Gettysburg National Cemetery

Welcome, esteemed traveler. As we stand here at the entrance to the Gettysburg National Cemetery, I ask you to take a moment to absorb the profound quiet that blankets these pristine lawns. …

As we move into the heart of the cemetery, you will immediately notice the distinct, semicircular arrangement of the graves. This design is no accident. …

Let us stop here, at the plot dedicated to the soldiers from the state of Minnesota. While every state plot holds tales of unimaginable bravery, examining a specific group allows us to grasp the intimate, terrifying reality of…

We now stand before the towering focal point of the cemetery, the Soldiers' National Monument. Rising forty seven feet into the sky, it anchors the center of the semicircular graves. …

Let us walk slightly away from the graves and stand upon the grounds where the great dedication ceremony took place on November nineteenth, eighteen sixty three. Try to strip away the tranquility of the present moment and imagine…

We arrive now at the Lincoln Address Memorial. This monument commemorates the exact event we were just discussing, situated near the upper Cemetery Drive, approximately three hundred yards from where the actual wooden platform…

As we walk toward the edge of the National Cemetery, you will notice an iron fence separating this hallowed military ground from an older, civilian burial ground. This is the Evergreen Cemetery, which actually predates the Battle…

As our analytical journey through the Gettysburg National Cemetery draws to a close, I ask you to take one final, sweeping look over the precise arcs of weathered stone. We have traced the horrific aftermath of the battle, the…