This weekend marked the anniversary of the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg. The Gettysburg National Cemetery is famous throughout the world today as the site of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, delivered at the cemetery’s dedication ceremonies four and a half months after the battle. Numerous events take place each year to commemorate this monumental anniversary.
Friday’s dedication ceremony featured a rendition of the Gettysburg Address by Author Stephen Lang.
Lang’s rendition followed a presentation by Gary William Gallagher, an American historian who specializes in the history of the American Civil War. Gallagher is currently the John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia.
Saturday’s parade honored the soldiers and civilians of the American Civil War.
The Remembrance Day illumination featured a luminary candle on each of the 3,512 Civil War soldier’s graves. Names of the fallen soldiers were read throughout the evening.
These events are sponsored by the Gettysburg Battlefield Trust, the Gettysburg National Military Park, the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania, the Gettysburg Foundation, and Gettysburg College.
Charles Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Publisher and Editor in Chief.