Gettysburg National Military Park - Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
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S5280ft
N 39° 49.289 W 077° 13.790
18S E 309158 N 4410322
Gettysburg National Military Park covers approximately 15 square miles. These coordinates are for the National Cemetery at its heart, where President Abraham Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address.
Waymark Code: WM49X0
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 07/27/2008
Views: 121
The battle of Gettysburg could be called a stalemate. Neither side overwhelmed the other, each side had similar numbers of casualties (totaling over 51,000 in all), but it was a turning point in the U.S. Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee was attempting to boldly attack deep into Union territory at Harrisburg, Pennslyvania or possibly Philadelphia to cause concern in the north that the toil of continuing the war with the South was futile. Union defenses were rushed into position by Major General George Gordon Meade only 3 days after replacing Major General Joseph Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Lee made attempt after attempt to crush the Union forces. The Union fell back, but usually to defensive positions on higher ground. Those positions ultimately held, even with the onslaught of a final push on day 3 of the battle, into the Union center by the Confederates called "Picket's Charge".
From the National Park Service website:
"Established by concerned citizens in 1864, the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association set out to preserve portions of the battlefield as a memorial to the Union troops that fought the battle. In 1895, the lands were transferred to the Federal government and Gettysburg National Military Park was established. Administered by a commission of Civil War veterans, the park's primary purpose was to be a memorial to the two armies that fought this pivtol battle, and to mark and preserve the battle lines of each army. Administration of the park was transferred to the Department of the Interior- National Park Service in 1933, which continues in its mission to protect, preserve and interpret the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address to park visitors."
Street address: PA USA
County / Borough / Parish: Adams
Year listed: 1966
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Information Potential, Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Historic function: Defense, Funerary, Landscape
Current function: Agriculture/Subsistence, Landscape, Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 6:00 AM To: 7:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.