The Wandering Disciple

While the battle has long faded into history, a drive around Gettysburg will still bear witness to scars from the deadliest conflict of the Civil War. This is the Abraham Trostle farm in which a cannonball was fired into the barn. The hole made by the cannonball is still visible in the brick of the barn.  The Abraham Trostle farm was taken over by Major General Sickles and became the headquarters of the Third Army Corps. The farm came under heavy fire resulting in a valiant last stand by the 9th Massachusetts Battery. The skirmish resulted in heavy casualties and damage to the barn in which some is still visible today. Today the farm is one of the many prominent buildings maintained by the National Park Service as part of the battlefield park.  Taken: July 14, 2023 at Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg, PA)

A group of Civil War reenactors set up a camp at Gettysburg. Civil War enthusiasts come from across the country to recreate one of the most critical battles during the war. This encampment was set up along Confederate Avenue near the start point to Pickett’s Charge. Taken: July 14, 2023 at Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg, PA) 

A cannon sits atop a ridge in Gettysburg. The cannon battery would be positioned on the ridge line protect the high ground and the troops sheltering behind the ridge from attack forces down below.  Gettysburg was site of the deadliest battle of the Civil War and the only battle to be fought on northern soil. The Union victory in the battle would become a turning point in the war. Today a large portion of the battlefield has been preserved as a National Park.  Taken: July 14, 2023 at Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg, PA)

A family of deer graze in one of the orchards in the Gettysburg battlefield. White tail deer can be found throughout the region grabbing a snack in fields or seeking cover in the treelines of the battlefield.  White Tail Deer are common in Pennsylvania and widely hunted. The deer have adapted to being hunted and have the intuitive ability to seek protection within the boundaries of the national park.   Taken: July 14, 2023 at Gettysburg National Military Park (Gettysburg, PA)