What I did on my holidays (picture heavy)

[Tim Hall]

Gettysburg 2009

I have always had the greatest sympathy for those male friends and colleagues who claim that their wives don't understand them. Sympathy, because they are only deluding themselves, what they mean is that their wives understand them only too well, and because I am in the happy position of having a wife who understands me very well. She knows that if there are some nice toy soldiers about then my wallet finger will get very itchy, she also understands that at Christmas and birthdays I want toys as presents. As a result she is on first name terms with the mail order staff at King and Country UK, and I usually get most of my soldier wish list fulfilled. She is a woman who knows her way around the London Toy Soldier show too, and has an excellent grasp of my likes and dislikes. Oh yes, she knows a zouave from a lancer.

This year Patricia excelled herself. In February she announced that she was taking me to Gettysburg, Pa. The American Civil War being the period that has been my mainstay interest for more years than I care to remember. After getting over my “gobsmackedness�, we planned our adventure for June. As I write this, we are both recovering from the 24 hour journey home, laden with goodies and happy memories, and some photos which I will bore you all with in a minute.

Despite my long term interest, this is my first ACW battlefield visit, so it's only right that it should have been the biggie. I have long been fascinated by the battle of Gettysburg, it was my specialist subject when on Mastermind in 2007, sadly losing a semi-final place by one lousy point!

So we arrived last week, the downside being a tortuous flight with connections and cancellations, but well worth it when pulling into the hotel that night, the foyer of which had been decked out like a period mansion with paintings and maps etc. the next morning we made our way into town and I knew straight away that I had reached Mecca. Although a small town, it is given over to the Civil War entirely, and yet not too tackily either. There are at least one hundred period buildings still standing, some still with battle damage clearly visible. A short walk takes you straight to Cemetery Hill and the first of the monuments and cannon that are placed around the area. Shops are selling all sorts of genuine relics as well as some pretty good repro items, and there at least three specialist model soldier shops. I won't bore you with a blow by blow account, but suffice to say that if you are a Civil War buff, there is no better place to be. The people there are magnificent, extremely friendly, especially when they discover an Englishman is so interested in the war, the food at the many eating houses is superb, served on a massive scale too, which is great for a fat git like me. Large portions of the battlefield are extremely well preserved, and I found it very moving to be treading the same soil as the veterans all those years ago. It was quite something to be standing atop Little Round Top as Joshua Chamberlain and the boys of the 20th Maine had on July 2nd 1863.

If you do visit, some tips. Get a hotel in town, there are no taxis or bus service, and none of the hotels outside town run a shuttle service. So hire a car otherwise you won't get far. One advantage of having your own transport is that you are not far from Antietam, also worth a trip. We had to rely on the services of a friendly tow company for our first few days, then we transferred to a motel at the foot of Cemetery Ridge, which was very cool.
Visit the official Visitors Centre, the newly refurbished Cyclorama is worth the entrance fee on it's own.
Take lots of money and a spare case 'cos you will want to spend spend spend. Put on your best English accent, they love it and it opens up all sorts of doors.

Highly recommended places to visit are:
“Dirty Billy's Hats�- excellent hand made and made to order reproduction military headgear of the 17th to 19th centuries.
“Tarbox Toy Soldiers�- an excellent selection of military models at cheaper US prices.
Dale Gallon's gallery-Top military artwork of the Civil War.
The National Parks official Visitor Centre.
Gettysburg battlefield Bus tours.
“The Horse Soldier�-An antiques dealership with amazing and genuine Civil War uniforms, weapons etc.
The American History Store-an excellent collection of Civil War books and memorabilia.

And finally for the info of Mr John R, I have got my Civil War mojo back, thanks for your advice.


Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics.

A good moment as I discover that a Gettysburg museum is selling Jon Sutherland's ACW book with my illustrations.



Me and the first of many cannon.



Me sitting on Cemetery Hill with the famous gatehouse of the cemetery in the background.



The hospital that was the Spangler House found on the road to the Visitor Centre, The Baltimore Pike.



A Confederate's eye view of Gettysburg on the first day of battle. It was here that Harry Heth's brigades fought the Union cavalry.



The Virginia memorial, with Bobby Lee on top, this is the only memorial that depicts a Confederate officer.



A Confederate's initial view of Little Round Top.



The view of the battlefield from Little Round Top, Picketts division would have advanced across the open ground in the centre of the picture.



The Devil's Den as seen from Little Round Top. The den got it's name from the thousands of rattlesnakes that have made it their home.



The Pennsylvania memorial.



