On this day 150 years ago, the mostly costly battle in terms of American casualties in the Civil War ended in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. After three days of brutal fighting in the fields and the streets of that town, the consequences of the battle begin to emerge; nearly 50,000 casualties on both sides were dead, wounded or missing.

The importance of Gettysburg was understood immediately following the battle, but it wasn’t until President Lincoln’s address during the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery that the legacy of the struggle was cemented for all time, as this video explains:

There are a lot of retrospectives on the battle to mark the 150th anniversary. Here are a few:

  • The Smithsonian Magazine has put together a robust interactive map to literally see the Gettysburg in a new way
  • Army Lt. Colonel Robert Bateman, a historian in his own right, has been immersed in a deep dive in the daily goings on in Gettysburg for Esquire
  • Over at The Atlantic, Iraq Veteran Brian Mockenhaupt takes a look at how The Civil War was a time when Americans were viscerally connected with the violence of war, and how that has changed today
  • Richmond Times-Dispatch photographer Zach Gibson captured some incredible images of the Gettysburg reenactment over the weekend
  • For more photos, the Atlantic Wire has collected great images from Gettysburg, then and now

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2 Comments

  1. John Riggs July 5, 2013 at 02:03

    Very well done.
    Our forefathers reforged this nation from “these” United States and we became “THE” United States of America, one Nation Under God, not separate states divided. Sadly so much blood had to be shed to bring this point home to all the people of this great nation.
    We shall never be separated and I wish all a very happy 4th of July and those living history actors currently replaying the battle of Gettysburg this week a good week.

  2. Bob Mulholland July 3, 2013 at 16:48

    Many Americans walked or rode into the Battle of Gettysburg. Tragically, many never left but President Lincoln certainly in his words at Gettysburg will remind Americans for eternity of what happened. People fought for their Cause and fortunately the USA was preserved and today the USA is the greatest & best country in the world. On July 4th I will think of the troops that fought there.
    Bob Mulholland
    Chico,Ca
    101st Airborne, Vietnam (1967-68)

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