Civil War Battle of Gettysburg Reenactment – Day 1Jul 1, 2011
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| We spent the morning switching hotels. Because of the reenactment and the crowds it brings we couldn’t find anything nearby. Now Margaret made these reservations about two months ahead. The first place we stayed was only about 3 miles from the visitor center. Only problem was that you had to travel through the downtown area. The new hotel is in Emmitsburg, MD, located south about 8 miles from the parking for the reenactment. Since it is on the other side of Gettysburg we avoid downtown. So, we are only about 10 minutes from the action. It’s a little weird crossing the state line and the Mason Dixon Line as we go back and forth. We got a late start today arriving about 3 pm. We already had our tickets and seating reservations so getting in was quick. First thing we did was to take a Civil War IO test. It is just for fun and to raise some money for land preservation. I took the Advanced level and scored 7 of 8. Margaret took the beginner lever and got 10 of 10. At 5:30pm they opened the reserved bleacher seating. These consisted of an old metal frame with overlapping wooden planks tied to it. The bleachers had no aisles so getting to the upper seats was a challenge. The first step is the worst since it is about 3 feet off the ground. You have to kind of rollup onto it. However, once seated we had a terrific view of the entire battlefield since the viewing area is located on the high ground. The sound system was good and we could hear the guide’s battle narration clearly. The battle reenacted was from the first day from the downtown area. I’m glad we had taken the downtown walking tour the day before has it helped us understand what we were seeing. They started with a cavalry battle which really had occurred earlier in the day of the battle. Next was the artillery duel with about 12 union and 6 confederate guns. The union side was closest to the viewing area and so made most of the noise. The confederates were on the other side of the field and so you would see the fire and smoke long before hearing the booms. The supporting artillery continued and the infantry advance in various formations: skirmishes, blocked group firing volleys, flacking, refusal, attack on two sides, angled defense, defending the guns, and finally being overrun and retreat. The first day was a confederate victory and they controlled the town. But the union retreated south into the high ground. As the reenactment ended no cheers went up. Rather taps was played by a sole bugle. All stood, hats removed and heads bowed. Then three cheers for the reenactors followed by all singing “God Bless American”. It was a great show, the best reenactment I’ve seen. The weather was clear and not too warm by Florida standards. Temperature was in the 80’s. I heard many saying how hot it was. All I could think is these people don’t know want hot is. |
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