Devil's
Den Pictures - We spent some time at Devil's Den on our first trip, getting
photos of the den's boulders and view of Little Round Top. Also in this section
are photographs of the Slaughter Pen and the Valley of Death.
The Triangular Field Pictures - The Triangular Field is usually overlooked by tourists although it was the place of significant fighting on July 2, 1863. Soldiers passed through this field on their way to Devil's Den, which has much greater notoriety. Ghost chasers know the Triangular Field very well as a place where frequent paranormal activities are reported, especially those involving malfunctioning cameras and video cameras. We walked around this overgrown field on our second trip, taking a few pictures along the way. Our cameras behaved perfectly. (Well, at least they did in the Triangular Field.)
Little Round Top Pictures - Probably the most famous place on the Gettysburg Battlefield. The view from Little Round Top is tremendous - which of course made it such valuable ground during the battle. We took many pictures here of the 20th Maine Memorial, General Warren's memorial, the cannon and rocks on top of this hill, and of course the view. Be sure to check out the Battlefield Memorials section for more pictures of General Warren's memorial.
Peach Orchard Pictures - We didn't take many pictures here but we did get a few. At one point we saw a rainbow from the Peach Orchard and took a few photos of that. I've included pictures of the Trostle Farm in this section as well.
The Wheatfield Pictures - Another very powerful place, we shot several photos here from both sides of the field. My wife walked through the Wheatfield one evening, just snapping random photos in the field and woods. If you're a ghost believer, you'll like the pictures she took of orbs and unexplainable lights.
The
Angle Pictures - What a place. We visited The Angle many times and I found
myself standing and staring out over the fields where the Confederates attacked
from. Naturally I shot many pictures of that view as well. You'll find a great
overlap in the pictures of The Angle, the High Water Mark and Pickett's Charge
so be sure to view all three sections.
High Water Mark Pictures / the Copse of Trees - Most of our pictures of the High Water Mark were taken on the first trip, when the weather cooperated with us. We visited this location late in the afternoon and again the next morning. This is important because you'll want to shoot in both directions with all the memorials, including General Armistead's marker. You'll find a great overlap in the pictures of The Angle, the High Water Mark and Pickett's Charge so be sure to view all three sections.
Pickett's Charge / Virginia Monument / Opening in the Trees Pictures - I took several photos here, including pictures of Virginia's monument and the walk to The Angle. You'll find a great overlap in the pictures of The Angle, the High Water Mark and Pickett's Charge so be sure to view all three sections.
Battlefield Memorials Pictures - There are more than 1300 memorials and markers at Gettysburg. I didn't shoot pictures of all of them, although my wife probably suspects I tried. Some of the memorials are works of art. These are some of my favorite photos from the trip.
Culps Hill and Cemetery Hill Pictures - I only took a couple photos here. My wife went up the Observation Tower and shot several pictures, then took more photographs as she walked from Culps Hill to Cemetery Hill.
Gettysburg National Cemetery - We spent about an hour here, photographing the cemetery and the place of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
Seminary
Ridge Pictures - Most of the photos from Seminary Ridge will be found under
the Battlefield Memorials but you'll find some here as well.
Lutheran Theological Seminary Pictures - Only a few pictures here. Look at the pictures for the Ghosts of Gettysburg tour and Seminary Ridge for more pictures of Lutheran Theological Seminary.
Sachs Bridge Pictures - An often overlooked spot, Sachs Bridge is a pretty scene for photographs. We spent about a half hour here and got a lot of nice shots.
Visitor Center Pictures - This is a great visitor center with a terrific museum. I took lots of shots in here.
Miscellaneous Gettysburg Pictures - Various scenes around the town of Gettysburg and the battlefield.
McPherson's Ridge Pictures - Due to the weather we didn't get a lot of time here, where the opening shots of the battle were fired. We did manage to get a few, however.
Boyd's Bears - This was a delightful place to visit. We shot a bunch of pictures inside the building as well as outside.
Battle of Gettysburg Diorama Pictures - My pictures did not do this diorama justice. Check them out for a general idea of what this display offers, but know that it's much more impressive in person.
Ghosts of Gettysburg Tour Pictures - My wife took several pictures around the Lutheran Theological Seminary area where we did the Ghosts of Gettysburg ghost tour. I shot a couple of our tour guide but never was able to catch him at a good moment.
Quality Inn at General Lee's Headquarters Pictures - Some interior and exterior shots of our suite at the Quality Inn.
Cashtown Inn Pictures - Beautiful place, a great place to stay. You can see the building, the Pender Suite, the bar/breakfast area and other common spaces in our photos.
More Civil War Travel Photographs
Antietam Battlefield travel photographs - The weather was somewhat uncooperative while in Antietam, but we still were able to get good shots of the Cornfield, Dunker Church, Bloody Lane (also called Sunken Lane) and the observation tower, Burnside's Bridge and around the Antietam Battlefield. You'll also find photographs of the log cabin where we stayed for this part of the trip.
Harpers Ferry National Park travel photographs - We didn't spend a lot of time at Harpers Ferry, but we did get to see (and photograph) The Point, John Brown's fort, the view from Thomas Jefferson's Rock, the High Street historical district, etc.
