famous Civil War Horses
May 12, 2016In honor of this month’s Kentucky Derby, as well as the upcoming Preakness and Belmont Stakes, we thought now would be a perfect time to dive into some of the famous horses of the Civil War. Many know about the great men who made their mark on the war, but few know the stories of their trusted companions.
One of the primary means of transportation during the war, horses played an important role in the war effort. We compiled a list of several of the most famous Civil War horses that joined both the north and south in the war effort and we encourage you to learn more about them below.
- Cincinnati – General Ulysses S. Grant’s favorite horse can be found with him at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington D.C. Gifted to Grant on the terms that the horse never goes to an owner who would treat it poorly, Cincinnati was the horse Grant rode to negotiate Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House.
- Traveller – Like Cincinnati with Grant, Traveller was Robert E. Lee’s favorite horse. The Virginia monument here in Gettysburg features Lee and Traveller. Lee bought the horse shortly after taking a liking to him, and the horse was a trusted companion the rest of Lee’s life.
- Old Baldy – Affectionately named for his white face, Old Baldy was George C. Meade’s horse of choice. Old Baldy had quite a decorated war service, as he was wounded several times, including being shot through the neck at the Battle of Antietam. Fortunately the horse survived each time, and eventually retired to a horse farm near Philadelphia. Today you can find the horse’s head displayed in a glass case in the Meade Room of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia.
- Winchester (Rienzi) – Initially named Rienzi by owner Phil Sheridan after the Mississippi town his troops were encamped at, the horse was later renamed Winchester following the storied ride from Winchester, Virginia to Cedar Creek. Featured in a poem by Thomas Buchanan Read, which described the powerful and indestructible (it was shot numerous times and always seemed to bounce back) horse carrying a fierce man into battle. Winchester may also have helped Lincoln win re-election. Today, you can find a mounted Winchester at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
Humans weren’t the only valiant participants of the war. This brief list provides just a glimpse of the horses and their stories that were a part of the Civil War. On your next visit to Gettysburg, be sure to take notice how many monuments also feature their trusted companions.
Some others we didn’t feature above include Fancy, Kentuck, King Philip, Lancer, Moscow, Rambler, and Tammany. The list is quite extensive, but if you have any favorites to add to the list be sure to leave us a comment below!
Gettysburg Bus Tour FAQ’s
March 15, 2016 Spring begins this weekend and soon our bus tours will be out in full force leading numerous history enthusiasts throughout the Gettysburg Battlefield. Traveling the historic fields of Gettysburg with one of our friendly licensed battlefield guides provides visitors with a unique experience that brings history to life.
We often get a few questions about our tours, so we decided to put together this quick Q&A section to hopefully cover anything you may want to ask. We hope you find this list helpful as well.
- How long are the Gettysburg bus tours?
- Our bus tours are two hours and board five minutes before the scheduled time. Departure is from the Gettysburg Tour Center at 778 Baltimore Street, which is across from the National Cemetery.
- What do the bus tours cover, and what do we see?
- On your trip we will cover all three days of battle as we travel through the Gettysburg Battlefield.
- Do you get off the bus during your tour?
- We make at least one restroom and refreshment stop. If you’ve chosen one of our licensed guided tours we leave the scenic stop option up to your guide to determine where it will be. Sometimes you may make more than one scenic stop. If you choose the dramatized audio bus tour, your scenic stop will be at Little Round Top.
- Where can I book a tour?
- Reservations can be made by calling our toll free number at 877-680-8687. You can also purchase them online through our “Schedule a Tour” link above that takes you to a helpful calendar that lists all the tours that are available.
- Do you offer group tours (for schools, teams, organizations, etc)?
- We certainly do! Group tours can be booked through Gettysburg Group Reservations at 800-447-8788. You can learn more through the “Plan Your Trip” link on our website.
- What are the different bus tour options?
- We offer three different types of bus touring options. These include the licensed guided bus tour (in an enclosed bus with heat or air-conditioning depending on the time of year), a licensed guided double decker tour (weather permitting), or a dramatized audio bus tour (weather permitting on our famous double decker tour bus).
We hope this list covers all of the questions you may have had about Gettysburg Bus Tours, but we also understand you may have more. If any of your questions remain unanswered feel free to leave a comment below or contact us and we’ll be happy to answer them for you!
