Gettysburg & The Resurrection

When we arrived back at the hotel on the second night, I learned of the death of one of my dear friends, Marci Burgon. She was survived by her husband and young twin daughters. It was so sudden and compounded a sadness that had weighed on my heart the whole week. We had learned of SIX deaths that occurred the week before Easter: one was an elderly mother who had lived a long life, two were mothers of small children, one was a single woman our age, one was an eighteen year old young man and one was a young child. We also have new friends who have suffered two losses in the last few months. So much sadness in such a short period of time!

I am so grateful for my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ! His willingness to give His life and His subsequent resurrection has enabled each of us to break the bonds of death. One day each of these beloved individuals will also have their spirit and body reunited in perfection through the gift of the resurrection. I know that the gift of resurrection will be bestowed upon all the inhabitants of this earth. Death is not an end. It is only a step in our eternal progression. We will see our loved one's on the other side of the veil. Families can be together forever! You can learn more about that here.

Since I was feeling so blue we changed our plans for the day and chose to visit Gettysburg. We were so pleased when we realized that we were only an hour and a half away. We traveled through some of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania on our way there. What a beautiful spring day!

In my humble opinion there are a few places that every United States citizen should visit and experience in their lifetime. Gettysburg National Military Park is one of those places.

As you enter the visitor center you can look at a few artifacts and photos of the battlefield for free. We paid for museum tickets, the cyclorama and a short film on Gettysburg. Highly recommend this option.

The Battle of Gettysburg or also known as the Gettysburg Cyclorama depicts the last day of the battle on July 3, 1863. It was painted by Paul Philippoteaux in 1883.

One of our favorite things to do with the kids at National Parks is to complete the Junior Ranger programs (if it is available there). Alyssa is finding answers to the questions on the Gettysburg Cyclorama. Braxton just wants to move on. Hotch is helping Alyssa. Delaney is our little model!

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war..." This mural is stunning! It is located along the wall next to the museum entrance and behind Union and Confederate soldier uniforms.

The American Civil War was a tragic event in history. We have ancestors that fought in both the Union and Confederate armies. We have researched our ancestors involvement and feel drawn to learning more about this event in our national and personal history. Hotch and I are amateur Civil War buffs.

One of the greatest blights on our nation was slavery! It breaks my heart that people were not valued and cherished as children of God here in our nation. A major struggle I have with living in North Carolina is the fact that it once was a slave state and that racism was rampant.

Braxton is a gentle soul who has always been hurt by the unkindness of others. Slavery breaks his heart!

Some of the bravest men that fought during the Civil War were the African-American men serving in the Union colored troops. (Personally despise the word "colored". It makes my skin crawl.)

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued on January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln which freed all slaves in the ten states that seceded from the United States.

The kids learned about a day in the life of a soldier and the different bugle songs.

Hotch's great, great, great grandfather Daniel D. Doolin served in the Illinois 81st Infantry Regiment Company D from Aug. 26, 1862 until May 30, 1865. Braxton was sad to hear that he slept with similar gear on the ground for all those years. Makes a difference when you have a loved one to relate the information to.

Delaney is pointing to the "naughty" Confederate flag. We do not nor will we ever fly that flag in our home.

Alyssa and Hotch stuck together in order to finish the Junior Ranger program. They are really close and had a lovely time together! They learned so many interesting facts that they shared later in the day.

I was stuck with the little ones which meant we went a little faster through the museum and stuck to basic facts. They had many monitors with interactive programs which kept the little ones entertained. They are learning flag signals. Of course they had to spell out each of their names.

General Robert E. Lee and General George Meade are the major players in the Battle of Gettysburg. Robert E. Lee holds a soft spot in our hearts as we have studied his impressive life and military record. I believe he was dragged into a war that he did not believe in, but felt the necessity to side with his home state.

Jennie Wade was the only civilian casualty of the battle.

Had to take a few timeouts. At least there were a few empty corners when we needed them.

I had never heard of Thomas Morris Chester but now I want to learn more about him.

Toward the end of the museum there were two enormous walls full of photos of both the Union (seen below) and Confederate soldier casualties of the battle of Gettysburg. It was a harrowing, tragic sight. So many beloved husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, etc died in such a very violent, poignant battle.

I am a conscientious objector. I deplore war!

There is a touching room that plays the Gettysburg address. My children were a bit solemn by the time we ventured into this room and took it upon themselves to sit quietly listening to the words being spoken.

My favorite quote of the day! It will hang in our home soon.

The kids completed the Junior Ranger program for Gettysburg thanks to Alyssa's hard work. They were each inducted into the Horsemen's Regiment and instructed on their necessary duties.

After buying many beautiful books in the Gettysburg Visitor Center's bookstore we headed out to take some photos with good old Abe. The kids got Civil War 150th Anniversary trading cards from the park ranger. Braxton was so excited that he had one of Abraham Lincoln who he loves and adores.

It was a beautiful day and an experience that touched our hearts.