Gettysburg

Roman Keane, the protagonist in the Road King Chronicles, visits Civil War battlefields whenever he can. In fact, part of the action in RKC: Blue Ridge Run takes place on the Manassas battlefield. In RKC: South Dakota Dead, Roman talks about his visit to the part of the Gettysburg battlefield where the north and south cavalry faced each other late in the battle.

Visiting Gettysburg is a sobering, yet fascinating experience. I’ve often looked across the field where Pickett’s Charge took place from both the Union and Confederate perspectives and every time I’m struck speechless by the bravery and commitment of soldiers on either side. And by the senseless tragedy of that engagement and the entire civil war.

If you get a chance to see it for yourself, I highly recommend going. If you have the time and money, take a tour with one of the licensed guides. They will customize their presentation to make your visit interesting to everyone in your group. In any case, go. In the meantime, here’s a video slide montage of the battlefield.

Many thanks to Justin Rudy, whose re-enactment lends a bit of life to the presentation, even though the photos of him weren’t taken on the actual battlefield. Justine’s re-enactment unit is the 13th New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. In addition, Justin re-enacted a few scenes for the southern side of the battle.