So we awoke this morning to the sound of some familiar friends, cows mooing in the adjacent field. We couldn’t figure out why they came running down the hill every
early morning and mid afternoon. I walked across and took a closer look and discovered there was a stream just on the other side of the fence. So, in a sense, they were coming down each morning for their morning coffee.
Oh, and yes, this morning I was rewarded for fixing the cable with a really nice breakfast. I had French toast, sausage, juice, and a couple of cups of coffee. But really, cable or not, my Sweetheart always makes me a wonderful breakfast. She’s the greatest.
As the day wore on the temperature just kept climbing until it was finally over 90 degrees. Most of the day there was a nice breeze and so there was no need for the AC
But about 6 pm the air got real still, the temperature was still in the high 80’s, the humidity and dew point were both in the 70’s. It was time to turn the air conditioner on. No way would we be able to get a decent night’s sleep under the current conditions. Ah, within 30 minutes it was already starting to feel great.
Today I took my time and attended to things in general. I washed the windshield, same with the side front windows, then came the mirrors. That’s when I discovered we had an issue. The right rear view mirror has worked loose. Worse yet the set screw used to tighten it will not budge. I’m not worried about it coming off while on the road so when we get to Raccoon Valley I’ll get some WD40 and work it loose over the next week. At least that’s the plan!
As of now, the tire covers are off, an under the hood check, revealed no issues, tire pressure is good, the outdoor decorations and outdoor temperature sensor are put away. Like always, just about 30 minutes of work left for tomorrow morning and we’ll be good to go. The trip should take no more than 3 to 4 hours.
Let’s go back now to Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and wrap things up. There is so much here to learn about the Civil War in total but rather than cover it I’m going to stick to just the battle that occurred at Gettysburg.
By June 1863, the Union and Confederate armies found themselves roughly where they had started two years before. But Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army was starved for supplies and he believed that the best hope for his army lay in a bold gamble – an invasion of Pennsylvania.
This is a display of Lee’s field headquarters. The stove, cot, medical chest and field desk traveled with him during the invasion of Pennsylvania.
The people of Gettysburg knew the Confederates might come. Money in the town bank was shipped away. Merchants sent a railroad car full of goods to Philadelphia. Residents hid their valuables and livestock. Many of the men fled realizing that they were more likely to be rounded up as captives or mistaken for combatants and shot.
But why Gettysburg? Well, the Army of the Northern Virginia was spread out west, north, and east of Gettysburg on June 30th. The Army of the Potomac was south and southeast. Ten roads converged at the town like the spokes of a wheel and drew both armies in.
On July 1, 1863 neither army commander looked for a battle at Gettysburg. Union Gen George Meade knew the rough location of nearly 50,000 Confederates west of Gettysburg. Robert E Lee believed that the Union forces were still near Middleburg, Maryland. The biggest battle of the Civil War took them both by surprise.
July 1, 1863 at 7:30 am Lt. Jones of the 8th Illinois Cavalry watched a column of Confederate Infantry appear on the Chambersburg Pike. He sent a rider back that the Confederates were on the way. He then borrowed a carbine from his sergeant, rested it on a fence rail and fired. The Battle of Gettysburg had begun.
Suddenly there were soldiers everywhere. Cavalry and artillery galloped through the town of Gettysburg. Thousands of Union infantry ran through the streets. Minie balls and cannon shells whined through the air and slammed into buildings. The Civil War had erupted in Gettysburg.
At the battle those three days one found the three main branches of a Civil War army – Infantry, Artillery and Cavalry. The clash of the infantry decided nearly every major battle in the Civil War and it was no different at Gettysburg. Following are some pictures of a typical Union and Confederate Soldier. The first is of a Union soldier.
The second is of a Confederate soldier.
The role of the infantry was simple but bloody – to drive back the enemy infantry and to take and hold ground. Infantry regiments spent agonizing minutes or hours getting in position for a charge often under artillery fire.
In the deciding moments of a battle, infantryman often stood only a few feet apart. They poured fire into one another at point blank range, and sometimes fought hand to hand, until one side broke the other’s will to fight.
Along with the infantry there was Artillery. The role of the artillery was to support the infantry. During an infantry assault, gunners poured fire into the enemy’s ranks to break the assault. Artillery batteries also bombarded enemy positions before an attack.
Artillery brigades were divided into batteries, which usually included four to six cannons. Roughly 100 soldiers manned the guns. Hauling a battery’s guns and ammunition required nearly as many horses.
The typical cannon was the Napoleon cannon which was effective up to one mile. They fired solid shot, exploding shells, or canisters. On the move, the cannon was hooked to a limber or ammunition chest on wheels, and a team of six horses pulled both.
The following is a picture of a typical limber or ammunition chest. During combat the chests were kept a safe distance back, and a solider called the powder monkey brought rounds to the gun crews. The table of fire glued inside the lid reminded gunners of the correct gun elevation for hitting targets at various distances.
Finally, we have the Cavalry. Their first responsibility was to find the enemy and report their location. They also on occasion would raid enemy supply lines, disrupt lines of communication, burn bridges and destroy railroads.
In the display pictured below the horse and rider carry the equipment of a typical Union cavalryman on campaign.
So for three days the battle of Gettysburg raged. In the third and final battle on July 3rd Lee ordered a frontal assault on the Union center in an attack known as Pickett’s Charge. The attack failed and cost Lee over 5,000 soldiers in one hour. The Battle of Gettysburg was over.
In the end the battle changed both the armies and the course of the Civil War, as well as the town of Gettysburg. The defeat for Lee’s army dashed their hope of a major victory in northern territory and sent them in full retreat. The Army of the Potomac brought the United States its greatest triumph of the war and a renewed faith that the nation might prevail in the end.
On July 4th the residents of Gettysburg saw a landscape ravaged by cannon shells, wagon wheels,and the clash of armies. Several thousand dead horses lay among the dead men. The cries of the wounded rose up amid the stench of death. For the townspeople a second battle – a battle to heal their town and deal with the wounded – had just begun.
So we’ve come to the end of our tour of Gettysburg National Military Park Museum. Though we saw and learned so much, there was so much more that we simply did not have the time to do. Unfortunately, we didn’t even finish the Museum, nor did we have the time for the 24 mile self-guided auto tour. Perhaps some day we will be able to return.
We thank you for joining us today on The Road of Retirement. Time now for me to pack up the computer room and clean up the solarium in preparation for our travel day tomorrow. We hope you had a great day as well and enjoyed your day to the fullest. As I wrap things up as always something for each of us to ponder:
As always, if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God. After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.
Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye. Till tomorrow.
These are the voyages of Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans. Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before
"On The Road of Retirement" 
We have never toured the museum. We have toured several areas of the battlefield. Very interesting blog. Thanks!
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