First-time visitors to Gettysburg are sometimes surprised at the number of monuments throughout the park and surrounding landscapes. In this talk, Gettysburg historian Leon Reed will discuss the development of the monumental landscape at Gettysburg from the days immediately after the battle to the present day (when the newest monument will be erected right at the gates of Amblebrook later this year). He will describe the distinct phases of monument building, the themes addressed by the monuments of various time periods, and the sculptors who worked here.
Most of the monuments here are monuments to a Union regiment. Most were put in around the time of the 25th anniversary (1888) and the veterans of the regiment decided what the monument would say. Many of them just said “We were brave soldiers” or mourned a fallen companion. But some had a distinct message. Leon will tell you about these stories and other things to look for as you tour the battlefield.
Leon Reed worked as a US Senate aide (long enough ago that the Senate still was “the world’s greatest deliberative body”), a defense consultant, and an ESL/History teacher in the Washington, DC, area before moving to Gettysburg in 2015. He serves on the board of SCCAP and the @ Home Steering Committee, has written three books about Gettysburg monuments, a childrens book about Jenny Wade, two books about the secession crisis, and three WWII soldier memoirs. He is the editor of the magazine of the Battle of the Bulge Association and writes regularly for Civil War News and the Gettysburg Connection.
