Inside Lee's Gettysburg HQ | History Traveler Episode 128

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

If you've watched a few episodes and feel like I've earned it, be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss any new content when it comes out. Click here: kzbin.info Thanks!

[@kylelittle5867]

I hate how all the Confederate statues have been removed. We had so many in town and in Mississippi as a whole but they just had to remove them cause people blamed a statue for what happened over 100 years ago. History deserves to be out in the public. People needs to know history is history and leave it at that. Why do we have to take history away from people who learn wanna learn about it.

[@TheRealJohnJ10]

I really enjoy your content. Keep up the great work.

[@harolynallison6889]

Mathew Brady was never at Gettysburg he sent one of his photographers that worked for him his name was Alexander Gardner. Mr. Gardner took all the pictures Gardner was under contract with Mr. Brady that gave the credit to Mr. Brady. Mr. Gardner had enough and broke the contract with Brady, Mr. Gardner opened a photography shop 3 blocks from the white house. He became the official photographer to Abraham Lincoln and he took the famous cracked plate photograph and the famous picture of Lincoln sitting at a table with his son tad with his elbow on the table. Alexander Gardner took all the photographs at the Gettysburg battlefield and Brady gets the credit mr. Gardner took the picture of a soldier dead at a snipers nest as well. But the soldier was not killed there mr Gardner found this boy and the body not decomposed yet he brought the soldier to the nest and posed the soldier with a rifle he found for effect. He is the photographer that was the beginning of the whole aspect of posed photography.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

@@harolynallison6889 Gardner was one of the first on the scene but Brady himself was there two weeks after.

[@harolynallison6889]

@@TheHistoryUnderground Gardner took the photos Brady got the credit no wonder Gardner left Brady employment

[@philbivins7133]

What an awesome transformation! Well done to the men and women who have made it possible. Thank you!

[@2pugman]

I believe it was 1991 that we were inside that building when it was a gift shop.

[@michaelwestfort3798]

I was hoping you might cover this in your Gettysburg series. Mary Thompson is my wife’s 5th great grand mother, and my kids 6th. We were there a few years ago in the gift shop. Glad to see the restoration.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Wow! That is incredible.

[@Cat-ik1wo]

Moving from Fl. To Pa. Back in 2019, we decided to stay at a hotel on a stop. It was late and we were tired from driving. The desk clerk said " welcome to Gettysburg. I was shocked. I said, " THE GETTYSBURG?" one on my bucket list. We stayed 3 days and did as much of the tour we could fit in and see in 3 days. It was a surprise gift to me from above.

[@DRFelGood]

Sobering visit , I’ve been there 3 times and never have I walked away , but with a new perspective of respect for those fallen Americans 🇺🇸 Thank you for sharing 🇺🇸

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🇺🇸

[@savanahmclary4465]

You can not but Cry! Nothing but senseless killings and dying.

[@davemartin4183]

It's so cool knowing that our history is being restored and not lost. So much has been destroyed. Great video!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed. Thanks!

[@billpiunti768]

Yeah to bad the evil democratic party and the far left are trying to burn are history down 😠

[@xJamesLaughx]

It has been something else watching the Battlefield go from what it was when I moved here to Gettysburg at 7 yrs old from Michigan to what it is now with all the restoration going on. I am now 48 and the amount of work they have done at restoring and not destroying this battlefield over the years is nothing short of amazing.

[@marcuslaker5876]

They’ll leave Albert Pikes statue up. And in another 100 years the battle was won on the back on Dan Sickles courageous charge unanimously nominated by his peers for the CMH and conveniently absent for many of the battles leading up to Gettysburg.

[@mstrdiver]

@@marcuslaker5876 - General Sickles' corp commander level battlefield memorial remains uncompleted to this date as the funds for the memorial, approximately $5,000 in late 1800s money, mysteriously vanished and was never found or applied to the memorial's completion. Another fun fact is that Congressman Sickles also sat on the US Congresses Battlements Commission during which time the money went missing. General Sickles has other notoriety after his push forward from Cemetery Ridge toward the Devil's Den during the battle and his wounding by Confederate cannon fire. While Sickles was later a New York Congressional representative, he shot and killed Francis Scott Keys son, Philip Burton Key, who was rumored to have had a 'dalliance' with Sickles' wife. Sickles was seen to have shot Key in the street bordering DC's Lafayette Park within a block of the White House, later standing over Keys to give him a final and conclusive head shot. Sickles was then successfully defended in the first US recorded use of the Temporary Insanity defense for his killing of Phillip Key. History is strange, isn't it? Mstrdiver - US Army - 1973 to 1995 -- Amatuer CW historian

[@stever4181]

Coming from Minnesota Gettysburg was a long way away. I have been there twice. The last time was in 1988 for the 125th anniversary of the battle. I was 1st Sgt in 1st Minnesota Regiment Co. A. We slept on the battlefield, did the 1st Mn charge and saw Pickett's charge. All on July 1,2,3 1988. It was and remains a very emotional event and one I still talk about and will never forget.

[@WonderfulEagle-mm1vj]

I wanted to be there on the anniversary

[@WonderfulEagle-mm1vj]

I went there as a child but I didn't understand what I want to go back to the town bi want to see the things I've seen on this video back when I was a kid one could walk on the battlefield

[@hunterliggett]

History has many layers. "Preservation" oft means destroying some layers. I applaud what the American Battlefield Trust has done. Indeed, am a member. But I mourn for some lost layers. In July 1971 the family took a trip to Gettysburg. Our Dad had become enamored with the battle. That trip hooked me into 50 years of study, books, magazines, trips to other fields and well - the journey many have taken. When we arrived from the west down the Chambersburg Pike Dad stopped at the "Lawson Motel" looking for lodging. The proprietor apologized that he was full. Dad turned to leave with an apparently dejected look and the proprietor said, in an embarrassed way, "well we do have an option if you want it" It was several rooms on the second floor of the "Lee Museum." Of course, Dad jumped at the opportunity. My first visit to Gettysburg included staying several days in the "Lee Museum."" I cannot but look at images of the the restored Thompson House and the two top windows on the southwest side and remember looking out of them onto the field in July 1971. An experience cementing devoted study of that tragic conflict. That layer of history - a very personal one - is gone. History is a complex thing.

[@michaelevans205]

About 25 years ago my father and mother visited this place as part of their Great American Adventure on his retirement from the Royal Air Force. He is a lifelong Civil War buff.....we even spent many years together re enacting Civil War battles on various English country estates for the delectation of the public and the enjoyment of ourselves, (there was, as I recall, a substantial amount of warm English beer involved in these weekends). Dad was a little saddened at what he found. Now he's on End of Life care in a nursing home and, due to the dreaded virus, I've only been allowed to see him from this week. It will be a great pleasure for me to tell him of developments at R. E. Lee's HQ and show him this video. Thank you.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks so much for sharing that.

[@danielcrowe9324]

Praying for you and your Dad. God bless.

[@douglaskeith2789]

In the 1960's, my uncle lived in Gettysburg, so we used to go there a lot. Even with all the tourist clutter, Lee's HQ made a big impression on my young mind. I must pass that way again soon!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I think you visit 100 times and still learn new things.

[@savanahmclary4465]

Go to Stone wall and do a complete 360 degree view of the entire battle field.. It is sobering. The Confederate arny came on the battle field from the West. And the Union entered the field from the South. And Jeb Stuart had been battling Custer North of battle field a number of days.

[@tedebear108]

Good morning. It's Ted from Texas. Are used to visit Gettysburg an average of 10 times a year when I lived in New York. I've always loved the town and the history of holes. It's tough to walk the battlefield and think of all the men who gave their life fighting for what they believed in. Both North and South. I have stayed at that Motel a lot. I've been through the museum in number of times. On my last trip to Gettysburg I stopped at the renovated General Lee's headquarters. I am happy that they preserve the history to way it looked the famous day. Thank you for the great job you do and preserving history of Gettysburg. Keep up the good work

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Appreciate that! And I agree. It’s a good work that they’re doing there.

