For over a century and a half, no other battle from the American Civil War has so profoundly captured our interest quite like the Battle of Gettysburg. Indeed, a quick stroll through the rolling fields remind us of the more than 50,000 casualties that occurred during the three day battle, and a simple walk through the Gettysburg National Cemetery inevitably brings to mind Abraham Lincoln's iconic Gettysburg Address. Today, while it's true there are literally countless amazing sites to see while visiting Gettysburg National Military Park, I guarantee that none will give you a better understanding of the battle (not to mention a more breathtaking view) than the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum & Cupola. So without further ado, I'd like to invite you to follow along with me in today's blog post as I share some of the highlights from my visit to this incredible piece of history. Let's go!
View from the Cupola at the Gettysburg Seminary Building. From the Cupola, you can experience a 360 degree view of Gettysburg--making it the only spot where you can quickly see every location of where the fighting took place.
Outside view of the Gettysburg Seminary Building (you can see the Cupola at the top!) The building is unchanged and original to when the Battle of Gettysburg occurred. First established in 1826 as the Lutheran Theological Seminary, the building was quickly overtaken and used as a lookout post and headquarters by Union General John Buford when the Battle of Gettysburg first broke out on the morning July 1, 1863.
From his view at the Cupola, General Buford could easily see the Confederate Army advancing just west of town as early as 7am on the morning of July 1, 1863. But with his force of just 2,900 men, Buford knew that his men would have to "fight like the devil" in order to keep the advancing Confederates contained until reinforcements arrived.
As Buford's men fought tenaciously against the advancing Rebels, help finally did arrive. As Major General John Reynolds (who was one of the most highly respected officers in the Union Army) and his 8,200 soldiers of the 1st Corps came galloping into Gettysburg, Buford said to himself "Thank God, now I can hold this place."
According to reports, Reynolds met briefly with Buford at the Seminary Cupola, then rode out west of town to where the fighting was taking place along McPherson's Woods. A skilled commander and military hero, General Reynolds had, perhaps, only one fault--he liked to be out front, leading his men into battle. This, unfortunately, also made him an easy target, and Reynolds was fatally shot through the neck by a Confederate sharpshooter just moments after reaching the wood line at McPherson's Ridge. He would be the highest ranking officer killed during the Battle of Gettysburg.
By the evening of July 1st, the Confederate Army had managed to push the Union Army back and take control of the town of Gettysburg. Now, the Seminary and Cupola would be occupied by the Confederates for the rest of the battle's duration.
But even after the Battle of Gettysburg ended on July 3, 1863, the death and tremendous suffering caused by the battle still continued for months afterward. With the Seminary now reclaimed by the Union Army after the defeated Confederates retreated from Gettysburg, the building was used to house the hundreds of wounded and dying soldiers left behind in the battle's ugly aftermath. The Seminary would care for patients until mid-September of that year, and be considered one of the largest field hospitals in Gettysburg. Today, you can visit and tour the very rooms where so many soldiers received life-saving medical attention.
This original, blood stained Surgeon's Field Case is made of leather and horsehair. In the battle's aftermath, experienced surgeons as well as many of Gettysburg's citizens worked together to care for the wounded. Injured and dying soldiers filled all three floors of the Seminary, including the attic space.
Originally, dozens of wounded soldiers had sought refuge in the Seminary's cellar during the battle, but heavy rain on July 4th flooded the cellar and nearly drowned the helpless men. Thanks to so many of the women who volunteered at the Seminary, these men were eventually rescued from the cellar and transported to a higher floor inside the Seminary.
I'm here in the attic at the Gettysburg Seminary. From the attic, a set of steps (during the battle, a wooden ladder) is what I climbed to reach the Cupola.
Union Colonel George McFarland (picture below) was one of the first soldiers to be taken to the Seminary after he was shot in both of his legs during the first day of the battle. McFarland later recalled when the Confederates briefly overtook the Seminary, saying "I lay on the floor in my blood for two days" without any food or water--not to mention medical attention. Once the Union reclaimed the Seminary after the battle, however, McFarland promptly received the urgent care he so desperately needed. He eventually had his right leg amputated and was the last patient to leave the hospital on September 16, 1863.
For many, the Battle of Gettysburg is remembered as the "turning point" of the American Civil War--as a battle that marked the end of the Confederate Army's high point and a steady shift in the Union's favor. While this is most certainly true, the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum & Cupola invite us to think even deeper--to see and experience the Battle of Gettysburg in real time, and to lift our hearts to understand the incredible service and the tireless compassion of those who worked at the Seminary to heal and care for the sick in the battle's aftermath, revealing what Abraham Lincoln would have referred to as "the better angels of our nature."
And with that, I'll see you next time, my fellow history buffs--there's no telling where we might travel together next week....