26th North Carolina Infantry
March 10, 2016
Many visitors that come to Gettysburg question why there are so few confederate markers on the field. There are a number of reasons – #1 it was a confederate defeat #2 after the war the South was unable to financially channel many funds toward memorials and #3 the North plain & simple really didn’t want them here.
One of the few markers here at Gettysburg that honors Confederate soldiers can be found on Meredith Ave. in Reynold’s Woods & belongs to the 26th North Carolina Infantry. Engaged with the Union Iron Brigade on July 1st, this unit suffered very heavy casualties. They would lose a total of 588 men which would be the greatest numeric loss of any Confederate unit during the battle. They would also participate in Pickett’s Charge on July 3rd & a companion marker can be found at the Angle which notes their position on that day.
Their memorials were dedicated on October 5, 1985.
Breakdown of Army Units for both North and South
February 12, 2016Sometimes the visitor to the battlefield has difficulty trying to grasp the sheer numbers of men that were here during the battle. Here is a breakdown of the army units for both North & South.
Union Confederate
Company
35-40 35-40
Regiment
@310 @340
Brigade
@1415 @1550
Division
@3875 @6775
Corps
@11,100 @22,000
Total at Gettysburg
@93,000 @75,000
John Buford Memorial
January 5, 2016
The three thousand cavalry troopers led by John Buford on the first day of Gettysburg were tasked with slowing down the Confederate advance long enough for Union reinforcements to arrive on the field. The combination of skill and luck used by General Buford successfully blunted the advance of Heth’s division on McPherson’s Ridge and contributed greatly to eventual Union victory at Gettysburg.
Born in Kentucky, General Buford’s promising military career was cut short when he came down with typhoid fever in the autumn of 1863. This illness resulted in his passing in December of the same year.
The Buford Memorial Association was formed in 1888 with the mission of erecting a suitable memorial on the field.
Located on the Chambersburg Pike, the John Buford Memorial was dedicated on July 1, 1895.
Surrounding the base are four Ordnance Rifles, the kind which were used in a Horse Artillery Battery. Among these guns is to be found number 233 and according to John Calef who commanded such a battery under Buford’s command, this was the gun that fired the very first Union artillery shot of the battle.
Portrait Statue of General Gouverneur K. Warren
October 6, 2015
Known as the “Savior of Little Round Top”, the portrait statue of General Gouverneur K. Warren was dedicated on August 8, 1888 & was the first statue to a New York commander at Gettysburg.
The General is standing atop the boulder from which he noticed the Confederate advance on July 2nd. At the time, Little Round Top had been left almost completely unoccupied with the exception of a few signalmen who were preparing to leave. Recognizing the importance of the hill, General Warren instructed the signalmen to remain to give the impression of occupation while he sent aides off to secure immediate reinforcement. This prompt action allowed the hill to remain in Union hands.
All the funds needed for the construction of this memorial were privately raised.
New York State Monument
August 13, 2015
In 1886 only two New York State monuments had been erected on the fields of Gettysburg. Those two being the 14th Brooklyn & the 124th New York with neither of these two representing the City of New York.
Veterans of the 83rd New York Infantry had a site chosen & a committee selected to watch over the construction – all they needed now were the funds to begin. Friends & survivors of the regiment were solicited for contributions & by Sept. 1887, almost $3500.00 had been collected.
Dedicated on July 1, 1888 – the monument to the 83rd New York was to become one of the single largest memorial dedications the battlefield would see. It was attended by veterans of the unit itself, plus other members of the First Corps, ranking officers from the battle & the entire 9th New York National Guard which was sent by the Governor of the State.
The memorial is a fifty-one foot tall shaft on levels of red & white granite. On top is a bronze cannonball & eagle. The eagle weighs in at 700 pounds & has a wing span of almost six feet.
The regimental badge can be found at the base with the motto “Ratione Aut Vi,” which means “By Reason or Force.”
Tennessee State Memorial
July 9, 2015The Tennessee State Memorial is the last of the southern states at Gettysburg to place a monument on the field. It is also the only state memorial built exclusively with private contributions.
Dedicated on July 2, 1982 at a cost of $25,000.00 this marker can be found on West Confederate Avenue.
Three Tennessee regiments took part in the battle & they are represented by the three soldiers etched into the face of the monument. Three stars on top symbolize the three geographic divisions of the state: eastern, central & western Tennessee. An outline of the State is cut into the 16 foot long base. Sixteen feet representing the fact that Tennessee was the 16th State to enter the Union.