Battle of Gettysburg 159th Anniversary on the Ridge

Battle of Gettysburg 159th Anniversary on the Ridge

June 30 – July 3

All events are FREE and open to the public!

*Schedule subject to change*

Thursday, June 30, 2022

5 p.m. – A Thousand May Fall (Book Talk and Signing by Brian Matthew Jordan)

Join Pulitzer Prize finalist Brian Matthew Jordan, associate professor of history at Sam Houston State University, for an analysis of the 107th Ohio. Based on his new book, A Thousand May Fall: An Immigrant Regiment’s Civil War, Jordan details this Eleventh Corps unit’s story. Approximately 45 minutes plus Q&A. Meet at Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion, near intersection of Springs Avenue and Seminary Ridge. Chair recommended.

6:30 p.m. – June 30, 1863: The Eve of Battle (Walking Tour)

Examine the events in Gettysburg on the evening of June 30, 1863, as the warring armies faced each other west of Gettysburg. What were the feelings in town? What did the soldiers do, some of whom would not be alive 24 hours later? Walk the ground where United States cavalrymen camped that evening, as we shed new light on the humanity of battle. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

Friday, July 1, 2022

9:30 a.m. – Buford Meets Reynolds (Real-Time Program)

Though it is one of the most famous conversations between two officers at Gettysburg, many questions linger about the conference between United States generals John Buford and John Reynolds on the morning of July 1, 1863. Explore where the meeting might have happened, what was discussed, and how eyewitness accounts vary. Approximately 30 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum. Chair recommended.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Lee’s Headquarters Open House

Join Museum staff at the historic home of Mary Thompson, open in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust. On-site interpreters are ready to answer questions and tell the story of this crucial ground, which witnessed deadly fighting on July 1, 1863, and subsequently served as the headquarters for Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Meet at 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum.

10:30 a.m. – Creating the Seminary Hospital (Real-Time Program)

Soon after the arrival of United States infantry, Dr. George New, surgeon-in-chief of the First Division, First Corps, established Gettysburg’s first field hospital at the Lutheran Seminary. Discover its first patients, medical decision-making processes, and the origins of what became one of Gettysburg’s largest and longest-serving hospitals. Approximately 30 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum. Chair recommended.

11:30 a.m. – Building the Seminary Barricade (Real-Time Program)

At about noon on July 1, 1863, First Corps commander Maj. Gen. Abner Doubleday instructed United States infantry to construct a “barricade of rails” along Seminary Ridge as “a precautionary measure,” in the event of a Confederate attack. Hear firsthand accounts from soldiers who built—and later defended—the iconic wooden breastwork. Approximately 30 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum. Chair recommended.

12:30 p.m. – The Signal Corps on Seminary Ridge (Real-Time Program)

Until early afternoon on July 1, 1863, Lt. Aaron Jerome represented the First Cavalry Division as a U.S. Signal Corps officer in the Cupola of the Lutheran Seminary, armed with a spyglass and a directive to look for the Confederate approach and Federal reinforcements. Examine the role of Jerome and other signalmen on Seminary Ridge. Approximately 30 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum. Chair recommended.

3 p.m. – The Final Attack: July 1, 1863 (Walking Tour)

Join a guide for a half-mile walking tour of the first day’s fighting, with a specific focus on the importance of the Seminary grounds to the battle. Learn about the United States army’s defensive action, how the Confederates overcame the position, and how the fighting on July 1 set up the action for the next two days and the remainder of the battle. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

4:30 p.m. – U.S. Artillery on Seminary Ridge (Walking Tour)

During the Confederate army’s final attack on Seminary Ridge, more than 20 United States cannon occupied these grounds—one of the highest concentrations of artillery anywhere on the Gettysburg battlefield. Discover the guns used here, the cannoneers who manned them, and the destruction wrought in their wake on the afternoon of July 1, 1863. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

6:30 p.m. – The Seminary on the Silver Screen: Seminary Ridge in Gettysburg (Walking Tour)

Filmed in 1992 and released in 1993, director Ronald Maxwell and the cast and crew of the film Gettysburg utilized many real-world locations where the battle happened in 1863. Walk the Seminary grounds where several influential moments were filmed, including sites where actors Sam Elliott and John Rothman portrayed John Buford and John Reynolds. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

8 p.m. – Outdoor Screening of the Film Gettysburg (1993)

Few historical or artistic works have been as influential in telling the story of America’s bloodiest battle as Ronald Maxwell’s Gettysburg. Join us for a nighttime screening on the lawn of United Lutheran Seminary, the setting for some of the film’s most famous scenes. Movie Runtime: 4 hours, 31 minutes. Meet at Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion, near intersection of Springs Avenue and Seminary Ridge. Chair recommended.