[@fastsetinthewest]

I have donated to the Battlefield Trust. I was at Gettysburg in 1959 as a boy of about 8. We drove with our car in places at Gettysburg one couldn't go now. I was last in Gettysburg in 1997. Wow, this looks "grand". Nice videos. 👍. Go look at Battlefield Trust write up on T. Stevens because the Trust, at this moment, does not mention a thing about his Gettysburg house. I've had an issue with the Trust preserving Southern monuments. I got a nice letter from the Trust, but the letter did not adequately address my concerns with preserving Southern monuments.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad that you’ve donated! It really is a great organization.

[@endokrin7897]

Thank you for your service

[@zegotashalom3881]

Thank you for honoring and preserving our history, so many today wish to erase the pain and death on both sides. I pray we never forget the price of war...God Bless.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thank you. Hopefully, people are sharing these videos out and helping to spread the history.

[@brakel8r]

Ill never forget my first trip to visit Civil war battlefields. I was about 7 or 8 and we were in a gift shop. There was so much stuff to choose from. I was standing in front of soldiers hats...there was Blue and Gray. To make a long story short I asked my Mom which one i should get. After much conversation and education from my Mom...i asked.."weren't both sides Americans?" She said well..yes they were. My simple 8 year old brain decided to ask if i could get both and did so. Thank You Mom and all the other Mom's out there that allow us to be us as individuals and educate without any agenda. God Bless and thanks for all your hard work.

[@jennyj2223]

I grew up near Gettysburg, and as my stepdad was a history lover, we made visits here nearly every weekend. I remember this former "compound"-it was a Dutch Pantry restaurant, then hotel, pool, museum. It really was a cluster and overwhelmed the Lee HQ. I am happy to my soul to see this has been restored! I know my stepdad would've been too. This is great!

[@pherylihy58]

Incredible transformation. I am so happy to see the great work that the National Battlefield Trust has engaged in.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Very much so.

[@ralphrandolph2475]

I am fascinated with this episode. The last time I visited Gettysburg, I stayed at the Old General Lee Headquarters Hotel. It was a Days Inn Motel at the time, but was an old motor lodge that was built around the house back in the 50's or 60's. The house was surrounded by parking lot on three sides, had fallen into disrepair. It was hard to imagine the fighting that had taken place in the area while sitting poolside. I am glad to see that it has been returned to its former glory and that someone visiting the area today can envision what both armies were up against that day.

[@johnstup4479]

I can remember visiting Lee's headquarters during school field trips back in the 70's and seeing the hotel surrounding the building. I travel by this location several times a month for work and saw the hotel closed then eventually get torn down. It's great to see this location restored to it's original condition. I'm going to have to stop one day and check it out.

[@acer3573]

I vaguely remember the Lee Museum complex from my first time in Gettysburg in 1980 when I was 6 1/2. There was also the cyclorama and observation tower on the battlefield and the town was filled with wax museums and was a huge tourist trap. Glad they did so much restoration!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed.

[@Jerry-fn5nx]

Wow! The before and after pics are amazing. Very happy the American battlefield trust tore down that old tourist trap and restored a part of that battlefield's history

[@dawndickson2156]

Simply humbling ! I am so grateful for the American Battlefield Trust. Another amazing job young man. Thank you.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed. They do a good work.

[@Realstuffadventures]

visited this location years before the restoration and wife and I had a fried chicken dinner in the restaurant next door, even though I was excited to have a meal "at Lee's Headquarters" it just did not seem right. We did not even visit the museum at that time.I was at the same time disappointed that the property was compromised and commercialized. I was so excited to hear of sale of the property in 2014 and the restoration efforts. It now looks like it is supposed to. Thanks for this video, enjoying the series very much.

[@sfm5s]

Been to Gettysburg over 15 times and every time I go there I learn something new. Absolutely amazing history that really wasn’t that long ago.

