July 1st is the 141st anniversary of what most claim to be the greatest battle ever fought on American soil. The battle lasted for three days and claimed over 51,000 casualties. Here's the short version of the story

I used to travel to the Gettysburg area quite a bit during the 1990s on business. On my very first trip, a group from work and I took the bus tour through the battlefields with a tour guide. I was so enthralled with the history of the battle and with the beauty of the area, that each time I was there after that, I tried to do some more touring either through the battlefields or through the museums. I became a total Civil War buff. I have many books about the battle and have seen the movie Gettysburg a few times as well.

Being there and knowing that so many Americans died fighting each other in such a short period of time is a humbling exerience.

A thorough and evenhanded to both sides Civil War museum recently opened in Harrisburg, PA (very near Gettysburg). I spent seven hours there and don't think I saw everything. Incidentally, capturing the important (at that time) railroad terminal at Harrisburg was an objective of the Confederate forces that fought at Gettysburg.