The Gettysburg Quarterly

Gettysburg Battle Anniversary Programs

The offi cial newsletter of Gettysburg National Military Park · Winter 2012/2013 · Vol. 19, No. 4

The National Park Service and the 

Gettysburg Foundation are planning nine 

days of special programming from June 

29 through July 7, 2013 throughout 

Gettysburg National Military Park. We 

hope you’ll join us for these free, 

once-in-a-lifetime events!

June 29 – 30 Sacred Trust Talks and 

Book Signing Events. Sacred Trust 

brings together renowned authors, historians, National Park Service rangers and 

others to share perspectives on the battle 

of Gettysburg with members of the public. Free. Sponsored by the Gettysburg 

Foundation and Gettysburg National 

Military Park. 

June 30 “Gettysburg: A New Birth of 

Freedom” Commemorative Ceremony. 

This evening event will take place on an 

outdoor stage near Meade’s Headquarters on the Gettysburg battlefi eld and will 

include music, a keynote address, and 

“Voices of History,” a dramatic reading 

of eyewitness accounts written by soldiers and citizens swept into the events 

of the battle and its tragic aftermath. The 

ceremony will end with a procession to 

the Soldiers’ National Cemetery to see 

luminaries marking each of the more 

than 3,500 graves of soldiers killed in the 

Battle of Gettysburg. The ceremony is 

sponsored by Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Foundation. Free. 

July 1 – 4 National Park Service Programs for 150th Anniversary of the 

Battle of Gettysburg - Special Ranger 

Programs. During the days of the battle 

anniversary, with July 4 focusing on the 

battle’s aftermath, the park will off er the 

following interpretive program opportunities. Free. 

• Living History Camps – Two full battalions of Union and Confederate infantrymen accompanied by artillery and 

other supporting units will present demonstrations and programs near the Pennsylvania Memorial and at Pitzer’s Woods 

throughout the day to illustrate the life 

of the Union and Confederate soldier 

and demonstrate the tactics used by 

both armies in the Battle of Gettysburg. 

(PLEASE NOTE living history events are 

July 1-3 only.)

• Key Moment Programs - Each day 

of the battle, and on July 4, Park Rangers will present ranger guided programs 

at locations where key events occurred 

Gettysburg National Military Park. Photo by Dave R. Rodriguez

during that particular day of the battle, or 

during the battle’s aftermath. 

• Overview Hikes - Each day of the 

battle, and on July 4, Park Rangers will 

present 60 minute overview hikes covering diff erent phases of the battle and its 

aftermath. These will involve more walking than Key Moment programs. 

• Battlefi eld Experience Programs

- Park Rangers will provide special programs that allow visitors to experience 

critical moments of the battle at the approximate time they occurred 150 years 

ago. This will include a July 3 Commemorative March across the fi eld of 

Pickett’s Charge, with visitors organized 

by NPS rangers to represent the Confederate brigades that participated in the 

attack and the Union soldiers that defended against it. 

Park News National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior
Gettysburg National Military Park, established 

in 1895, is the site of the great Civil War 

battle that repulsed the second Confederate 

invasion of the North. The mission of the National Park Service at Gettysburg is to preserve 

and protect the resources associated with the 

battle of Gettysburg and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and provide an understanding 

of the events that occurred there within the 

context of American history. 

Gettysburg National Military Park

1195 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325

Phone

(717) 334-1124 

E-mail

gett_superintendent@nps.gov

The National Park Service cares for the 

special places saved by the American people 

so that all may experience our heritage.

2 The Gettysburg Quarterly

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

• Voices of the Battle - Each evening at 

7:30 p.m. visitors can gather and listen 

to the voices of soldiers and civilians 

describing their experiences during the 

battle and aftermath. 

• Special Junior Ranger Patch – Beginning this spring and continuing throughout 2013, kids can earn a special 150th 

anniversary Junior Ranger patch by completing an activity book associated with 

the battle anniversary activities.

• “Kids and Family” Activities - For 

kids we will have a “Kids and Family” 

programs tent with activities throughout 

the day outside the Visitor Center, and a 

special interactive Signal Corps station 

July 1 through 3 near Meade’s Headquarters. 

• Park Ranger Programs at the 

Museum and Visitor Center - Park 

Rangers will present Battle Overviews, 

Civil War Soldier, Care of the Wounded 

programs on a regular schedule in the 

Museum and Visitor Center or at Interpretive Program stations outside the 

building. In addition to programs in the museum, the park will off er some programs 

at sites including the Cemetery, Little Round Top and the Angle.

July 5 – 7 Sacred Trust Talks and Book Signing Events. Sacred Trust brings together renowned authors, historians, National Park Service rangers and others to share 

perspectives on the battle of Gettysburg with members of the public. Free. Sponsored 

by the Gettysburg Foundation and Gettysburg National Military Park. 

Winter Lectures - 

The Civil War in 1863

Gettysburg Park Rangers will continue their popular, free winter lecture series 

throughout January, February and March, with a special look at the Civil War in 

1863. Programs will explore topics such as the Army of the Potomac’s resiliency; the 

Vicksburg Campaign; the fi ghting at Chickamauga and at Chancellorsville. Lectures 

examine the command and legacies of Fighting Joe Hooker, Admiral David Dixon 

Porter, Robert Gould Shaw and the men of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry unit. A special lecture on January 19 will off er an opportunity to examine original 

artifacts from the park’s collection. Additional topics include larger issues such as the 

strategic dilemma of the Confederacy in 1863; the cultural meaning of Gettysburg; the 

mythology of Pickett’s Charge; and the unique perspective of Union army surgeons at 

Gettysburg. 

