150 years ago, in July of 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the turning point of the Civil War oc-curred, in the battle with the largest number of casu-alties in the entire war. Un-ion General George Meade and his army put a stop to Confederate General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the north.
Over the course of the three-day battle, almost 50,000 casualties were recorded, including almost 8,000 killed, 27,000 wounded and 11,000 captured/missing. Over 3,000 horses were killed as well. But only one civil-ian death was recorded - 20 year old Ginnie Wade was killed by a stray bul-let while cooking bread in her house.
Journalist Bruce Catton recorded this observation in the aftermath of the battle: "The town of Gettysburg looked as if some universal moving day had been interrupted by catastrophe." Four months later, the effects of the battle were still evident in Gettysburg, when President Lincoln dedicated the Soldier's National Cemetery, delivering his famous Gettysburg Address. 75 years later (in 1938), President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the monument called the Eternal Light Peace Memorial at a reunion on the battlefield that attracted over 300,000 visitors.
Over the course of the three-day battle, almost 50,000 casualties were recorded, including almost 8,000 killed, 27,000 wounded and 11,000 captured/missing. Over 3,000 horses were killed as well. But only one civil-ian death was recorded - 20 year old Ginnie Wade was killed by a stray bul-let while cooking bread in her house.
Journalist Bruce Catton recorded this observation in the aftermath of the battle: "The town of Gettysburg looked as if some universal moving day had been interrupted by catastrophe." Four months later, the effects of the battle were still evident in Gettysburg, when President Lincoln dedicated the Soldier's National Cemetery, delivering his famous Gettysburg Address. 75 years later (in 1938), President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the monument called the Eternal Light Peace Memorial at a reunion on the battlefield that attracted over 300,000 visitors.
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