Saturday, July 2, 2022

9:30 a.m. – Lee Prepares for Battle (Real-Time Program)

Though initially reluctant to fight at Gettysburg, by July 2, 1863, Robert E. Lee was convinced of a path to victory. Join us on the ground where the Confederate commander gathered his officers at the historic Mary Thompson House (owned by the American Battlefield Trust) to discuss his plans that morning. Meet at Lee’s Headquarters, 401 Buford Ave. (Route 30), 0.2 miles north of Seminary Ridge Museum. Chair recommended.

10:30 a.m. – U.S. Surgeons and Patients on Seminary Ridge (Real-Time Program)

Established as a United States army field hospital on the morning of July 1, that evening the Seminary Hospital fell into Confederate hands. Throughout the days that followed, U.S. surgeons and patients found themselves temporary prisoners of war amid a raging battle. Learn the stories of these soldiers’ hardships and those who aided them. Approximately 30 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum. Chair recommended.

11:30 a.m. – The Horse at Gettysburg (Book Talk and Signing by Chris Bagley)

Join historian Chris Bagley, author of the new book, The Horse at Gettysburg: Prepared for the Day of Battle, for an overview of horses’ roles throughout the Gettysburg Campaign. Bagley will discuss the animals’ service, training, human bonds, and sacrifice. Approximately 45 minutes plus Q&A. Meet at Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion, near intersection of Springs Avenue and Seminary Ridge. Chair recommended.

2 p.m. – The Seminary in the Battle (Walking Tour)

Join a guide for a short walk along Seminary Ridge, with an emphasis on the three original structures that still stand on the United Lutheran Seminary campus. Learn about the families and students who lived here when the battle raged across this ground on July 1, 1863, and what they experienced in the days, weeks, and months that followed. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

3:30 p.m. – Confederate Artillery on Seminary Ridge (Walking Tour)

Following the departure of nearly two dozen United States cannon on the evening of July 1, for the remaining two days of the battle, at least 18 Confederate guns occupied the Seminary grounds, as well. Visit an original artillery piece, explore the stories of the soldiers who operated these cannon, and discover the damage to the campus that came as a result. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

5 p.m. – Art and Photography on Seminary Ridge (Walking Tour)

Discover the sketches, paintings, engravings, photographs, and other art forms that feature the picturesque campus of United Lutheran Seminary. From before the Civil War, through the Battle of Gettysburg, and into modern times, take a visual journey through the past 190 years on the grounds that surround Seminary Ridge Museum and Education Center. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

Sunday, July 3, 2022

10 a.m. – Seminary Ridge: Confederate Nerve Center (Walking Tour)

From the evening of July 1 through the morning of July 5, 1863, the Confederate army controlled the Lutheran Seminary. Gen. Robert E. Lee established his headquarters just north of the campus and made some of the most important decisions in American military history from this point. Join a guide for a walking tour of the Confederate-occupied grounds. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

11:30 a.m. – The 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry (Book Talk and Signing by Britt Isenberg)

Join historian Britt Isenberg, author of the new book, The 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry: From Gettysburg to Appomattox, for the history of a regiment forged amid the Gettysburg Campaign that remained in United States service for the remainder of the Civil War. Approximately 45 minutes plus Q&A. Meet at Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion, near intersection of Springs Avenue and Seminary Ridge. Chair recommended.

12:30 p.m. – York County, Pennsylvania, in the Gettysburg Campaign (Book Talk and Signing by James McClure and Scott Mingus)

Join historians James McClure and Scott Mingus, authors of the new book, ‘The Dogs of War in Our Midst’: Civil War Perspectives from York County, Pa., for an overview of the integral role of Adams County’s neighbor to the east throughout the Gettysburg Campaign. Approximately 45 minutes plus Q&A. Meet at Hill-Unger Performance Pavilion, near intersection of Springs Avenue and Seminary Ridge. Chair recommended.

2:30 p.m. – The Hospital on Seminary Ridge (Walking Tour)

Between July 1 and September 16, 1863, hundreds of wounded soldiers were treated in and around the Seminary. Dozens of civilians came to the hospital complex to help care for these men broken in body and spirit. Discover how soldiers received initial care after wounding and the structures there were put in place to care for them after the battle. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

4 p.m. – Planning the Confederate Retreat (Real-Time Program)

Though the Battle of Gettysburg effectively ended on July 3, 1863, the logistics of getting Robert E. Lee’s Confederate army out of Pennsylvania had only just begun. Stand on the ground where Lee made his plans as the retreat commenced, leading to the massive withdrawal of the defeated army from Seminary Ridge, to Maryland, and eventually Virginia. Approximately 30 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.

5 p.m. – Reunions, Monuments, and Memory on Seminary Ridge (Walking Tour)

Though it was Gettysburg’s longest-occupied space by either army in the summer of 1863, until rather recently the Seminary campus was relatively unmarked as a battlefield. Still, the grounds remained a common place for veterans’ returns. Trek the ground where old soldiers held reunions, dedicated memorials, and shaped the tourism of today. Approximately 60 minutes. Meet on the west side of the Museum.