GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 2026

Leann and I stopped here on the way back from a week in Washington DC. Our brains were fried from all of the museums and we did not do the park justice, she wanted to return.

The following statements did not turn out well….

Day 1: July 1, 1863 — The Clash and Retreat to High Ground
- Morning: Confederate infantry under Major General A.P. Hill clash with Union cavalry led by General John Buford west of Gettysburg near McPherson Ridge.
- Early Afternoon: Union Major General John Reynolds is killed while directing reinforcements.
- Late Afternoon: Superior Confederate numbers push Union forces through the town of Gettysburg.
- Evening: Union troops regroup and establish a strong defensive line on the high ground south of town, including Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge, while Confederate forces take up positions along Seminary Ridge
Day 2: July 2, 1863 — Battle for the Flanks
- 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Confederate General James Longstreet launches a massive assault on the Union left flank. Fierce fighting erupts at Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard, and the Wheatfield.
- 5:00 PM: Intense hand-to-hand combat occurs on Little Round Top, where Union defenders (including the 20th Maine) hold the crucial southern anchor.
- Evening: Confederate assaults shift toward Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill on the Union right flank, which the Union forces successfully repel.
Day 3: July 3, 1863 — Pickett’s Charge and Climax
- Morning: Heavy fighting continues on Culp’s Hill until Union forces secure the position and drive out the remaining Confederates.
- Afternoon: After a massive two-hour artillery bombardment, General Robert E. Lee orders a frontal assault of roughly 12,000 Confederate soldiers across open fields against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, an event known as Pickett’s Charge.
- Late Afternoon: The charge is brutally repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire with catastrophic Confederate losses, ending Lee’s second northern invasion.
Aftermath: July 4, 1863 and Beyond
- July 4: Both armies remain in position during a heavy rainstorm; Lee prepares a defensive line, and Union General George Meade chooses not to counterattack. Lee begins his retreat toward Virginia that evening.
- November 19, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery

Comments about the Gettysburg address:

Just another reason not to like Chicago or London.

The battle took place in a large area and was very complex. You could spend a week/month here trying to understand all of the nuances. Below is a link to a video that does a great job summarizing the battle.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/gettysburg-animated-map

It is estimated that over 50,000 books were written about this battle.

Most of the visitor center is run by the Gettysburg Foundation which is a private non profit. Admission to the Gettysburg Cyclorama is included in a bundle ticket for the Film, Cyclorama & Museum and cost us each $19.75. The film was good, the cyclorama was interesting and the museum was overwhelming. You could easily spend 3 days to cover the museum, we didn’t. I paid for the cyclorama but was not sure what I was paying for.

Details about the cyclorama

Created by French artist Paul Philippoteaux (with a team of assistants) after researching the battlefield and interviewing veterans.
Painted in 1883–1884, debuted at Boston in 1884.
Measures 42 feet high and 377 feet in circumference (longer than a football field).
Immersive Illusion: Viewed from a raised 15-foot platform, it blends the curved canvas with a 3D foreground diorama featuring real fence posts, broken trees, stone walls, and cannons.
Restoration: Acquired by the National Park Service (NPS) in 1942 and extensively restored from 2004 to 2008, which included recovering missing top sky portions and lower diorama elements.

The artist at work.