It has been 150 since the Battle of Gettysburg and throngs of people have swarmed the small Pennsylvania town to commemorate the anniversary of the most famous battle in United States history, according to the Associated Press.
The meeting between Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac is thought by many historians to be the turning point of the Civil War. The battle took place on July 1-3, 1863 and when it was all said and done almost 10,000 troops were killed with an additional 30,000 wounded, according to the Associated Press.
One of the pivotal moments of the battle was when the 20th Maine Regiment was able to hold the Union Army's flank on a hill called Little Round Top. Valerie Josephson's great grandfather was part of the Maine regiment that held the hill and Josephson told the Associated Press how she felt visiting on the anniversary of the battle.
"I still get the chills when I start riding into Gettysburg. There's such a feeling here," Josephson said. "I have been thinking about this for years. I'm going out here to do my part (to honor him) today."
Like many battlefields much of the topography has been given nicknames that have endured to this day; names like Devil's Den, the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill.
Park Ranger Andrew Newman told the Associated Press that people especially like to find out where relatives of theirs may have fought during the battle and then specifically visit those sites.
"They learn that they've been at a certain event or a certain part of this battle, then they learn more of their stories and there are letters they find," Newman said.
The National Park Service has been preparing for the 150th anniversary of the battle since 2010 planning tours, demonstrations, events and of course, re-enactments. The Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that as many as 200,000 visitors will come through town and spend close to $100 million during the celebration, according to the Baltimore Sun.
