Summer of 21 - #22 - Exploring Gettysburg Town - Sachs Covered Bridge, Gettysburg Town & Train Station

May 17th, 2021 -  Part 3 of 3 

On the way to Eisenhower National Historic Site, we stopped at Sachs Covered Bridge.

This LINK  tells some history of this bridge. I also read that it is haunted with a story of three confederate soldiers being hung here during the Civil War by union soldiers.  

Our visit to Eisenhower National Historic Site was next and if you missed that blog here is a LINK to it.

We then went to the Jennie Wade House and Shriver House Museum - You can read that blog HERE.

Next we went downtown and parked by the railway station. Everywhere is metered, we paid our money and decided to find the David Wells House first.

As we were figuring out where to go first, the barriers went down. A-ha you think, a train must be coming.

Hmmm, strange looking train!!!

Anyway, we decided to walk up to the center of town.

"by the skin of our teeth" marker - Here's a LINK that tells you about this. I've copied an extract from there below.

"On July 1, 1863, Gettysburg's center square was the eye in the storm of panic and confusion that swirled in the town's streets and alleys as the routed Union 1st and 11th Corps fled toward the safety of Cemetery Hill.

Some Union soldiers rallied here in an attempt to stem the Confederate pursuit. Union artillery deployed nearby and sent "grape shot" flying across the square. The relentless Confederate pressure, however quickly drove the defenders further down Baltimore Street.

The pursuing Confederates took possession of the square and poured deadly fire along the streets into their fleeing foes.

Col. Gilbert Prey, commander of the 104th New York whose regiment survived the hailstorm of bullets, recalled getting through the town "by the skin of our teeth." 

Over 3,000 of his comrades were not so fortunate."

Here is a LINK to tell you the significance of the David Wills House.

An extract from the link:

"The home of Gettysburg attorney David Wills was the center of the immense clean-up process after the Battle of Gettysburg and where President Lincoln put the finishing touches on his Gettysburg Address, the speech that transformed Gettysburg from a place of death and devastation to the symbol of our nation's "new birth of freedom"."

David Wills House

After walking around the town a little we went back to the Gettysburg Lincoln Railway Station.  This was where President Lincoln arrived the evening before his famous Gettysburg Address, at the dedication of the National Soldiers' Cemetery.  Again it was closed due to Covid, so we took some pictures from the outside.

Here's a LINK that tells you about this marker.

This is what is written on it:

"Built in 1858 in the fashionable Italianate Villa style, this R.R. depot and its attendant telegraph line afforded Gettysburg with modern day transportation and communication. 

The Battle of Gettysburg expanded its use for unanticipated purposes.

On July 1, 1863, this building and its passenger platform were commandeered for use as an army hospital.

When train service was restored following the battle, the U.S. Sanitary Commission set up a tent lodge across the tracks from the rear platform to assist the wounded brought from the field hospitals for transportation to home and distant hospitals. Volunteer Georgeanna Woolsey recalled: "Twice a day the trains left...and twice a day we fed all the wounded who arrived for them. 

On November 18, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln arrived by train at this depot for the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery, where he delivered the Gettysburg Address."

President Lincoln

We left the train station and passed Gettysburg College where we realized it was Graduation Day as we saw the students, in their gowns, and families going into the college.

Our last stop of the day was at the First Shot marker.

"The first shot of the Battle of Gettysburg is said to have been fired by a Union cavalry officer at 7:30 A.M. on July 1, 1863 along the Chambersburg Turnpike three miles west of the town."

It was a busy day but we managed to get everything done.

Here's the map again, showing you the stops today.

                               

I believe that's all the exploring we're going to do in the town of Gettysburg, phew!! that was a lot. 

There's still more exploring to do in this area though - stay tuned.......next, we will be exploring the area south of Gettysburg.