Confederate cannon on Seminary Ridge. Gettysburg National Military Park. Paul Goldfinger photograph ©. Tri-X collection. Re-post.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net.
Reading Lincoln’s statement about “a new birth of freedom,” I was thinking about the divisions in our society today.
At the battle of Gettysburg, there were nearly 200 cannon lined up along Seminary Ridge from where 15,000 Confederate troops under Gen. James Longstreet planned to launch an attack on the Union army—–Pickett’s Charge.
The battle lasted from July 1-July 3 in 1863. The North was victorious, but there were heavy losses on both sides.
This cannon was on Seminary Ridge, Confederate lines, where I photographed it during our tour of the Battlefield.
Gettysburg was one of the most bloody battles of the Civil War, and being at Gettysburg is a very emotional experience. You must visit if you never have.
I look at this cannon, sitting in that position and try to imagine the role, the relatively small role, that it played amidst the smoke, the fire, the heat and the storm of shells and bullets that day resulting in carnage on both sides. This cannon must have killed or wounded men that day, but now it is silenced and stands as an icon to tell a story.
There are so many monuments in the Park representing all the states that participated in the battle and all the men who fought there. Should the gray side be torn down now? Looking at this canon provides the answer for me. I am drawn to it and cannot stop staring at it. I had to photograph it.
Lincoln concluded his brief address with: “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Lincoln included nothing in his speech referencing specifically the North or the South. It seems that “a new birth of freedom” was his main priority looking into the future. He was standing astride a time and place in our history which marked a significant turning point as he visualized a new beginning of bringing the entire nation together again under the guidance of our Declaration of Independence.*
I suspect Lincoln would be horrified at the idea that we should today be destroying symbols of our history. Gettysburg National Military Park and other such monumental places must be preserved even if the memory is painful for some.
Cemetary at Andersonville , Georgia for Union soldiers who died in prison. From Ken Burns: The Civil War. Paul Goldfinger photo off the streaming video. 11/2019.
And, by the way, that is why Auschwitz still stands and was not torn apart nail by nail by the Jewish people. In fact huge numbers of Jews go to Europe to visit such places, and it would have been tragic if that evil death camp had been vaporized .
——*From the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
ASHOKAN FAREWELL. From the soundtrack of Ken Burn’s Civil War.
Reblogged this on Blogfinger and commented:
Eileen and I plan to return to Gettysburg even though we have been there quite a few times. It seemed like the sacrifice of so many could never be exceeded, but now, over 150 years later, we know that things could get much worse around the world.
But let’s hope that nothing like that could ever happen again in this country. Click on the word Blogfinger below
Peter: Thank you for your response. Some people believe that Confederate statues would be OK when placed only in museums, and the Gettysburg Park might be viewed as a sort of museum; and if so, your explanation of your support for statues only in the Park would be consistent with that view.
But I disagree. The Park is not a museum. It is the actual setting of the battle, and the statues provide a sort of reality to the telling of the history.
You may think that “heritage not hate” is unacceptable on a license plate, but it is a legitimate point of view in this debate, and your objection is merely your point of view–it is not a fact.
The same is true of opinions about Robert E. Lee on a horse in a town in the South; and what about memorials down there to the huge number of young men who died in battle; not because they were slave owners or ideologues, but most were just farm boys dying, as they saw it, to defend their homes and families. And maybe those Robert E Lee memorial statues are also about that. This debate cannot be reduced to blanket statements like yours (“absolutely unacceptable.”)
You know, there is a Civil War cannon on the shores of Wesley Lake, brought back home by a Union soldier. The plaque says, “Civil War Memorial Cannon. 1st. Lieutenant George Potts, Civil War veteran placed this Delafield cannon on the bank of Wesley Lake in Ocean Grove, circa 1880. It was dedicated as a tribute to those who fought and died in the war between the states.” No distinction was made between the soldiers of both sides. And the same was true in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
So shouldn’t we be similarly charitable when we 21st century Americans such as yourself view this statue discussion?
Blogfinger is not the place to have a debate between two parties, so you and I won’t go back and forth on this, but perhaps others might want to comment.
My original answer was much longer but I lost the page when I accidentally closed it. So, in short, the battlefield helped me in my decision to major in history while in college. I could walk or drive to the different locations whenever I wanted and the plaques and statues informed me as to what happened in any given spot. The statues and plaques and flags were appropriate in that context.
Robert E. Lee in some random town square or flags of the Confederacy on license plates are absolutely unacceptable. “Heritage not Hate” (bumper sticker I’ve seen in the past with a confederate flag attached) might be acceptable on a civil war battlefield but not in anytown USA.
Peter: I’m not sure how attending college there informs your opinion. Please explain.
Also, what does “After that a line should be drawn.” mean?
Being partial to Gettysburg as I attended college there, I think that the statues should remain. Reenactments should also continue with flags carried on the battlefields because it puts them in context. After that, a line should be drawn.
Gettysburg alum ’01
I agree. Some things need to remain to remind us—to teach us. Someday, we will begin to learn. I just hope it doesn’t take too long.