Gettysburg

The name says it all--Gettysburg. The most famous battle of the Civil War. And we were there this weekend listening to two wonderful Civil War bands, the Wildcat Band representing the 105th Pennsylvania Volunteers and The Eighth Regiment Band of Rome Georgia. (And if you think it didn't feel good to me to hear those rich Southern accents rolled out like honey on bread, think again.)

There was a brass band festival at the Gettysburg National Military Park. These bands use period instruments to recreate the sound of the war so that you can understand what the soldiers heard as they waited and marched into almost certain death. On both sides, units were put in situations where they had almost no chance to survive. The field that Pickett's Charge crossed over is vast and it looks much the way it did on the day of the battle. We were there only days away from the actual date. So the wildflowers blooming there would have been blooming in 1863. Maybe next year we'll return for the re-enactment of the battle. We also got to hear one of the bands in the Prince of Peace Episcopal church which is one of the places the wounded were taken after the battle.

The photos are of the Wildcat Band, John Carruth, the leader of the 8th regiment band (and yes, he knows he looks like Robert E. Lee), and the Louisiana Monument put up during Gov. McKeithen's administration.

We had a lovely weekend and got much-needed rest. All wars bring out nobility of spirit and courage at the same time they bring out brutality and hate. For me, the Civil War musicians fall into the first category. Unarmed, they faced the same artillery fire as the soldiers and served as litter carriers, ambulance drivers and medics during the actual battles.