[@richardhotaling6992]

I stayed in the very hotel they tore down..was in the Lee headquarters too..I am thrilled they restored all this back to original..great video and keep em coming!!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Me too! Thanks!

[@ColonelBandit]

I've been privileged to visit Gettysburg twice from the UK - an amazing place - I shall definitely return

[@fredohnemus7685]

When I was there in 2000, The Thompson house was pretty much about like it is today as I recall. The house had period furnishings, not original and was open for visitation even though it was private owned. It was amazing, all the thoughts racing through my mind, standing in that house. Can't even imagine what was going through Lee's mind. I don't remember that complex being there then. Many memories fade as time goes by, but my memory of Gettysburg still seems bright and clear to me 21 years later. It doesn't matter though now, just glad it is restored today. Your doing a great job on this Gettysburg series and thank you.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thank you for sharing that!

[@xJamesLaughx]

Well the Thompson house renovation to what it looks like in this video did not start until 2015 when the Civil War Trust acquired the property and ended in 2016. So the way it looked prior to how it is now with all the modern buildings was what it looked like in 2000. I live right outside of Gettysburg and am so glad to see all these renovations being done to preserve history and not destroy it under modern stuff

[@charocarrandi5868]

I just went for Easter break and I loved Gettysburg, what an amazing place to learn about the Civil War.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed!

[@thomasberta3160]

I enjoy your posts, I'm a disabled Vietnam War vet and can't go to the places you show, thank you.

[@robertcunningham6476]

JD, you’re genuine enthusiasm for wherever you travel is so contagious. Great work as always!!!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🙏🏼

[@rayoeler3055]

Been there and done gettysburg ! if YOU have not been there YOU owe it to YOURSELF to do it ! Amazing !

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed.

[@bell4289]

Can you imagine turning Lee’s headquarters into a gift shop??? Only those who fail to appreciate history!

[@thirdgen377]

Drove from Michigan to visit the battlefield. I'm just outside of Gettysburg getting gas now. Can't wait to finally see it for myself. Thanks for the video, will sub and follow.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Awesome! Thanks and have fun! Be sure to check out the Seminary Ridge Museum and Shriver House while you are there.

[@steveschlackman4503]

You are a good person for mentioning the American Battlefield Trust and what the Trust did.

[@steveschlackman4503]

The American Battlefield Trust has just put out a number of videos on the Petersburg Campaign and the Ft Fisher and the Wilmington campaign. Lots of great videos. Check them out.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I'm a big fan of what they do. Hope to do some more collaborations with them in the future.

[@steveschlackman4503]

@@TheHistoryUnderground The Trust has just put out a large number of videos on the Petersburg campaign and the Ft Fisher and the Wilmington. campaigns. Great organization for you to collaborate with.

[@skunkape2]

We are very fortunate that the United States is such a young country because we're able to conserve so many important sites and buildings from our history. Thanks to the people who are conserving these sites.

[@cynthiaplace5251]

I rember this years back and stayed in the hotel can’t wait t visit Gettysburg again

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@laurier8369]

I love your Gettysburg series .. we stayed at that hotel a few times through out the years … I understand taking the battlefield back .. but tbh I miss the hotel and the feeling that we were on the battlefield.. we would get lost in the history !! Thank you again .. awesome work !! I watch this series over and over !!

[@marywilson4103]

My husband and I spent our honeymoon at the motel Larsons. We stayed there with our children later on and even our 2 oldest grandsons. Good memories. But it is good to see what it really looked like.

[@ruthgallagher1168]

Got to stay in the house when it was a motor lodge. Being able to stay there was sobering. I'm glad they restored it, but it was still an incredible experience

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed. Love what they've done there.

[@michaelpfister1283]

Wow. We were there in 2009. I remember the hotel and gift shop. We were there on July 2, 2009, and there were reenactors there, including General Lee himself. One of his aids accused my daughter of being a Union spy. They let us depart unhindered when we showed them our Alabama drivers licenses. They had some nice displays there when we were there, but the whole battlefield aspect was gone and the house itself was basically a gift shop and museum, which we decided not to pay to see. We did buy a magnet there, though. :-) Your video really makes me want to go back again. My great-great-great grandfather was posted on Cemetery ridge during the battle with Union artillery (2nd West Virginian) and finding his unit's posting was special.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Oh wow! That is amazing.

