Home of The Gettysburg Cyclorama and the Gettysburg Museum.

The musuem displays several hundred firearms of all types and from both sides of the conflict.  The variety of weapons was overwhelming, from flintlocks to modern repeating rifles.

Cyclorama is a circular painting, stretching 360 degrees around the viewer.  It is 40 feet tall and 370 feet long, depicting the Gettysburg battlefield in great detail.  It was painted by a French artist, Philippoteaux and his sons, in 1884!

The painting depicts Pickett's Charge on the third day of the conflict.  Although generally this action is known as Pickett's Charge.  Pickett's piece was only a fraction of a larger advance led by Confederate General Longstreet.

Oddly, a principal portion of the battle on the third day occured between two similar sounding geographic features, Seminary Ridge (Confederate) and Cemetery Ridge (Union).

Yet this drum has so much history.

Used to identify the position of the participating units on the field of battle.

This frock is that of a Virginia infantryman.  Blue being the uniform he had, it was the uniform he wore.

The battle was fought in many places, some reflected in the museum.  Here, the ironsided ships do battle.

The equipment of a typical Confederate soldier at Gettysburg.

The Union troops configured in the famous "fishhook J" on Cemetery Ridge.

The equipment of a typical Federal soldier at Gettysburg.

Feeding and supporting over 40,000 soldiers required a massive logistics effort.

The living quarters of soldiers at Gettysburg.  Soldiers said they were so small only a dog could sleep in them.  Ironically, on the 50th anniversary of the battle, veterans who returned slept in almost identical facilities.

An officers tent and desk.  Slightly better than the enlisted men's quarters.

This Robert E. Lee's bunk, stove, writing desk and medical kit, actually used at the Battle of Gettysburg.

General George C. Meade's rapier and cap.  Worn at Gettysburg.

Flag of the 149th Brigade of the Pennsylvania Volunteers.  Pennsylvania was represented heavily at Gettysburg, which was to be expected.

Bronze field canon.

These beams were removed from a nearby farmhouse years after the battle when the beams were replaced.  Clearly a canon shot has penetrated directly through the beams.

A swallowtail guidon of Knapp's Battery E, Pennsylvania Light Artillery.  This unit saw service on Culp's Hill on the second day of the battle, at the northern end of the Federal line.

Flank marker of the 106th Pennsylvania Infantry.  Flank markers were used to mark the end of a unit's line and the extent of their battlefield responsibility.

Private John Cassidy's personal bible, carried at Gettysburg.  A member of the Pennsylvania 69th Infantry.  This unit took the brunt of Pickett's Charge in furious fighting.  The bible shows the scar of a bullet.  Private Cassidy was a casualty of Gettysburg.

The Lutheran Seminary that marks the peak of Seminary Ridge.  At various times during the battle, both Federal and Confederate troops used the green cuppola at the top as an observation post.

General Robert E. Lee's Gettysburg headquarters, in a small stone farmhouse.  Now located on a major artery, then, the Chambersburg Road.

Unfortunately, General Lee's headquarters has been reduced to a souvenir shop.

The chief remaining landmark of the first day's fighting.  The MacPherson Barn stands out in the field of battle.  The Lutheran Seminary is visible in the background.

Note that General Selfridge's horse shows two feet off the ground.  This is an accepted indicator that the rider of the horse died in this battle.  Selfridge did.  A horse with one foot on the ground would indicate the rider was wounded during the battle.

General John Buford, Army of the Potomac, ordered the first shot of Gettysburg fired from this location on July 2. His memorial contains one unique aspect, besides having Joshua as a visitor.

The canon shown in the previous photo that points out from Joshua's righthand side is THE canon that actually fired the first shot of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Fastidious records kept by a young artillery officer in command of the battery allowed those desiging the monument to search Union Army arsenals to find this exact canon.  A commemorative plaque marks the canon.

MacPherson barn in the background.

The Army of Northern Virginia.  Facing the Chambersburg Road and the Federal troups under Buford.

