Gettysburg and Grace
A couple of weekends ago I was feeling stuck. Since my days are so regimented, it stands to reason that deep ruts develop. Routines are healthy as they provide structure to daily life. Yet, it is important to step outside of them on occassion and see something new.
So, I left work and went to Gettysburg on a stress-free back road that parallels 30 (Lincoln Highway) minus all of the congestion. I copped a cheap hotel on Travelocity for 45 shekels and a craft brewery (Fourscore) I have wanted to visit was just two blocks from the hotel. Gettysburg is just far away to make me not want to drive the hour and ten minutes at night home after the victuals of the evening. I am at the point in my life that $45 dollars is a small concession to staying safe.
After enjoying myself for a couple of hours, I ambled back to the hotel and watched the Sixers game. The following morning, a chilly South Central Pennsylvania Saturday morning, I did some walking around town. After some fairly average coffee at two of the town's upscale coffee shops, and an even more pedestrian breakfast at a local restaurant, I decided to retrace the route that Lincoln took on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address.
I am not a huge Civil War buff but do find significant historical places interesting. So, I walked down to the train station and then hiked on Baltimore Street to the National Cemetery where Lincoln delivered his dedication, which wound up being just a block from my hotel. I had no idea that I was so close. Along the way I passed a Sycamore called the "Witness Tree" that is still alive along Lincoln's route and which can be seen in Civil War Era photography, and the building where Lincoln slept while in town. Most of the homes on Baltimore Street were built prior to the battle.
Standing near the spot where Lincoln gave his speech, I was struck by the normalcy of it all. The grounds were deserted except for a couple out for a walk. The town itself, was vacant. An occasional pick-up truck drove by on the mostly empty roads. Such a stark contrast to the epic and awful bloody and deadly conflict that had played out in the town all those years ago. In some way, I thought this was a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made. The silence of it all. God be praised for the clear quiet of domestic tranquility. Yes, even the dullness.
I heard an interesting tidbit on podcast today where the author, who has written a book about leading Abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens who served in the House of Representatives, notes that Jubal Early, against orders from Lee, marched his troops to Steven's ironwork's and destroyed them, as Steven's harsh polemics against slavery had made him many enemies in the South. There was no military significance to the ironwork's. It was done purely for spite and a personal vendetta. The destruction cost Thaddeus Stevens $90,000 dollars. But, it wound up delaying Early's troops from arriving in Gettysburg earlier which the author argues tilted the outcome of the battle in favor to the Union (the Union had gained the high ground since some of their troops arrived first). So, Stevens got the last laugh for sure. And it is fitting as Steven's stance on slavery was indeed higher ground.
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