Article by Laurie Voss
WCPL Circulation Supervisor

With November having Veteran’s Day celebrations across the U.S., I thought I would write on one of my favorite Civil War battlefields. I’ve been lucky, in that the last 3 years, my husband and I have been able to visit Gettysburg, Pa., for vacation. If you have never been there, it is an awe-inspiring place to visit. This year, being the 150th anniversary of the 3 day battle, events have been taking place all year long to commemorate the battle.

Since my visit last year, they have opened a new museum on the college campus. The museum is very informative, with displays of items found on the battleground, but also entire rooms featuring the medical facilities, among many other displays.

The entire town was the site of this battle, although only one civilian was killed, her name was Jennie Wade. She was killed when an errant bullet came through the door while she was baking bread for the soldiers.

You may have heard the names of some of the battle sites of Gettysburg. Names such as The Devil’s Den, The Wheatfield, Little Round Top, Big Round Top, and The Peach Orchard, are just a few of the names that are talked about when this battle is discussed.

Last year when I made the trip, we hired a guide who drove our car around the battlefield, stopping here and there to explain what was happening there in July 1863. He was an elderly gentleman, and his knowledge and descriptions made the battle come alive, and at one point, I found myself in tears as he explained the final battle. The loss of life was shocking, as the Union suffered 3,155 killed with 20,000 wounded/missing. The Confederate number was similar, with 2,600-4,500 killed and 18,050 wounded and missing.

Every year I have learned more, found sites I hadn’t seen before and met some of the best people. Plans are already on the calendar for next years’ visit.

In honor of Veteran’s Day, I will have on display at the library, photographs taken at Gettysburg. They will be up during the month of November, so I invite you to stop in, check out the photographs and then check out some of our books on Gettysburg.