[@stelladonaconfredobutler9459]

Dude, you rule!!! this series has been both full of wonder and Andersonville. you are a truthsayer, keep it up. that house was so lovingly restored. Thank you American Battlefiled Trust, I have donated after watching this show. Your KZbin site is remarkable!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Awesome! Thanks so much!

[@rm1082]

I absolutely love Gettysburg, and when walking the battlefield it's impossible to not feel the presence of the men who fought there.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

No other place like it 🇺🇸

[@MrMetallax]

I agree with this! Grew up going there and don’t live that far from there

[@michaeldavis5775]

I retire soon. I plan to visit all the battlefields then.

[@bradbalderson8172]

Another great video JD, I'll just say if your watching this and have never been to Gettysburg make the trip because you won't regret it.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks! It’s quite the place.

[@whiterabbit-wo7hw]

Thank you, sir for this outstanding visit. Semper Fi.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🙏🏼🇺🇸

[@puddysue]

That is wonderful that all these people worked so hard to restore this land to what it was during the Civil War.

[@BenjaminBen-David]

The former owners desecrated Robert E. Lee's HG. Great job Battlefield Trust on the restoration. Also, they wanted to bring gambling casinos into Gettysburg which would have been another desecration to this most venerated special spot in American history. This was stopped by local citizens and of all people the actor Stephen Lang who played Confederate General George Picket in the movie Gettysburg in 1993. Thank you, Mr. Lang, for stepping up to the plate and preserving a special place in American history.

[@JustMe-mh2pn]

Mr Lee, that man, a hero to me!

[@mattstrevig287]

Love to see our history saved and brought back from modern day life.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@michaelvaughn8864]

Indeed, Mr. Strevig👍 It's dying a slow death moreover with each passing year, sir. Public schools don't delve into it like they used to when I was a student. It's a sad state of affairs, sir😣

[@robertmoyer175]

Glad you showed the preservation from what Gettysburg was becoming due to commercial growth to what it is today. It was sad to see then and a blessing of what it is today. Unfortunately in other areas of the U.S. we are losing valuable historical areas to commercial growth. Perhaps someday you can address this in a video.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Definitely plan to support what the American Battlefield Trust is doing wherever I can.

[@patricialenaburg6553]

Amazing preservation, it's hard to even get a gist of what something may have looked like, when there are so many obstacles in the way. It's like looking through the window to a different view on history, it was there, all along. Loving this series, thanks J.d.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks!

[@cynthiacronin2794]

Glad they are restoring these places to their original appearance. What I noticed about the widow' s house were the beautiful floors. Great video. But I knew it would be.👍

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Great stuff that they’re doing!

[@Wreckdiver59]

They did an amazing job bringing the property back to what it was. I'd be willing to bet they're not finished either. Thanks for the video 👍.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

They have a lot of great things that they’re doing!

[@spo307]

thanks to this video i just visited this house this past saturday 4/8/23 thanks

[@bjones7073]

In 1956 my family drove from NE Ohio to Gettysburg and we stayed upstairs at this Lee's headquarters building. Not in the hotel but upstairs from the gift shop. We squeezed 5 of us in there. During that trip I found an expended bullet out on the battlefield and it is my most prized possession to this day.

[@jmsiii4751]

The American Battlefield Trust has done a fantastic job!

[@BermudaBrian]

Not to hurt the feelings of other KZbin History Channels, but this has to be the best one. The passion you bring pushed your channel to the top

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Wow, thank you! I really do appreciate that. It's fun and I'm learning a lot in the process.

