AncestorEbooks Celebrates the 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg
(PRWEB) July 04, 2013 -- As the 150th Anniversary approaches for the Battle of Gettysburg, AncestorEbooks joins the nation in honoring those who fought in the historic battle. [army.mil/gettysburg/statistics/statistics.html]
The Battle of Gettysburg raged from July 1 through July 3 of 1863. After a successful campaign in Chancellorsville, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee wanted to continue by removing the fighting from war ravaged Virginia into Northern Territory. [bit.ly/JYfmip]
The Confederate and Union soldiers met on the battlefield on July 1, on the West and North ends of Gettysburg. By the end of that first night, the 30,000 Confederates were able to defeat the Union Army of 20,000 Soldiers.
On the second day, the Union Army was able to rally together 90,000 soldiers. Battles raged throughout the day at Devil's Den, Little Round top, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard and Cemetery Ridge. The fighting was fierce, but by the end of the second day, Union defenders maintained their strong holds. [bit.ly/JYfmip] The second day of the Battle of Gettysburg was the most costly of the three days in terms of human lives.
On the third and final day of the battle, the fighting had extended to the East and South of town, but the assault of 12,000 Confederate soldiers against the Union Line, to this day known as Pickett's Charge was the main focus of the day. By the end of this third day, General Robert E. Lee, hastened a retreat back to Virginia. [bit.ly/JYfmip]
This celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg is not the first. There have been reunions before, such as the 1913 Reunion in which all honorably discharged soldiers were invited, whether they fought at Gettysburg or not and the 1938 Reunion in which Confederate and Union soldiers met and shook hands over the Angle. [bit.ly/14BXuQX]
The 150 years that have passed since the Battle of Gettysburg has changed the perspective of Americans. [bit.ly/14BXuQX] Carl Whitehill of the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau said, "For decades, people came here for military and black powder. Now they want to know about the civilians and what they endured during and after the battle." [bit.ly/14BXuQX]
Even fiction books today have begun to focus on the civilians instead of the brave men and boys who fought during the Battle of Gettysburg. The Last Full Measure, a novel written by Ann Rinaldi, focuses on a teenager and her life during those three tragic days. [amzn.to/14n55V3]
"I personally believe that the stories of family heroes should not be lost. Whether your ancestors fought during a war, or helped to tend to the wounded, those memories and stories need to be preserved for future generations," says Gayla Mendenhall of AncestorEbooks. "With todays technologies, what better way to incorporate pictures of your family heroes with their stories than with a one of a kind Ebook."
Over the years, the Anniversary has also begun to emphasize the important role the Battle of Gettysburg played in the Civil Rights movement 100 years later. [bit.ly/14BXuQX] This year, one of the main events will be a program entitled "Gettysburg: A New Birth of Freedom."
This year's celebration will have over 400 events scheduled during the 10 day event, including two re-enactments of the Battle of Gettysburg. [bit.ly/14BXuQX] Many of these activities will be hands-on for adults and children alike.
"These events during this 150th anniversary celebration might be fun and exciting," continues Mrs. Mendenhall, "But please remember to show the respect and honor this location deserves."
Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address, "...we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they fought here have thus nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Cristina Besendorfer, Ancestor Ebooks LLC, http://ancestorebooks.com/, 417-843-3999, [email protected]
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