USA holiday 9

Wednesday 28th October we stayed at the Gettysburg RV camp. It was our first wet day but no problem. We were taken on a tour of the battlefield area. It is a national park and the town has not been expanded too much since 1863. Gettysburg was a three day battle which put a stop to the Confederate invasion of Union territory though the was dragged on two more bloody years. IMO Robert E Lee should have been the victor but mistakes were made. He lacked the counsel of his most trusted general, Stonewall Jackson, who died from friendly fire at Chancellorville, unlike the film which has him present. We had a guide all to ourselves and the Larsons and he drove their car. This battlefield and its museum are far far better than anything in Europe. What have we in the UK except Culloden and in Europe Waterloo is not a patch on this. The battlefield has more memorials than any other in the world. Veterans started coming back soon after the was ended. But it was not until 1917 that Lee got his statue. Pictures have been uploaded including some to the Cyclorama in the museum. It is the largest painting in North America and over 100 years old. The museum is very educational with a film of the battle and many exhibits telling the story of the war's bloodiest battle with 51,000 casualties.