[@nickf9392]

You destroyed all of the great memories I have of my Mother and Father taking me to a very special place when I was a child in 1964 and my wife in 1993 and my children in 1996. Thank you for that.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Imagine how the veterans of the battle would have felt to roll up and see a big hotel and swimming pool sitting smack dab on the site where their comrades fought and died. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@nickf9392]

@@TheHistoryUnderground Yes, using that logic you need to destroy half of the town of Gettysburg, yes that makes total sense. Try preserving ground that is in danger of BEING developed like Camp Letterman for starters.

[@trinaroe5132]

FABULOUS restoration!!!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed!

[@pennsyltuckyden9823]

Gettysburg is a true national treasure. ABT has done an amazing job preserving this site.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed.

[@lakotawise3720]

Thank You Again For Taking Me Places I Would Never Be Able To Go, Good Job !!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks for watching!

[@leonardmorais6689]

I have watched probably about a dozen to a dozen-and-a-half videos that you've done on Gettysburg and the Civil War. I never knew there was so much information about the Civil War. And you do an excellent job displaying the Civil War. I want to thank you for your time that you put into this.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks 🙏🏼

[@stflaw]

The American Battlefield Trust did an extraordinary job of restoring the building and surrounding area.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I agree!

[@Inkling777]

Thanks, I'd always assumed that Lee had been tented during the battle. I've love to see the interior turning into a diorama featuring Lee conferring with his generals over a map.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

That would be cool. Supposedly he slept in a tent outside.

[@mstrdiver]

His entire headquarters element was tented across the Cashtown Pike from the Thompson house on the reverse military slope of Seminary Ridge to forestall any enemy [Union] observation and possible artillery fire from Cemetery Ridge emplaced to the south of the town proper. That headquarters placement is denoted by the upsidedown cannon barrel monument commonly erected for any general officer headquarters during the battle.

[@yankeerebel65]

Enjoyed the video! I grew up about 12 miles east of Gettysburg in McSherrystown, Pa. My uncle, a Gettysburg native, was a licensed Battlefield Guide. Matter of fact, his guide station was located about 1/4 miles west of the Lee Headquarters. Between 1957 and 1961 he would take me on the battlefield 4-5 times a year and it was very educational. His uncle, James Rosensteel, founded, owned and operated the Gettysburg National Museum across the street from an entrance to the Soldiers National Cemetery on the Taneytown Rd. Both he and his sister, my uncle's mother, were born in a house on the battlefield proper, within 10 years of the close of the war. Now, my uncle had always told me that Lee did not actually occupy the house you've shown but rather was tented on the property. This was information he was told by his mother and uncle plus what was taught to the battlefield guides at that time. However, the building has always been referred to as "Lee's Headquarters". I'm not disputing what you've presented, only remarking about how the information was presented by folks born in the 1870's and down to their descendants. By the way, my sister worked for a while in 2012-13 in the restaurant (JD's Restaurant/Lounge) that was demolished around the Lee Headquarters. Very nice video!

[@americanschweitzer45]

I have witnessed the transformation of the Lee HQ! Visiting year after year it was awesome to see the saving of Civil War and Revolutionary Battlefields! The American Battlefield Trust has a lot of resources for learning about the Civil War! They also save these battlefields we love! Thank you American Battlefield Trust!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

They’re the best!

[@neneg4340]

been so many times, we lived 30 miles from Gettysburg for over 6 years, and went often.Also to Antietam, Harpers Ferry and other places. history rich area.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Very much so. I could spend an endless amount of time there.

[@leethear2174]

This is such a great place to visit and have been there a bunch of times... last time there was last Nov. and was a wonderful experience.... thank you for having a multi video breakdown of this iconic/turning point in our history... Gettysburg is one of my favorite places to visit ... I’m so happy to see you thoroughly enjoy the painstaking effort to preserve the area out there in my home state...they do it right and love how passionate they are for it.Thank you for the amazing content and journey you bring available to us 👍🍻🇺🇸

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks 🙏🏼

[@theparrotrescuer3042]

One of your best videos to date.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Wow! Thank you 🙏🏼

[@milepost465historyhobbies4]

I’m really appreciating this series. Gettysburg isn’t one story, it’s several hundred or several thousand pieced together by the soldiers and civilians that lived abs died here. Although my GGGreatgrandfather (28th Va Co G)was in the Pickett / Pettigrew charge of 3 July, the story is much much more than that. Your videos are like opening a good book!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks! Pretty amazing that you had an ancestor in the final charge.

