CONFEDERATE FOOTSTEPS
PAGE NINETEEN: MAY 17, 2011...GETTYSBURG: LONGSTREET'S COUNTERMARCH
Right after we went inside from taking the pictures of the linden tree yesterday afternoon, the dark clouds pounced again, and it
poured rain in the evening and night. We headed up 340 after breakfast to meet Ted, our licensed battlefield guide at 10 AM.
We passed by Frederick, Maryland during rush hour in the rain and didn't get off the highway to go into town to see the long street
Jonathon had marched through it in September of '62 during the Maryland Campaign. We passed right by Mount St. Mary's on
15 just south of Emmitsburg MD and briefly got off to take a few pictures of where Carl had gone to seminary. It's a lovely setting
with lovely buildings and was founded in 1808.
This was Carl's dorm...
The helicopters to the President's retreat at Camp David would use this statue of Mary as a guidepost as CD is just over the hill.
We met Ted exactly at 10 in the big new visitors center. He drove our car and Carl crammed himself into the back seat so I could
have the view out the windshield. We drove first out the Chambersburg Road to this marker, which is where the whole Gettysburg
thing began when Early encountered the local militia.
The Chambersburg Road looking back toward Gettysburg from where that marker above is located. Jonathon had marched toward
Gettysburg down this road from Fayetteville, just east of Chambersburg, on July 1, 1863.
The 13th camped in this area near Marsh Creek the night of July 1st.
Marsh Creek
Ted drove us the complete route of Longstreet's Countermarch of July 2nd. This is a very, very strange thing, this march, and most of it makes
little sense. It's one thing to look at the route on a map and another to drive the route of it, to see with your own eyes where they marched. Most
of this section is pictures of roads, but that's what this is all about...where Jonathon walked...and he walked these roads on July 2nd on his way
to battle. It was hot already in the morning, and very humid. It was, after all, July. You can't help but question what Longstreet was doing as you
follow along this up and down, back and forth, repeat and round about way. Longstreet did not want to do battle here. Who knows if that is the
bottom line of everything. Lee wanted him in line of battle by 11. His line formed by 4. Did he want to waste the day away, arrive too late? Only
he knows for sure. It is not given unto me to judge the general, only to be concerned about what the 13th was having to do.
Marsh Creek again
It rained off 'n on as we drove along the route
The Black Horse Tavern. They passed this twice.
They had orders not to let themselves be seen and when they got to the top of this hill...
...they could see the Round Top signal station and figured it could see them as well. This is the only point where their turnaround makes sense.
Ted turned the car around in a driveway and we went something like 7 1/2 miles down roads, turning corners here 'n there, going on and on and
on until we got to a point where he stopped and pointed to a house we could clearly see about 3/8 of a mile away. It was the same house we'd
turned in the driveway of. The soldiers had been made to walk 7 1/2 miles to cover a distance of 3/8 of a mile.
The Black Horse Tavern...again. We had come up before along the left-hand side of it, now we came out a road facing it and
turned right.
March...march...march...march. Hotter, hotter, hotter. More and more tired.
Along and along and along...wearing out...time passing...
These pictures only show small sections of the route here and there...but give a general idea of the length of what
they did
Willoughby Run
March...march...march
The house toward the left across the field is where we'd turned in its driveway. All the road pictures above this from
where they turned at the top of the little hill were what it took for them to get here from that house.
Still marching...
Now approaching the Eisenhower Farm behind the white fencing
Turning the corner at last and arriving close to their designated position
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