After a family wedding in Chambersburg, PA., my wife, boys and I "camped" for a couple of nights in a small cabin at Artillery Ridge in Gettysburg, PA. The boys could swim there and use the game room, while the nearby stables offered one of the best ways to make the Gettysburg battlefield come alive -- to experience it on horseback. For a different perspective, we also enjoyed an Underground Railroad tour of the region, led by local historian and author Debra Sandoe McCauslin. We were particularly moved by the story of the kidnapping of freed slave Kitty Payne, which provides evidence of why the civil war had to be fought, and by the courageous Quakers who helped to free the slaves. We toured the Shriver House in downtown Gettysburg, which conveyed the horror of the civilian experience in Gettysburg. We enjoyed a 19th century dining experience at the historic Farnsworth House, complete with spoon bread, split pea soup, and pumpkin fritters. We also stuffed ourselves at the May Flowers Asian Buffet, where the locals seem to eat.
I like to think that the civil war, and particularly Gettysburg, provide a glimpse into the collective memory or collective unconscious of Americans. Gettysburg, despite the commercialism, preserves a sacred spot and a sacred national memory. Visiting Gettysburg is something of a spiritual experence. One of the most fascinating aspects of our visit was a Gettysburg Ghost Tour. The town seems to be frequented by restless spirits who have not reconciled themselves to the horrors of the war or of early death. After the tour, I checked on You Tube and found this interesting and mysterious clip:
