Well, I want to talk now about that General Meade statue on Gettysburg's battlefield. First, though, an amusing story about how I happened to see it. I was making my way home from Philadelphia and needed to stop by Lexington, Virginia, on the way to finish up some research at Washington and Lee's magnificent archives. And I was following my GPS and cursing it, because it was taking me on one of the state highways that cuts through small Pennsylvania towns. Then, perhaps providentially and certainly oddly, it took me right past Gettysburg. It was about lunchtime and I thought this is my only chance for a very long time to get some pictures of Gettysburg, so I stopped by. The new visitors' center is nice. The bookstore there has about the largest collection of Civil War military history that I've ever seen -- not as good a selection of "real" history books as, say, Harper's Ferry, but a very good selection nevertheless. Even a good selection of books on gender and race -- though I must say that I didn't quite see where University, Court, and Slave might fit into their book display.
Ok--so far so good. I remember from my previous visits to Gettysburg that they have monuments everywhere, EVERYWHERE. And they illustrate I think how people thought about history -- they record facts, like which army unit was where and how many of their comrades were injured and killed. I was struck in particular by this when I was at what folks dub the "high water mark of the Confederacy," basically where Pickett's charged ended. There is a huge monument, in the shape of an open book, which records the names and ranks of the officers in charge on the United States' side, along with the units they were in charge of and the casulaties each unit suffered. I often talk about the men who fought there as the active interpreters and makers of the Constitution. But based on their monuments, they thought of themselves in related but more basic terms, as the defenders of the United States against rebellion. History for them were people, their affiliations, their fate, and the result of their deeds -- quashing the rebellion. It's left for other people to fill in the other details and talk more about what quashing the rebellion meant.
Then as I was leaving to go back to my car, I came across the Meade statue, along with the plaque at the bottom. And what particularly struck me about this is that it has part of the text of the joint resolution of Congress that was passed in January 1864 praising the army's performance at Gettysburg. So we have a monument that presents Congress' "official" interpretation of the war.
The text above isn't as readable as I would have liked, so I've taken part of the text of the plaque from the civilwar wiki on the Meade statue:
The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled resolved (joint resolution approved January 28, 1864) "That the gratitude of the American people and the thanks of their representatives in Congress are due, and are hereby tendered ** To Major-General George G. Meade ** and the officers and soldiers of that army (Army of the Potomac) for the skill and heroic valor which at Gettysburg repulsed, defeated, and drove back, broken and dispirited, beyond the Rappahannock, the veteran army of the rebellion."
Pretty interesting how the joint resolution interprets and praises Meade's and the United States' performance -- which, of course, was extraordindary and important, though criticized at the time.
Anyone interested in the monuments at Gettysburg can view many of them, and the story behind them, at
http://www.gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/Individuals.php
The Meade statute, including its legends, is at http://www.gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/Individuals/Meade.php
Posted by: David Porter | August 19, 2011 at 03:46 PM
I visited Gettysburg this summer with my husband and two tween daughters. One incredible experience offered by the new visitor's center is the opportunity to have a private tour guide in your own car for a two-hour tour of the over 20-mile battlefield. The guide can answer questions or point out things your particular family might find interesting (for example, for a family from Kentucky, he can talk about the Kentucky regiments and point out the monuments).
Here's what's most remarkable: It only costs $55. Not per person, per guide. Taking our family of four to a movie would cost more than that.
My husband says the tour was his favorite part of our family vacation.
Posted by: Lisa McElroy | August 19, 2011 at 05:34 PM
Lisa--I saw several tour guides walking off with families for what looked like a tour. That is fabulous. Some years ago I stayed at a B&B in Gettysburg and the proprietor told me that she often has people who're studying to be National Park Service tour guides stay with her when they're taking the training at the local community college. It's an incredibly rigorous program and a lot of people as weeded out. They need to know a huge amount about military history -- as well as the war and the surrounding intellectual and cultural history. Sounds like a great career and a ton of fun for the people who have the guides as well.
Posted by: Alfred Brophy | August 19, 2011 at 05:44 PM