Addressing Gettysburg

Shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin visited the area and was astounded at the damage done to property and life. Shallow graves in the fields surrounding the town revealed decaying human limbs and faces after rains had washed the meager layer of soil over them away. Their air was thick with swarms of flies and the stench of rot. Curtin described it as "the devil's own planting... a harvest of death."

Many, many more people were just as appalled as Governor Curtin was. And, so, a handful of local leaders approached the governor with a proposal to establish a cemetery to properly bury the Union dead of the Battle of Gettysburg. Curtin not only agreed with this proposal, but he also secured State funds for the establishment and reinternment of roughly 3600 bodies. David Wills, a local attorney, was appointed the agent of the state to secure the land, which was a 17 acre plot adjacent to the already establish private Evergreen Cemetery atop Cemetery Hill. Architect William Saunders was hired to design the layout of the new cemetery. Soon, the governors of other Northern States, such as New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Indiana and Massachusetts pledged support and sent agents to assist and oversee the burial of their states' loyal sons.

Reinternments began in the Fall. Edward Everett, a famous orator of the time, was invited to speak at the consecration ceremony, slated to take place in October. He was invited in September but asked that the date be pushed back as he needed more time to prepare. His request was granted and the date was changed to November 19, 1863. On November 2, Abraham Lincoln was invited. In his letter to Lincoln, David Will said, "It is the desire that, after the Oration [Everett's], you, as Chief Executive of the nation, formally set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks."

As we know, no event in life is clean and neat. Few things go as planned or expected. And history is made when the participants are either unaware that they're making it or underestimate the true value of their contribution. The days surrounding Lincoln's visit to Gettysburg and the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery is no exception.

LBG Tim Smith joins us again to answer our Patron's questions about November 19, 1863. Enjoy and learn!

Recorded at the GettysBike Tours Studios

Become a Patron to submit questions to an Ask A Guide and more!

Studio construction wishlist.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war; we have come to dedicate a portion of it as the final resting place of those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this, but, in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work that they have thus far so nobly carried on. It is rather for us here to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation shall, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that this Government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth!"

-Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863

Shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin visited the area and was astounded at the damage done to property and life. Shallow graves in the fields surrounding the town revealed decaying human limbs and faces after rains had washed the meager layer of soil over them away. Their air was thick with swarms of flies and the stench of rot. Curtin described it as "the devil's own planting... a harvest of death."

Many, many more people were just as appalled as Governor Curtin was. And, so, a handful of local leaders approached the governor with a proposal to establish a cemetery to properly bury the Union dead of the Battle of Gettysburg. Curtin not only agreed with this proposal, but he also secured State funds for the establishment and reinternment of roughly 3600 bodies. David Wills, a local attorney, was appointed the agent of the state to secure the land, which was a 17 acre plot adjacent to the already establish private Evergreen Cemetery atop Cemetery Hill. Architect William Saunders was hired to design the layout of the new cemetery. Soon, the governors of other Northern States, such as New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Indiana and Massachusetts pledged support and sent agents to assist and oversee the burial of their states' loyal sons. 

Reinternments began in the Fall. Edward Everett, a famous orator of the time, was invited to speak at the consecration ceremony, slated to take place in October. He was invited in September but asked that the date be pushed back as he needed more time to prepare. His request was granted and the date was changed to November 19, 1863. On November 2, Abraham Lincoln was invited. In his letter to Lincoln, David Will said, "It is the desire that, after the Oration [Everett's], you, as Chief Executive of the nation, formally set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks." 

As we know, no event in life is clean and neat. Few things go as planned or expected. And history is made when the participants are either unaware that they're making it or underestimate the true value of their contribution. The days surrounding Lincoln's visit to Gettysburg and the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery is no exception. 

LBG Tim Smith joins us again to answer our Patron's questions about November 19, 1863. Enjoy and learn!

Recorded at the GettysBike Tours Studios

Become a Patron to submit questions to an Ask A Guide and more!

Studio construction wishlist. 

During the 2020 Winter Lecture Series, John Hoptak delivered a great lecture about South Central Pa men who joined the famed 54th Massachusetts (available on this feed). After COVID shutdowns and a busy Summer, Matt and the gang finally got to sit down with John to further discuss the information he shared in his lecture, in addition to pointing out what the movie got right and got wrong. I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it.

The full interview drops on November 16 over at our Patreon page. Please support the show and become a member today!

During the 2020 Winter Lecture Series, John Hoptak delivered a great lecture about South Central Pa men who joined the famed 54th Massachusetts (available on this feed). After COVID shutdowns and a busy Summer, Matt and the gang finally got to sit down with John to further discuss the information he shared in his lecture, in addition to pointing out what the movie got right and got wrong. I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it. 

The full interview drops on November 16 over at our Patreon page. Please support the show and become a member today! 

Craig Rupp is a battlefield photographer and author of romance novellas based in Gettysburg. He moved here 8 years ago and hasn't regretted one day of it, like most of us transplants. I sat down with Craig for this, the first Patreon interview done in our new studio, to talk about why he writes, what he writes, how he writes and who he is as a person.

Follow him on social media:

@craig_rupp Instagram

Craig Rupp on Facebook

Find his books on Amazon or at www.addressingGettysburg.com

Craig Rupp is a battlefield photographer and author of romance novellas based in Gettysburg. He moved here 8 years ago and hasn’t regretted one day of it, like most of us transplants. I sat down with Craig for this, the first Patreon interview done in our new studio, to talk about why he writes, what he writes, how he writes and who he is as a person. 

Follow him on social media:

@craig_rupp Instagram

Craig Rupp on Facebook 

Find his books on Amazon or at www.addressingGettysburg.com

Two years ago I asked songwriter Billy Webster to work my favorite Civil War song (which predates the Civil War) into a song to play at the open of our shows. Modern meets traditional. I think Billy did a great job and so I thought I'd share it with you without me gabbing over it.

Check out more of Billy's Music here

Two years ago I asked songwriter Billy Webster to work my favorite Civil War song (which predates the Civil War) into a song to play at the open of our shows. Modern meets traditional. I think Billy did a great job and so I thought I'd share it with you without me gabbing over it. 

Check out more of Billy's Music here

THANKS TO OUR LISTENERS FOR GREAT DOWNLOAD NUMBERS AND TO OUR PATRONS AND OTHERS WHO HAVE SENT US SOMETHING FROM THE AMAZON WISHLIST FOR THE STUDIO

ALSO WE'RE SCHEDULING GUESTS FOR THE WINTER WHEN WE PLAN TO CHURN OUT LOTS OF CONTENT. SO IF YOU'RE A LICENSED GUIDE, AUTHOR, RANGER, ANYONE WHO CAN SPEAK WITH AUTHORITY ON A GIVEN TOPIC RELATED TO GETTYSBURG, CONTACT ERIC AT [email protected]. .

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TODAY'S ASK A GUIDE HAS QUESTIONS THAT CAME IN DURING THE CORONA DAYS THAT DIDN'T FIT WITH THE SUBJECT AT HAND. BUT INSTEAD OF DISCARDING THEM WE PUT THEM IN A POOL TO USE AT A LATER DATE. THIS IS THE FIRST OF ONE OF THOSE SHOWS.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS LBG CHARLIE FENNELL

Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1H1HJA3CM32NH?ref_=wl_share

"GARRYOWEN" ARRANGED BY BILLY WEBSTER