USA ‘23 Gettysburg , part 2

After doing the museum and cyclorama which really set the scene for the actual battle itself . We met up with our pre booked battlefield guide – which had been organised via the museum itself – for a a half day explore .

Mike Rupert our guide . He did a great job of pitching things at just the right level for Mrs D and then for me with some more exacting questions . Photo taken just above Devils Den from a Union battery position with Big Round Top behind

We followed the 3 days of the battle chronologically. So we started near the Chambersburg Pike area with Bufords cavalry holding the ground to Seminary ridge from the advancing Confederate forces

There are 100s of guns around the battlefield in positions where the various batteries were located – handily they also point in the direction they were fighting. There are also over 2000 memorials to the various units of each side positioned again where they fought. They have stopped any new ones being added

View towards the Chambersburg Pike

Case shot ball . The artillery shotgun equivalent with 100s of these being fired together

Robert E Lee looking over the area of Pickets charge

The view across Pickets charge area to Cemetery Ridge

Unfortunately there wasn’t any direct access to Little Roundtop due to ongoing maintenance works . We did however get down to the Devils Den . This was a lot closer to the Round Tops than I had realised . It also has some fantastic rock formations . They almost look as if they are just placed there by some giant .

Little Round Top from the Devils Den. It wasn’t as high or steep as I thought it was . It was also a lot closers to the Devils Den than I realised. The Famous 20th Maine fought to the right of the hill where the woods are. The wooded hill to right is Big Round Top.