The Gettysburg Campaign, Part I

For three days in July 1863, the quiet farmland of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was filled with chaos, bloodshed, and death. Places like Devil's Den, Bloody Run, and Little Round Top became part of the history of the United States with lasting resonance. This battle was impulsive, but not a surprise. It was frantic, but not strategic. And it started with a very active Eastern Theater at the end of 1862 and going into the Spring of 1863. Nor did the Battle of Gettysburg end on July 3, 1863. For days, weeks, and months after the effects of the battle were felt by the generals, the soldiers, and the citizens left behind in Gettysburg with ten times their number in dead and wounded.

In Gettysburg Campaign, join us as we talk about the Prelude to the Battle of Gettysburg by learning about the armies as they were during that time, the town of Gettysburg and the citizens who had to witness the fight. Then we will take each day of those three tragic days to get into the minds of the Lee and Meade, talk about the topography and battle tactics. We will discuss the aftermath from the thousands of wounded soldiers lying in every house, school and church to the creation of Camp Letterman on the outskirts of town to the beginnings of the Soldiers' Cemetery. Finally, Gettysburg in memory and monument will be our topic as we draw this exciting course to a close.