Looking from the Army of Northern Virginia lines.  Eventually, the Confederates drove the Union forces from this field and back to Cemetery Ridge, an immensely more defenceable position.

Culp's Hill, on the right flank of the Union line.  Looking toward Cemetary Hill.  The Union line.  Scene of the second day's fighting.

Looking toward the Confederate line.

Up high, 82 steps.  Cemetary Hill in the background.

The Confederate line along Seminary Ridge.  150 artillery pieces and thousands of troops.  Little Roundtop and Big Roundtop can been seen in the distance just right of the center of the photo.

General Robert E Lee looks across the battlefield at this adversary, General George C. Meade.

Looking along the side of the Point of Woods across the battlefield.  It is from these woods that Pickett's men first emerged and were visibile to the opposing Union troops on Cemetery Ridge, Little Roundtop and Big Roundtop.

From the Point of Woods looking across the field.  the large white structure in the distance is the Pennsylvania Memorial, the largest on the battlefield.

From the Confederate line to Cemetery Ridge.  The Copse of Trees and The Angle, known as the "Highwater Mark" because these were the furthest place to which Confederate troops advanced.  They are located just about dead center of the photo.

Directly across the field of battle from the Robert E. Lee memorial General George C. Meade sits astride his horse looking back at his adversary.

The base of the Lee memorial includes Confederate soldiers garbed in the clothes of their civilian occupations; farmers, bankers, etc.

The Eisenhower Observation Tower, so named because it overlooks the farm once owned by President Dwight David Eisenhower.  The farm was donated to the national park by the Eisenhower family.

Looking across the field.  Copse of Trees and The Angle on the left.  Little Roundtop down to the right.

A panorama of the entire Federal line along Cemetery Ridge, Little Roundtop and Big Roundtop (to the right).  It's a long walk across this field under heavy Union fire.

Big Roundtop.  The rock seen at the base of Big Roundtop are the beginning of the Devil's Den, scene of furious hand to hand combat and the location of several Confederate snipers.  

This rocky outcropping has gone down in history as the seen of some of the bloodiest fighting of Gettysburg.  At the end of the battle the bodies of fifteen Confederate snipers were found within the rocks.

The anchor of the Union line.

Looking down on the Devil's Den.  Beware of snipers!

See the next photo for the story of General Warren and Little Roundtop.

Farmhouses visible through the fences.

Unfortunately, I forget the name.

Around the battlefield, you will see many of these upright canon.  Each upright canon indicates the location of a commanding general's headquarters.  This one, the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, 3rd Corps, under the command of Major General David Sickles.  He was here for the first two days of the battle.

A canon shot hole is clearly visible in the wall of this barn, but it is a survivor as well.

Chaplain of the Union troops is memorialized here.

With the names of all Pennsylvanians who served at Gettysburg.

How did I do on the lady in front of the memorial, Josh?

Although examing these trees, I doubt any were around at the time of the battle.  Too young.

There were more that 250 pieces of artillery on the battlefield.

Looking down the Union line toward Little Roundtop.

The Angle.  The point where Confederate troops broke through the Union line, where Confederate general Lewis A Armisttad died.  Eventually, Union troops beat back the assault, making this the Highwater Mark of the battle.

With a memorial to the Pennsylvania units that were the foundation of the defence here.

Brigadier General Lewis A. Armisttad, C.S.A., led troops through the Union line at The Angle and paid the ultimate price for his bravery.  This marker marks the place where he fell in battle.

General Meade looks across the field at his rival, General Robert E. Lee.

Memorial commemorating Lincoln's "few brief remarks", later to become known as The Gettysburg Address.

Veterans from other wars are also buried in the National Soldiers Cemetery.  Brothers in Arms.

Unknown soldiers from both sides are identified simply by numbers.

Union soldiers are buried by state in a semi-circular field around the national monument.

This honey locust stood in this very spot during the Battle of Gettysburg, 150 years ago.