145th Anniversary of the Gettysburg National Address: Celebrate This Day in History

By Elif Kaynak

On a Thursday afternoon during the Civil War, merely four and a half months after the pivotal Battle of Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln uttered the first line of a speech that would become one of the greatest in U.S. history:

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

One hundred and forty five years later, the importance of these words resonates as strongly as ever and reminds Americans of the struggles undergone in the name of liberty and justice. With an historic election fresh in our minds and Veterans Day quickly approaching, now is a better time than ever to celebrate the president that not only led the way to abolish slavery, but also preserved the unity of the country by leading her through the Civil War.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 marks the 145th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg National Address speech. Memorial services and ceremonies commemorating this important day in history will be held at Gettysburg National Military Park in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, now known as the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

The Wreath Laying Ceremony at the cemetery will kick off the day’s events at 10:15 a.m. Representatives from several organizations will place wreaths at the Soldiers’ National Monument on behalf of the United States of America, including Ron Hankey (Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania President), David Acheson (Sons of Union Veterans’ Chief Commander of the National Order) and John Latschar (Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent).

Speakers at the Dedication Day Ceremony will include American director and documentary producer Ken Burns and Lincoln portrayer Jim Getty, who will recite the Gettysburg Address. Pennsylvania’s 11th Volunteer Infantry Fife and Drum Corps will present the colors. Scott Hartwig, Vice President of the Lincoln Fellowship, will emcee the event, and Gettysburg High School Ceremonial Brass Band and soloist Wayne Hill will also make appearances.

The US Colored Troops (USCT) Graveside Salute will follow the Dedication Day Ceremony. A wreath-laying ceremony will be carried out at the grave of Private Charles H. Parker, a Civil War veteran with Company F of the Third Regiment who was first buried at Yellow Hill Cemetery after dying from injuries sustained in service in 1876. The keynote speaker of the ceremony will be Harry Bradshaw Matthews, founder of the USCT Institute at Hartwick College, and author of From Whence They Came: The families of United States Colored Troops in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1815-1871 and Honoring New York’s Forgotten Soldiers: African Americans of the Civil War. In addition, reenactors from the Washington D.C. area will represent Company B, USCT 54th Massachusetts, and USCT reeanactor Mel Reid will provide brief remarks.

For those who can’t make it out to celebrate during the week, additional activities will take place on Saturday, November 22nd at Gettysburg National Military Park. The annual Remembrance Day parade showcasing Civil War living history will begin at 1:00 p.m. The parade will be followed by the Sixth Annual Remembrance Illumination, which is sponsored by the Friends of the National Parks and will begin at 5:30 p.m. During the ceremony, 3,500 luminary candles will be lit on the graves of Civil War soldiers as a solemn commemoration of the sacrifices made on this and other battlefields.

For more information on the events taking place at Gettysburg National Military Park, please visit the Civil War Institute at www.gettysburg.edu/civilwar/institute.

A ranger-guided tour celebrating this day in history will also take place at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. The Gettysburg Address is carved in stone on the south wall of the parks’ Lincoln Memorial, signifying the endurance and timelessness of Lincoln’s words. The hour-long ranger program will examine the context, creation, delivery and legacy of Lincoln’s speech. The free program will start at the Lincoln Memorial Chamber on November 19, 2008, at 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. There is no charge for the event. For more information, contact Nate Adams at 202-438-6640.