Gettysburg

     July 3rd in 1863 marked the end of a three day battle of the American Civil War that took place in the small town of Gettysburg.  Located in south central Pennsylvania (about a three hour drive from my home) Gettysburg was transformed from a sleepy country town to the scene of one of the bloodiest battles to take place in the United States.  The army of the South came to this crossroads town from the Northwest while the Northern army came from Maryland in the South (one of the little ironies of the battle).

     July 1, 2 & 3 marked the encounters, with the unsuccessful Picket's Charge on the afternoon of the 3rd turning the tide in favor of the North.  One hundred and fifty-six years ago at this time Lee's army was retreating to the South, and even though there would be two more years of bloodshed before the war's end, this battle marked a turning point.

     Growing up in grade school we read about the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg, and I remember learning the Gettysburg Address by heart [I can still recite the Address].  But it was in 1992 that I was reintroduced to this peaceful place of carnage through a good friend, Mike Ripple, who knew the place well.  He had a relative [I believe it was his great grandfather] who stood in reserve outside of Gettysburg during those three days.  My interest was aroused and I have visited often, read much, and collected some powerful battle artwork over the years.

     My interest was less in battle tactics and more in terms of the human costs of this struggle of brother against brother.  There is much to remember and to honor in this struggle, on both sides, but there is also much to learn.  We cannot learn the lessons of life taught in this terrible civil war if we desire to change history or deny the struggle that touched the hearts of those from the South and from the North.  It pains me that we are changing names and tearing down statues and finding offense at what were things of the past.  We still do it in our day, judging the past by the standards and sensitivities of our day.  If we have not grown or moved on, then that judging may be valid.  But if we have learned from the mistakes of the past, then we must focus on looking ahead to celebrating our accomplishments and re-establishing our goals.

     On this anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg we must remember that while it was brother against brother [sometimes literally] it was a struggle of a family for her freedom.   That freedom is not yet perfect in our experience, but it is the best that we have and worth the ongoing struggle to make it more perfect.