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Gettysburg Battlefield Camping
Date: 8/29/08 - 9/1/08
Time: 5:00PM - 11:00AM
Location: Gettysburg, PA
Join us as we camp at the Gettysburg Battlefield in August. Initial plans are to camp on the battlefield, visit President Eisenhower's farm and hike the battlefield.
12th Annual Labor Day Artillery Weekend
Date: 8/30/2008, 8/31/2008
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location:
Details:
Volunteer living history groups visit the park for the weekend with demonstrations of camp life and drill of the Civil War period. This weekend is the 12th Annual Labor Day Artillery Weekend in cooperation with Maryland State Parks, and featuring Purcell`s Battery with a compliment of four full scale guns, camp and programs at Pitzer Woods, Auto Tour Stop No. 6.
This is a great time to learn about our history and the War between the States.
On June 3, 1863, a month after his dramatic victory at Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee began marching his Army of Northern Virginia westward from its camps around Fredericksburg, Virginia. Once through the gaps of the Blue Ridge, the Southerners trudged northward into Maryland and Pennsylvania. They were followed by the Union Army of the Potomac under Major General Joseph Hooker, but Lee, whose cavalry under Major General J.E.B Stuart was absent on a raid around the Federal forces, had no way of knowing his adversary's whereabouts.
The two armies touched by chance at Gettysburg on June 30. The main battle opened on July 1 with confederates attacking Union troops on McPherson Ridge west of town. Though outnumbered, the Federal forces held their position until afternoon, when they were finally overpowered and driven back to Cemetery Hill south of town. During the night the main body of the Union army, now commanded by Major General George G. Meade, arrived and took up positions.
On July 2 the battlelines were drawn up in two sweeping arcs. The main portions of both armies were nearly one mile apart on parallel ridges: Union forces on Cemetery Ridge, Confederate forces on Seminary Ridge to the west. Lee ordered an attack against both Union flanks. Lt. General James Longstreet's thrust on the Federal left turned the base of Little Roundtop into a shambles, left the Wheatfield strewn with dead and wounded, and overran the Peach Orchard. Farther north, Lt. General Richard S. Ewell's evening attack on the Federal right at East Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, though momentarily successful, could not be exploited to Confederate advantage.
On July 3 Lee's artillery opened a two-hour bombardment of the Federal lines on Cemetery Ridge and Cemetery Hill. This for a time engaged the massed guns of both sides in a thundering duel for supremacy, but did little to soften up the Union defensive position. Then some 12,000 Confederates advanced across open fields toward the Federal center in an attack known as "Pickett's Charge." The attack failed and cost Lee over 5,000 soldiers in one hour. The Battle of Gettysburg was over.
We will be walking these battle areas on Sunday. Join us as we relive history.
registration form
Gettysburg website
McMillan Woods Youth Campground
Debbie Huprich
(410) 969-7414
E-Mail: grandmahup@yahoo.com |
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