Vicksburg National Military Park travel photographs - We spent a fast two days in Vicksburg to travel the battlefield there. While there we photographed the Coca Cola Museum, Vicksburg Murals, 3rd Louisiana Redan, African American Monument, Alabama Monument, Battery De Golyer, USS Cairo Ironclad Museum, Fort Garrott, Fort Hill, Graveyard Road, Illinois Monument, Iowa Monument, Kentucky Monument, Louisiana Monument, Marine - Navy Monument, Mississippi Monument, Missouri Monument, National Cemetery, Railroad Redoubt, Ransom's Gun Path, Rhode Island Monument, Shirley House, Surrender Site, Texas Monument, Thayer's Advance, General Tilghman Monument, Welcome Center, and the Wisconsin Monument.
Civil War Reenactment - Battle for Myers Landing in McKinney Texas - On November 9, 2009 we went to the Civil War Reenactment of the Battle for Myers Landing in McKinney, Texas. The Battle for Myers Landing is a fictional battle; how exactly do you reenact a battle that never took place? I can't figure that one out, but that's what they call it so I'll play along. We had a great time and the reenactors were terrific.
Civil War Reenactment - Liendo Plantation Civil War Weekend in Hempstead Texas near Houston Texas - One of the reenactors at Myers Landng told us about an even bigger event at the Liendo Plantation in Hempstead, Texas, so on November 20-21, 2009 we headed off with our two teenagers to the plantation just north of Houston for this two-day event. Like Myers Landing, the Liendo battle never happened, so the reenactors can make the battle include whatever they'd like, and no one in the audience knows how it will end until it happens. The weather was overcast and drizzly on Saturday but bright and sunny on Sunday . . . which actually caused some unpleasant shadows in many photos, even with fill flash. In spite of all that, it was a terrific time and we shot a TON of great in-action photographs of the greatest Civil War battle in Texas that never happened.
Civil War Reenactment - Jefferson Texas - In May 2010 we drove to Jefferson, Texas to watch the Civil War reenactment battle. Comparable in size to the Myers Landing reenactment, we had a lot of fun in Jefferson. We were closer to the action here than at the other reenactments, which made for fun photographs.
Civil War Reenactment - Fort Richardson Texas - In September 2010 we drove to Fort Richardson, Texas to watch the Civil War reenactment battle. We were close to the action here - almost too close at some points! Got some fun photographs.
Civil War Reenactment - Longview, Texas - They held a Civil War reenactment in Longview, Texas in October, 2010 and - surprise, surprise - we went to it. Beautiful weather for being outside and we had fun taking pcitures of the battle.
Civil War Reenactment - Madisonville, Texas - They held a Civil War reenactment in Madisonville, Texas in March, 2011, called the Battle for El Camino Real. Primarily a cavalry battle, the two day event showcased some remarkable horse riding and combat.
Texas Civil War Museum - Fort Worth Texas - We have driven past this facility literally hundreds of times - it is within 10 miles of our house. Every time we see it, one of us will say to the other, "We need to check that place out - is it open?" Well, we finally broke down and went for a visit on February 27, 2010. Yes, it is open. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was inside too! Check out the photos from the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
Shiloh, Chickamauga, Point Park / Lookout Mountain and Stones River Battlefields - Tennessee - We spent a week in Tennessee in 2011. There are tons of Civil War places to visit here, and we went to four of them - Shiloh, Chickamauaga, Point Park / Lookout Mountain, and Stones River. We managed to get pictures of all the famous spots at these historic sites, including the Hornet's Nest (Shiloh), Shiloh Church, Snodgrass Hill (Chickamauga), Umbrella Rock (Point Park), and the Slaughter Pen (Stone's River). We also visited some other places, including Rock City, Ruby Falls and Falls Creek Falls.
Civil War Trip Reports
Civil War trip report (general notes) - Many of our observations applied to more than one battlefield or to the trip in general. This was particularly true with regards to planning and booking the trip and the items we brought with us on our vacation. Rather than duplicate those comments in the Antietam, Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg trip reports, I've included a separate page for these general comments here.
Antietam National Military Park trip report - We spent one and a half days touring Antietam National Military Park. Read this trip report to learn about our cabin, a great restaurant . . . to avoid, suggestions for improving your visit, and much more.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park trip report - We visited Harpers Ferry National Historical Park for a half day. While we weren't there for too long, we still had a good time and identified several tips and observations that might help you as you plan for your vacation.
Gettysburg National Military Park trip report - We made two trips to Gettysburg. The first was an overnight stay as part of our June 2009 vacation to Washington DC with our two 16 year-old boys. We all loved it there and when we got home, my wife and I planned a second trip for the two of us in July 2009. We devoted a great deal of time to the Gettysburg battlefield and came up with several tips and suggestions that should help you save time, money and mix-ups on your vacation.
Vicksburg National Military Park trip report - We spent a fast two days in Vicksburg to travel the battlefield in March, 2010. We spent a great deal of time traveling around the battlefield, and stayed overnight in Vicksburg. Good tip for a hotel, not so good experiences with restaurants unfortunately. But you can learn from our mistakes.
Living Civil War History - Civil War Reenactment in Jefferson, Texas - In May, 2010 we traveled to Living Civil War History a civil war reenactment in Jefferson, Texas. This trip report describes the event and provides reviews of two restaurants you don't want to miss.
Texas Civil War Museum - Fort Worth Texas - We have driven past this facility literally hundreds of times - it is within 10 miles of our house. Every time we see it, one of us will say to the other, "We need to check that place out - is it open?" Well, we finally broke down and went for a visit on February 27, 2010. Yes, it is open. We were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was inside too! Check out the trip report from the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.