Gettysburg’s Remembrance Day 2019

Remembrance Day 2019.jpgI had the privilege today to join the American Battlefield Trust for a series of Facebook Live programs from the annual Remembrance Day festivities in Gettysburg. Garry Adelman, Tim Smith, Doug Dowds, and my ECW co-founder Kris White spent the morning exploring, going behind the scenes, and talking with reenactors. (ECW’s Terry Rensel made a cameo, too!) Kris, Garry, Tim, and I also provided commentary during the parade, which we got to watch from the roof of the world-famous Farnsworth House. I’ll provide links to those videos below so you can watch along.

I figured I’d also grab some photos and show off some of the cool scenes from the parade prep….

Here are the links to the Facebook Live episodes (which you can watch even if you’re not on Facebook):

Cemetery Hill and Soldiers and Sailors National Cemetery—We start on Cemetery Hill and talk about the beginnings of preservation at Gettysburg, then move into the national cemetery where we visit the most recent burial, the grave of Amos Humiston, and several monuments before wrapping up with an overview of the Gettysburg Address. (Wait until you see Doug talk about the Gburg Address–wow!)

Behind the scenes at Gettysburg’s Presbyterian Church—Tim Smith leads us in Lincoln’s footsteps during the president’s visit to Gettysburg, including a trip into the Presbyterian Church where Lincoln sat with John Burns. We also tied in other presidential history from the church with Ike and Nixon, including a wicked cool artifact from Ike’s last days in the White House (with a poignant tie back to Lincoln).

Parade Prep Walkabout—Kris and Garry walk through the throngs preparing for the parade, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to pull the event together.

The Remembrance Day Parade—From the roof of the Farnsworth House, Kris provides play-by-play narration of the parade, with additional commentary by Garry, Tim, and me.

Take a look:

Lining Up Rem Day 2019
Parade participants lined up along Lefever Street before marching down Baltimore Street, then bearing right onto Steinwehr Avenue.
Band Rem Day 2019
Tuning up! The parade featured several brass and fife and drum bands.
PortaPotty Rem Day 2019
Sage advice from Kris, who’s attended more than 20 of these parades: “Hit the port-a-johns early. They’ll still be clean, and there won’t be a line.” (By the way, that woman in mourning was actually a man.)
Horse Rem Day 2019
Hancock the Superb, surveying preparations? BTW, part of the parade permit requires organizers to have someone bringing up the rear to clean up after the horses.
Zouaves Rem Day 2019
Zouaves always capture the imagination, and seeing a group off them marching together was really eye-catching. We actually saw Zouave uniforms of several different designs.
Berdans Rem Day 2019 01
The green uniforms of Berdan’s sharpshooters are among the most distinctive of any unit.
Berdans Rem Day 2019.jpg
Bedrolls, backpacks, and other accoutrements complete a sharpshooter uniform.
Confeds Rem Day 2019.jpg
About two-thirds of the parade participants portrayed Federals, but plenty of Confederate reenacts took part, too. The best part: the rich spirit of camaraderie among all the reenactors, north and south, as they gathered for the commemoration and celebration.
Lincoln Rem Day 2019.jpg
Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 18, 1863. Remembrance Day ceremonies are held on the anniversary if the date falls on a weekend or, when it doesn’t, on the weekend immediately following. The parade this year featured one official Lincoln, although several others also joined in unofficially.
Sons of Union Vets Rem Day 2019
The parade is sponsored by the Sons of Veterans Reserve, the Military Department of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. By tradition, they lead off the parade.
Garry and Kris Rem Day 2019
Garry Adelman and Kris White prepare for our live broadcast from the roof of the Farnsworth House. We thank the Farnsworth House for their hospitality!
Parade Kickoff Rem Day 2019
The 63rd annual Remembrance Day parade is about to get underway!


4 Responses to Gettysburg’s Remembrance Day 2019

  1. I believe that is the 14th Brooklyn (14th NY State Militia). They were a Chasseur regiment, not Zouaves. 🙂

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