"Gettysburg National Historical Park " a Gettysburg National Historical Park Travel Page by keida84

More lives were lost in the 3 day battle of Gettysburg than in the entire duration of the Vietnam War A visit to Pennsylvania is not complete without a side trip to Gettysburg and Gettysburg National Historical Park.

According to the National Park Service, "Gettysburg National Military Park incorporates nearly 6,000 acres, with 26 miles of park roads and over 1,400 monuments, markers, and memorials."

In the cemetery is the site where Lincoln gave the "Gettysburg Address" on November 19, 1863.

Touring this Park gave me continual shivers. Gettysburg is believed to be one of the most haunted areas of the United States. We had 2 experiences while in Gettysburg. One in town and one in the park. I will tell you about the one in town.

My husband who is quite the realist went out to the local Turkey Hill to get his requisite fill of Tasty Cake Tasty Pies. It was about 5:30 in the evening. As he walked he saw a man in Confederate Military garb, he nodded to him but he said the man just looked through him like he wan't there. My husband continued walking, stopped, turned and looked back and the man was no where to be seen. Paul said no cars had come by that could have picked him up and he could not have walked away that fast as he himself only traveled several hundred feet. Ghost? Hard to say, but my generally stick-to-the-facts, prove with scientific method husband was a little pale when he came home from his Tasty Pie run.

We had another odd experience in the area around Little Round Top as we walked through the trails and into the thicket and woods. It is definitely haunted and leaves you with a disconcerting feeling, like something you cannot put your finger on.

We recently re-visited the park during the wintertime with my brother, Michael and his wife, Heather.The trees are stark and barren. The park seemed more lonely, empty and void of life. The actual battle was in the summer but visiting the park in winter captures a sense of waste I have not experienced before on prior visits.

Michael and Heather were both deeply moved by their visit to Gettysburg, especially by the visit to the cemetery. Michael was a Marine and the creed of the Marines is to leave no man, dead or alive, behind. The unknown graves of these men who never got to live their lives is a sobering sight. When you visit the cemetery and you see rows upon rows upon rows upon rows of unmarked, unknown graves you cannot help but grieve for the lives that were never lived and the men that were lost.