The lectures are sponsored by Gettysburg National Military Park and take place on 

Saturdays and Sundays through March 10, except January 13. They are held at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center in one of the fi lm theaters 

through February 24 and in the Ford Motor Company Fund Education Center on 

March 2, 3, 9 and 10. Programs begin at 1:30 p.m. and last approximately one hour. 

Ranger program on Seminary Ridge. 
The Gettysburg Quarterly 3

June 15 Gettysburg National Military 

Park’s Brass Band Concert. The Wildcat Regimental Band will perform free 

at the Gettysburg National Military Park 

Museum and Visitor Center as well as 

present an evening concert at the Pennsylvania Memorial. 

June 16 Exhibit Opening: “Treasures 

of the Civil War” - This special exhibit 

will feature rare Civil War artifacts that 

provide links to leaders of the Civil War 

era, including Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, George G. 

Meade, Frederick Douglass and Clara 

Barton. This glimpse into the lives of 

these extraordinary people will help 

visitors gain a better understanding of the 

magnitude of the Civil War and its lasting impact on our nation. Sponsored by 

Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg Foundation and other partners. 

Included in museum admission ticket. 

Continues through 2015.

August 16-17 18th Annual Civil War 

Music Muster - Civil War brass bands, 

fi fe and drum and parlor music are presented in concert. Performers include 

the Susquehanna Travellers, the Victorian Dance Ensemble, The Libby Prison 

Minstrels, The Irish Volunteers Civil War 

Band, additional performers to be announced. All performances take place 

at the Gettysburg National Military Park 

Museum and Visitor Center and the 

Dobbin House Courtyard, followed by a 

concert at the Pennsylvania Memorial in 

the early evening. Free. 

Nov. 16 Remembrance Day Parade 

and Ceremonies - An annual event held 

in conjunction with the Gettysburg Address anniversary. A parade of Civil War 

living history groups begins at 1:00 p.m. 

Sponsored by the Sons of Union Veterans 

of the Civil War. 

Nov. 16 11th Annual Remembrance 

Illumination, Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Sponsored by the Gettysburg Foundation. From 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. luminary candles will be placed on each Civil 

War grave as a testament to the sacrifi ces 

made here in 1863. Free. 

Nov. 19 150th Anniversary of the 

Gettysburg Address - an annual observation with memorial services held annually in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. 

The program includes the Wreath Laying 

Ceremony at the Soldier’s National Monument and a formal ceremony with a keynote speaker. Sponsored by the Lincoln 

Fellowship of Pennsylvania, Gettysburg 

National Military Park, the Gettysburg 

Foundation and Gettysburg College. 

Nov. 19 Graveside Salute to the United 

States Colored Troops in the Soldiers’ 

National Cemetery - immediately after 

the Dedication Day ceremony. Sponsored by “For the Cause” Productions. 

Gettysburg 

Sesquicentennial 

Seminars

March 14-16 Gettysburg Sesquicentennial Seminar, “The Future of 

Civil War History: Looking Beyond 

the 150th.” Sponsored by Gettysburg 

National Military Park and the Civil War 

Institute at Gettysburg College. Contributing partners include the Gettysburg 

Foundation and the Society for Civil War 

Historians. Registration is required. Fee. 

To register or learn more go to: http://

www.cwfuture150.com/conference-program/

June 21 – 25 Civil War Institute. 

Sponsored by the Civil War Institute at 

Gettysburg College and Gettysburg National Military Park. Conference participants will discover new dimensions 

of the events of 1863, with a special focus 

on the Gettysburg Campaign, through 

lectures, discussions, and tours of the 

battlefi eld. Registration is required. Fee. 

For more information contact 717-337-

6590 or http://www.gettysburg.edu/cwi/

conference/

October 25-27 Gettysburg National 

Military Park Seminar - Gettysburg to 

Appomattox. Leading historians will 

explore the war from Gettysburg to Appomattox in a two and a half day seminar 

at the Gettysburg campus of Harrisburg 

Area Community College. The seminar 

will also include fi eld programs on the 

Gettysburg battlefi eld, conducted by 

park rangers and licensed battlefi eld 

guides, and an evening reception at the 

Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. The seminar 

is sponsored by Gettysburg National 

Military Park and the Civil War Institute 

of Gettysburg College with generous 

assistance from Harrisburg Area Community College-Gettysburg Campus and 

the Gettysburg Foundation. Registration 

is required. Fee. For more information 

go to: http://www.nps.gov/gett or call 

717-334-1124 ext. 3251. 

Exhibits, Concerts and More

Cemetery program, left; and a Gettysburg shoulder ride, right, photo by Dave R. Rodriguez.
4 The Gettysburg Quarterly

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Gettysburg National Military Park

1195 Baltimore Pike, Ste. 100

Gettysburg, PA 17325

A crowd of 9,000 people attended the November 19, 2012 commemoration of President 

Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Director Steven Spielberg, center, was the keynote speaker, 

pictured here with Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent Bob Kirby, left, and 

Joanne Hanley, President of the Gettysburg Foundation.

For information about Gettysburg 

National Military Park events: 

contact 717-334-1124 

or visit www.nps.gov/gett 

Gettysburg Foundation: 

www.gettysburgfoundation.org

For battle reenactments, 

lodging and other special events in the 

Gettysburg area, go to: 

www.gettysburgcivilwar150.com

Follow Gettysburg National Military 

Park on social media now to get breaking news and updates about events, 

parking, shuttles and more:

www.facebook.com/GettysburgNMP

www.twitter.com/GettysburgNMP

Dedication Day 2012

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