These trees mark the "high watermark" The furthest point that the Confederates reached on Cemetery Ridge on the third day. General Armistead was killed near here.



An odd pic, this was the hotel carpet. As you can see they don't take the civil war seriously much!!!



A museum exhibit, well a chance to show some toy soldiers really.



A re-enactors camp that appeared opposite our hotel one morning.



The boys.



Me with my new army.



The Dobbin House, the oldest building in town dating from 1773.



The interior of Tarbox Toy Soldiers, a real feast for the eyes, I spent many happy hours here.



In town there are many historically significant spots.



A town house, note the bullet marks made by Union infantry shooting at Rebel snipers.



The town square.



A view of Baltimore Street, scene of heavy street fighting on the first day of the battle.



The train station at which Lincoln arrived to deliver the Gettysburg Address later in 1863.



A Rogers Ranger I met one day, yeah I don't know what he was doing there either.



Shops in Steinwehr Avenue, formerly the Emmitsburg Road.



The road behind Cemetery Hill via which General Hunt resupplied the Union artillery on 3rd July. Note the split rail fences, these are dotted all over the battlefield.



A view of the east of Cemetery Hill, over which Hays Louisianan Brigade advanced on July 2nd. In the distance you can just see the Alleghany mountains which Lee used to shiled his advance into Pennsylvania.



And finally, only in America, spotted in the departure lounge of Charlotte airport, North Carolina, I've no idea who or why.



Thanks for your time.
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"Normally I pack a rod, in pyjamas I carry nothing but scars from Normandy Beach."

[Gungnir]

Wow, great trip, great pics! I am ever so envious!

Thanks for sharing those pics, I'm sure Eccles will appreciate the last one especially.
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Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
Pee on it and walk away.

[Eccles]

Did you spank him?

Great shots. Was ther in mid 80's.
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Has anyone seen my little dog?

[Theo]

many thanks for the pics Tim. Your last pic shows just how well you know us :-)

[Cornet]

Those are some terrific pix. I hope Pennsylvania treated you well on your trip to Gettysburg.
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Then let us fill a bumper, and drink a health to those/ Who carry caps and pouches, and wear the loup'ed clothes.

[valleyboy]

Thanks Tim, very good indeed
My wife has always wanted to go to the states and 2 weeks ago in what sounds lie a desperate ploy to convince me, she suggested that we could go to Gettysburg
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"Heads up by God, those are cannon balls not turds"

[Etranger]

Excellent report Tim. Added to the list of places 'to do' when I eventually get to the US!

I notice a bit of Scale Creep going on with those re-enactors, not to mention the non-uniform uniforms......
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"If technology annoys you, I highly recommend shooting it to death. It's very cleansing......"

[John Ray]

Tim, Thanks for sharing your great vacation.

Time now to dust down the collection and add some new regiments. I cannot wait to see the output!

Best
John

[brian horrocks]

Lovely report its a credit to the yanks how they look after their history ;)
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next trains gone!

[WDP]

I still haven't retrieved my own pictures from Gettysburg
Thanks for posting these, Tim. I didn't get anywhere near the Confederate positions, a side effect of staying in Washington DC and not somewhere close to Gettysburg.

[Norman D. Landings]

Nice thread!

Lived in Georgia for several years, and toured most of the sites in Georgia, Tennesee & Kentucky. Never seen anything as well-maintained and presented as Gettysburg, though... very impressive.

[Tim Hall]

Thanks guys, glad you found it interesting. I have to say that I cannot fault the hospitality over there everywhere we went. Their Airport security staff could certainly teach their British counterparts a thing or two about courtesy.

Valleyboy, you gotta go, its not to be missed and the USA is brilliant, although I don't envy you the journey from your neck of the woods.
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"Normally I pack a rod, in pyjamas I carry nothing but scars from Normandy Beach."

[Peewee]

Lovely pics.

I adore buildings provincial American architecture from this period. It's so elegant it hurts.
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Anyone fancy a snog?

[Purple]

Yay! Very interesting! Just started a 'Devils Den' to - What are the odds?
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"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members"

[Jon Suth]

Terrific pictures Tubbs - lets do it next year - if we dovetail Gettysburg with Virginia we can also see:

Fredericksburg Spotsylvania, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Appomattox and Manassas.

We could fly into Norfolk International Airport, do battlefields there and then drive up to Gettysburg?

[Tim Hall]

Oh yes thats a big roger rog on that one, and don't forget Colonial Williamsburg too. Check your e-mails for my full reply.
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"Normally I pack a rod, in pyjamas I carry nothing but scars from Normandy Beach."

[Prince of Darkness]

Excellent pics, Tim.