[@JulezWinnfield]

Your GGGrandfather was on the losing side, ICYMI.

[@JulezWinnfield]

@Greg Sad that people that endorsed slavery aren't around these days, you mean?

[@JulezWinnfield]

@Greg Indentured servitude vs. generational slavery isn't quite the same. The premise of indentured servitude offers the hope of freedom once your debt is repaid. Slavery guaranteed your children and grandchildren would be separated and sold into further bondage.

[@michaelvaughn8864]

I hope he made it thru the charge and the war intact, sir??🤞 my 4x maternal great uncle was a major in the 114th Pennsylvania Regiment and took a mini ball hit to the upper right thigh. It passed to the right of his femur by an inch or so. He was lucky it didn't need amputation👍 He made it thru the war, also, thankfully

[@jamiewatson9886]

I visited Gettysburg after I returned from deployment to Kosovo in March of 2004. I remember the old hotel from the before and after pictures. Its so awesome to see that someone returned the landscape to as close to original as possible to truly get that authentic perspective. I can't wait to return to Gettysburg and experience it all over again. It truly is a humbling experience when you have even a basic understanding of what happened those few days of the civil war.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Completely agree. It really is something else.

[@tedlahm5740]

I stayed in the motel just before the destruction of it.

[@trish5556]

Visited Gettysburg many times in the 1990's until 2003 when my sister had a cottage on Marsh Creek. I always disliked the touristy side of the town. I am so glad to hear some of it has been restored to its historical roots.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Me too!

[@deborahhartman7548]

It is so cool to stand where history took place. I remember climbing up to little round top. I watched the movie Gettysburg after I went and it was so significant to me.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Very much so.

[@Lighthouse4297]

Love going to Gettysburg I took my kids when they were young to show them history. They went back with my 2nd husband and we rode horses through the battlefield. It was awesome

[@markoneill8987]

Yes. Been waiting for this. All the best from sunny scotland. Love your channel.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks!

[@benclancy1662]

Absolutely amazing dive into the history of the battle. Keep up the amazing work that you do in all of your videos sir!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks! Much more to come 🙂

[@dawnlosiewicz1785]

I love this Gettysburg series! I grew (and still live) about an hour east of Gettysburg and have been there often. But, this series is opening my eyes to areas that I have never been too, or areas that it has been so long since I have visited, that I cannot wait to go back! Thank you for sharing!!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

🙏🏼

[@larryhurst3]

Remember coming to Gettysburg in January 2017. This was one of the greatest trips I took. The preservation of the battlefield was fantastic. This was an awesome experience and since this is part of our history as Americans, this should not and shall not be forgotten.

[@rufffinoo]

Excellent. All round.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@flaminglaughter]

This is an incredibly interesting vid. Thanks!!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pegrathwol]

Fantastic video about the important work that Battlefield preservationists are doing! They are literally preserving our history. Please keep videos like this one coming.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@maryannkelley7039]

Really nice restoration of this property.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed!

[@CGH250]

I had 2 ggg grandfathers who were confederate soldiers from Chatham County, NC. Both were wounded at Gettysburg. One was captured by the Union army and released 2 years later thru prisoner exchange. I love this era’s history. Thanks for the video.

[@danemiller1704]

I really enjoy your informed but "every man" commentary. You're educational without being pompous which is very refreshing. Thanks for sharing your series!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I appreciate that! It's hard to be pompous when I look around me and see how much more knowledgable others around me are.

[@danemiller1704]

@@TheHistoryUnderground Humility makes for those who never stop learning and stay perpetually curious. I've visited Gettysburg numerous times with my daughter, but have never heard many of the historic intricacies you share. Thanks for that!

[@Navet63]

I'm surprised the predecessor to the American Battlefield Trust would even allow such an historical site to be commercialized. Glad to see the place to be restored to its original glory.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I thought the same thing.

