Day 6 - Roanoke, VA to Gettysburg

265 Miles

Wanting to have as much time as possible at Gettysburg today I elected to stay on the interstate (I-81N). Pulled out of Roanoke at 7:00 a.m. after watching a police show in the parking lot of my motel. There were at least four cruisers stacked in the lot behind my bike when I made my first trip out to begin packing up for the day. Never did figure out what was going on, but they were field analyzing something in little baggies on the back of one of their cars. I saw no one in custody, or anyone other than policemen, but it looked drug-related to me. That many cops and no overturned doughnut truck? Had to be a drug bust.

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Zipped up I-81 to Lexington. Pulled off to find VMI (Virginia Military Institute). Ol' Stonewall Jackson himself taught here. I'm told his horse, Old Sorrell, is stuffed and on display, but, hey, you've seen one stuffed horse, you've them all. Besides, who's to say it's really his horse. Could be Flicka for all I know. Consequently, I didn't spend any of my precious time looking for a stuffed horse.




I parked the bike (illegally), grabbed my little camera, and went to take some pictures of VMI. Worked out great, I had barely got off the bike and I heard someone calling cadences. Once you're a military guy, you'll never doubt what you are hearing when you hear someone marching troops. I looked toward the sound and, sure enough, down the street coming right at me was a formation heading for Saturday morning chow. How do I know? I told you, there are just some things you know if you've ever been in the military. Got a kick out of the stragglers who followed along a couple of minutes later. You always have those guys, too.

One of the truly great Americans, George C. Marshall, graduated from VMI in 1901. I've always been amazed at the "connections" to history each of us can feel. As a child, I remember Marshall as Secretary of State and, of course, the Marshall Plan. He was truly an honorable, gifted, and historic figure. Born in 1880 only fifteen years after the civil war ended, and sixteen years after VMI cadets fought in the Battle of New Market, he, somehow, "connects" me to VMI. Don't know why, but I've always been interested in the institution and its alumni. It's good to see the present-day troops marching to chow on Saturday morning and knowing some traditions continue on.

Got back on I-81 and lit a shuck for Gettysburg, exiting Hwy 16 to Waynesboro, then turning north on Hwy 15 at Emmitsburg, imagining myself, naturally, as one of A. P. Hill's confederate troops headed into Gettysburg looking for shoes. I didn't find any though I'm sure there's a store here somewhere selling "Gettysburg Memorial Shoes," every damn thing else is sold. It is absolutely embarrassing to me as a U.S. citizen that my government would allow such unabridged, flagrant capitalism to usurp a site such as this. There are motels and hotels, farms, hamburger stands, ice cream parlors everywhere one looks, many now on battlefield ground. Admittedly it's a fairly large battlefield, but it should be, a momentous battle took place here. This national site is a travesty.

Note: In reality, it was Buford's Union Cavalry who rode down Emmitsburg road and occupied and held the high ground for the Union. Hill's Corp came down the Cashtown road, but as a child of the south, I just couldn't imagine myself in that group, though the Union victory is more the result of Buford's eye for "ground" than probably any other factor.  And, by the way, thanks for that victory, it's difficult to think of any benefit that would be accrued to a Lee victory that day.



First stop, the National Cemetery where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. This monument now sits on the site where he spoke from a wooden platform.













Detail on the above statue.

Thanks to Stephen Ambrose we now have a WWII museum and site, but nothing like those guys deserved. And they deserved as much as these folks. I guess the fact that it happened "over there" places them, somehow, beyond our grasp or mention?

Oh, and, I guess, we only build to winners and we haven't had a winner since WWII.




The Devil's Den.















Little Round Top from Devil's Den area.














Another of Little Round Top from the Devil's Den









Little Round Top - July 6, 1863










Little Round Top looking down into the Devil's Den.













From Little Round Top looking down into the Valley of Death.





Betsy-the-Kaw just before assaulting Little Round Top with the Texas Brigade.







Site of Pickett's famous charge viewed from the stone fence of the Federal line.

It is 3/4 mile back to the trees from which the Confederate forces marched. I understand every step they took...except the first one. I don't think I could have made the first one.




Site of the potential second Battle of Gettysburg

This is a monument to all the Federal Artillery troops who took part in the battle.

I was trying to take this picture when this guy walked directly in front of me. He didn't say a word, just walked right in front of me. Then his son, about 13 or 14 proceeded to walk in front of me as I again refocused on the statue.

The father then directed his son to sit down on the block of granite on the right side of the statue, with me still standing there trying to take a picture. You would think that a man my size wouldn't be invisible, but, apparently, I was.

I put my camera down and walked over and explained to him that they were "T.O.O.P.s" When he asked what that was I told him it was someone who thought they were The Only One On Planet and it wasn't a very good example to set for his boy growing up. For a moment I thought we were going to get the second Battle of Gettysburg. Fortunately, we (I) didn't.

Tomorrow: Antietam and Harper's Ferry. Then I'm going to try to work my way around toward Fredricksburg and the Wilderness. Hopefully, somewhere along there I can catch up with Claye and Fleeter.

We'll see.