From July 1 to 3, 1863, more than 160,000 American soldiers clashed in the Battle of Gettysburg, in what would prove to be a turning point of the Civil War. Yes, there was a Gettysburg before the 1863 battle. The battlefield contained the bodies of more than 7,500 dead soldiers and several thousand horses Union/Confederate casualties: 3,155 killed 4,708 killed; 14,531 /12,693 wounded; 5,369/5,830 captured/missing
Interring the dead in a dignified and orderly manner became a high priority for the few thousand residents of Gettysburg. Initially, the town planned to buy land for a cemetery and then ask the families of the dead to pay for their burial. However, David Wills, a wealthy 32-year-old attorney, objected to this idea and wrote to the Governor of Pennsylvania, Andrew Gregg Curtin, suggesting instead a National Cemetery to be funded by the states. Wills was authorized to purchase 17acres for a cemetery to honor those lost in the summer's battle, paying $2,475.87 for the land
Wills and the event committee invited President Lincoln to participate in the ceremony. Wills's letter stated, "It is the desire that, after the Oration, you, as Chief Executive of the nation, formally set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks."
The only confirmed photo of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg (seated), taken about noon, just after Lincoln arrived and some three hours before he spoke. To Lincoln's right is his bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon.
A war weary President Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope on a train on route to dedicate a battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The Gettysburg Address
Four score and seven years ago, our fore fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate-we cannot consecrate-we cannot hallow-this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work, which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people for the people and by the people shall not perish from the earth.
it's good to bring history into our world, especially when history was just made in such a paramount way on january 20th. thank you for sharing these facts with us,
David, History has always been fascinating to me, especially the civil war. Abe Lincoln is one of my favorite presidents. What you site here was another wonderful piece of work that our president did. I feel sadden that such a great man was assinated. What a waste. Do you also know that that is how the Internal Revenue was started....to pay for the civil war, and the commisioner was named to head that organization? I found that interesting. I wrote a rather lengthy article on that. (I'm not a fan of the IRS) although I know it is necessary to pay our war expenses....but that is another story.....This was a wonderful article, and also informative, I have always liked reading your work, well done my friend......your friend in pen, Gary.
The union as you probably know thought the war would be over in weeks, so they did not bother. As the war dragged on they needed them but were to skint to buy them.
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