Gettysburg

I had the opportunity this last week to go on a leadership conference in Gettysburg, PA. It was outstanding! I learned a whole lot about what went on in the Battle of Gettysburg and learned some great leadership principles in the process. It is put on by Campus Crusade and more specifically, Jay & Laurie Lorenzen. If you ever have the opportunity to go, do it. To stand on the battlefields, walking where the soldiers walked, seeing where they died, and seeing what they saw, in a word, it can take your breath away.
I was extremely moved at the cemetery. After observing the spot where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, I walked through the various headstones. In the three days of the battle, almost 50,000 men lost their lives, all believing their cause was just. It was the greatest land battle in the history of North America. Many stories are told about the men who fought because they were busy writing home to their loved ones relaying their experiences of the military. But there are many more who we don't know about. I stood over a marker in the cemetery that said "863 unknown" all from the New York regiments. These men will probably never have their story told, but their cause was just as real as heroic cause of Chamberlain or Buford. It was truly a moving moment for me.
Since I have been home I have discovered that at least two of my great-grandfathers fought in the Civil War. One in the battle of Atlanta, fought for the 2nd Cavalry unit from Illinois and the other was with the 28th infantry from Illinois, fighting mainly in the Southern Campaigns.
Even if you can't get to the conference, go to Gettysburg! It is a fascinating place... and beautiful.