Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg (Images of America)

In early June 1863, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia launched a summer campaign that brought horrific war to the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In just over three days of cataclysmic battle, 51,000 individuals were killed, wounded, or captured. Although the fighting concluded by July 4, 1863, the struggle to recover continues to the present day. On November 19, 1863, the dedication of a new Soldiers National Cemetery marked a critical point in American history.

From its conception, the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg embodied a fitting tribute to those who gave their last full measure of devotion to a grateful nation. Since that fateful summer of 1863, the cemetery has expanded into a place of memorialization for Americans spanning generations. Today, the Soldiers National Cemetery remains a space of reverence and offers a beacon of hope for students who traverse these hallowed grounds learning from the past.