• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG (GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD)

December 9, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (1863 AD)

The Battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle ever fought on American soil, and one of the largest to take place anywhere outside of Europe during the 19th century.  Fought over three days in the summer of 1863, Gettysburg marked the farthest point that Confederate armies ever advanced into northern territory, and was for all intents and purposes the turning point of the war.  It was also the greatest defeat for General Robert E. Lee, the great military hero of the Confederacy and one of the most successful commanders in American history.  Gettysburg is arguably the most popular battle field for military history buffs located on American soil.

History

By the spring of 1863, the American Civil War had already been raging for two years.  Although the main front in northern Virginia and Maryland was roughly a stalemate, with victories, defeats and massive casualties for both asides, the North was steadily encroaching on Southern territory in other theaters of the war.  It was becoming obvious to the Confederate government in Richmond that a long war would likey end only one way.  The Confederacy’s greatest general, Robert E. Lee, was pressed to deliver a knockout blow against the North.

In May of 1863 he saw his chance.  After a stunning victory over the Union Army at Chancellorsville, the road to Washington DC, and potentially a   quick ending to the war, lay open.  The Confederate army marched northward through Maryland intent on finishing the Federal army. Lee’s first strategic objective was to capture several important cities in southeastern Pennsylvania so as to cut off Baltimore and Washington from reinforcements and resupply.

Lee got as far as the Pennyslvania city of Gettysburg, where the Union army managed to fall back and receive further reinforcement.  Both armies began trickling in to the area at the end of June.  Several undecisive skirmishes were fought as more and more elements of each army arrived.  However, by July 1 the Federal army had secured strong defensive positions around Gettysburg, forcing Lee onto the tactical offensive.

The next three days witnessed some of the best known and bloodiest engagements of the war.  The climax of the battle, Pickett’s Charge, took place on July 3 and is arguably the single most famous fight ever to take place on American soil.  A terrible defeat for Lee, the Confederate army was soon forced to withdraw back to Virginia.  Each side took over twenty thousand casualties by the time it was all over.  After the battle, president Lincoln traveled to the field and delivered his Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history.

Visiting

Gettysburg National Military Park is one of the most popular visited battlefields in the United States.  It is especially revered among history buffs and military enthusiasts.  The battlefield is very well marked noting the locations of the engagements, and scores of monuments commemorate the soldiers and units of both sides.  The wide open field where Pickett’s Charge took place has been well preserved, with fences and other landmarks fully restored for the throngs of visitors who come to see the battlefield.  Other popular sites include Big Round Top and Little Round Top; the Devil’s Den; Cemetery Ridge and Seminary Ridge.

The Gettysburg Battlefield is located in a wide arc about one mile outside of the City of Gettysburg approximately fifty miles northwest of Baltimore.  It is run by the National Park Service.  Almost all of the battlefield, including the most important and popular destinations, are open sites.  There is no cost of admission.  Web: www.nps.gov/gett (official website).

Filed Under: Battlefield Tagged With: US-Mid Atlantic

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.