[@stevebean1543]

Over two decades ago, I became a member of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, which later merged with the Civil War Trust and ultimately became the American Battlefield Trust. The Trust is doing a great work. Through my donations, I'm proud to have had a small part in preserving important Civil War sites like this one. We have more work to do, and we need more people who love history to join us!

[@gordonvpeach2589]

Thanks once again for your time and information JD...Muchly appreciated!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Appreciate that!

[@dianawingate8887]

RIP James Wingate. Thank you for your service

[@WFMeyer]

JD, if you thought the battlefield restoration there in Gettysburg is impressive be prepared to be blown away. In the early 90s the towns of Lexington, Concord, and Lincoln, Massachusetts, worked with the National Park Service and several other historic foundations. They secured and demolished entire neighborhoods, encompassing dozens of homes over 966 acres, but left 17 historic homes standing. They even tore up the tarmac roads, but left all the original rock walls, and cut down over 50 acres of woods. They did all of this to return Battle Road and The Bloody Angle to the way it looked in 1775, during the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was an epic effort that paid off. It gives you a real sense of time and place. I witnessed the transformation. I took my kids to the 225th Anniversary reenactment in 2000. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I still visit there and walk the historic trail at least once a year. You Must experience it for yourself.

[@allenfowler1794]

We were there just this morning. Awesome!!!

[@Stonewaller]

These are some of the best historically oriented videos! Thank you so much.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks!

[@FullDarkParanormal]

This is just the most fantastic restoration in Gettysburg I've heard about. Can't wait to see it next year. Thank you for the fantastic tour, your channel is great!!

[@ramp7t]

When I was a young kid, the Family drove to Tennessee to visit the Grand Parents Farm. We stopped at Gettysburg and stayed right next to Lee's Headquarters. I presume this is the spot. Great work.

[@jvleasure]

Heading back from there right now!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

👍🏻

[@kbhistoryquest9675]

Very cool! I love all the work that they have done!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed!

[@williambechmann6547]

God bless the American Battlefield Trust!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Agreed!

[@johnkeenan5404]

For those who are appreciative of the restoration of this important battlefield, join the American Battlefield Trust and contribute to battlefield preservation.

[@garykorzelius5930]

The last time I was there it was a gift shop with a small museum. I remember the hotel too. Wow what a difference! I also subscribe to the Battlefield Trust videos, and yes they are a very good organization. Thank you once more for a very well done video.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

The American Battlefield Trust is the best!

[@iamsteverogersakacapamerica041]

I was there when there was a hotel and the gift shop I was just a kid and I happened to walk towards the grass from where the Parking lot for the hotel was and I found a giant screw and a giant nut I don’t know if they were from artillery or what but I brought them back home with me because I thought It was interesting.

[@MrHubbmuscle]

What a great video! TY!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@samsogaugetrains8670]

Another wonderful video! I love how you format your videos! The mix of b roll shots and your narration helps to tell the history of all these places you visit! Whenever I see one of your videos in my feed, I either save it to watch later or watch it right then and there! I’m glad that house got into the right hands. It’s nice to know that history is still continuing to be preserved for future generations! Another wonderful video!

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Awesome! Thanks so much! I really do appreciate that.

[@cclyon]

Watched this then went down a rabbit hole at the Gettysburg Daily archives. There will always be arguing over what to(or not to) restore but it appears that for the most part they've done an amazing job.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

I agree!

[@fredlist7091]

I've been to Gettysburg probably 30 or 40 times since my first visit when I was 10 and from that perspective I wanted to compliment you on your presentation of the lesser known attractions of the battlefield. I know it's impossible for you to get down into the granular details of the fight, but you've done a really fantastic job of giving an overall "feel" of the place, a framework for people to understand the overall picture and an incentive to learn more. I tip my cap.

[@TheHistoryUnderground]

Thanks! I really do appreciate that. Especially coming from someone who has been to the battlefield so much. Hopefully the whole series will give people something different to see.