Gettysburg Day 3

Well this morning broke our getting up late streak. We even walked to our first stop and meeting place, the Diamond. The morning part of our tour was with a park ranger by the name of Terri Latschar. This morning, Terri took us around the borough pointing out historic buildings to the battle, where some of the civilians who survived the ordeal lived, and even some merchants that were around, well at least until Jubal Early showed up. Some of the highlights of the morning tour included: the Wills home, the Complier, Penelope, the Schriver home, the Rupp home, and the McClellan home where Jennie Wade was killed on the morning of July 3, 1863.

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After a significant morning hike around town, we boarded the bus and headed off to the next part of the tour. Since we had covered the town quite well, we would then investigate the farms and farmsteads that were there during the battle. Instead of going to a selected amount of pivotal farmsteads, Terri got us into the George Weikert house and barn. It was here that Tillie Pierce and Henrietta Schriver hide out during the three day battle. This house was also the site of where the bodies of Patrick O'Rorke and Charles Hazlett were taken, and also the site where the wounded General Weed was brought and later died. It was really amazing to see the blood stains on the floor in the dining room, which was the operating room, as it still stands today as a testament to the horrors and brutality of war. Coming back to General Weed, it was absolutely amazing to go into the basement and see the small room where Tillie Pierce had taken care of General Weed and where he would ultimately die. The family that owns the Weikert home was extremely generous in allowing us to picnic on their property, which is nestled at the foot of the Round Tops. With lunch over, and an hour to kill, the group headed to the local visitor center to look around and shop at the book store.

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At 1:00 P.M. we met with our second guide and park ranger, my boy, Scott Hartwig. The afternoon portion of the tour was solely devoted to the infamous Pickett's Charge. We started by looking over maps and establishing the Federal line along Cemetery Ridge. With that position in mind, we headed over to the Confederate position along Seminary Ridge. Once there, we examined E.P. Alexander's gun positions from near the Peach Orchard all the way to Glatfelter Hall on the campus of Gettysburg College. Finishing the infantry positions, the Gettysburg Semester remade Pickett's Charge all over again. We first started out in a skirmish line and eventually collapsed to ranks right in front of "our" fence. Making it over the fence, and still in ranks, we left and right oblique across the remainder of the field until we shifted into column and finished up at the Angle. Scott's amazing tour concluded with some excellent first hand accounts of the fighting at the wall by members of the 69 th Pennsylvania.

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?After three weeks of touring around the fields of Gettysburg, the sun had finally set on this part of our journey and story. The group headed over for a celebration of this accomplishment at the home of our fine professor, Dr. Guelzo. Once there, the Guelzo's outdid themselves with a very welcomed meal, refreshments, and a regimental cake! We even had enough time to socialize a little before heading back for the evening. Zulu was a great time guys; we will have to finish it sometime together. Well until next week and the big trip to Richmond, take it easy.

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