I will be making my first visit to the Gettysburg Battlefield in October. Can anyone kind of point me in the right direction re. lodging, restaraunts, tours etc. I'm spending 3 days there, don't want to miss a thing....Any and all advise is GREATLY appreciated......


Duane A. Brinson Kailua-Kona, Hi.
U.S.M.C. 1985-1989

Although I used to make several trips a year there, it has been sometime since I've been there. The town has been growing by leaps and bounds. The whole Northeast sector has grown up with WalMart and several new hotels/motels. October isn't a bad time to be going there. Most of the tourist crowds will be gone and the weather can be very comfortable. But I would keep track of the weather in Adams County to make sure you dress warm enough.
As for battlefield tours and guides, there are numerous. You can hire a guide to drive your car and drive you around the area. The guides licensed by the park service are VERY knowledge. The testing requirments are quite rigid.
There are plenty of places to eat. Near the battlefield park, if you want cafeteria style and feed the family reasonably try General Pickett's Buffet. If you want more exspensive meals or tastes go to the Gettysburg Hotel's Lincoln Room.
There motels/hotesl all along Steinwehr and further along just south of the battlefield. Also there are the newer places in the areas off York Rd/Lincoln Highway which is US 30 East. If you're on US-15 coming from the south you can get off on Branch 15 which turns into Steinwehr Road and follow it north to the Battlefield Park and town. There are some older motels along that way that are just as nice. If you come from US-30 West, your best bet is to cut across the north of the square to East 30 or go south to the Steinwehr and check out the motels/hotels there.
For several years I portrayed General JEB Stuart there and around the country. I was a Civil War re-enactor for over 20 years.
In Gettysburg you can be completely oufitted in CW garb, either as soldier, civilian or whatever. Its not cheap though. To be outfitted as a CW infantryman you're talking about 800 to 900 dollars. Your weapon being the biggest charge. Even the ladies get involved.
Be sure and take one of the ghost tours. Gettysburg has some strange goings on. Believe me it does. But enjoy yourselves and remember the price that was paid there those three days.
CIAO!
Darryl Hinkle aka JEB Stuart, Major General CSA

Awesome! Thank you very much! the plan is to roll from my mom's place in Anderson S.C., hit the town that Maj. Gen J.E.B. Stuart was born in (the name escapes me) then roll up the Shenandoah (sp?) checking out the battlefields of Lt. General Jackson's Valley Campaign, stop in Lexington, pay my respects to and put a lemon on General Jackson's Grave, pay my respects to General Lee at his tomb at Washington & Lee University (not to forget Traveller), see the museum at VMI, go to Anteitam, then cap it off with three days at Gettysburg.
Every year I go see the fields of honor. Last year was all the Seven Days' battlefields, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, Petersburg, Cold harbor and the Wilderness battlefields. Also spent 2 awesome days in Fredericksburg, next year I'm thinking Vicksburg, Shiloh and Franklin.......I geek out HARD on my "War Between the States" battlefield vacations!!!!

Duane A. Brinson Kailua-Kona, Hi
U.S.M.C. 1985-1989

Don't forget to go up to Cashtown and visit the Cashtown Inn. Also the East battlefield near Hanover.
Believe or not the area where JEB was born some of that escapes my memory too as its been almost five years since I've portrayed JEB. Its hard to portray a man in his thirties when you're in your fifties. That area is something else. The preservation society there once was trying to get funding to rebuild the Stuart family home that burned down in 1859.
My wife and I have Shiloh on our next trip schedule. We've been to most in the east.
Antietam was a real expierience. My wife didn't want me taking her picture in the Dunker Church for oblivious reasons. When the film was developed there was a white wispy spot near her in the church. She let me have it for taking that picture! Just what she didn't want!
Anyway, enjoy your visit in Gettysburg.

I've stayed at the Quality Inn on Steinwehr numerous times. It was comfortable, clean, affordable, and just north of the park. One place I'd highly recommend to eat/drink is the Dobbin House Sping Taveren (the basement, not the tourist part upstairs). After a day humping the park go for the stew and a Troegs beer there.

I agree with the writer above. Gettysburg is creepy.
A foregn delegation of visitors were pleased to see a company of yankee soldiers demonstrate their marching skills while they were in the field.
When the were leaving they stopped at the visiting center an thanked the center for the deomonstration, and was told, any demonstrators have to have permission, we issued none.

I was last there in 1971, as I was searching thru "Devils den" felt I was being followed, an could swear I heard some one whisper "whatcha lookin fer yank" No one else was near.

I do not doubt that you probably did. Years ago I was asked to portray a Yankee senior officer. My friend and his wife were with me and we were up on Cemetary ridge just about dusk. Suddenly a young soldier appears on the sidewalk and is startled to see us. He salutes me and says, "Good evening general, how are you sir?"
I said "fine and you?"
He replied, "it was a hot one today sir but my friends and found an old bathtub and washed our clothes. What are you doing so close to the front sir?"
We were in period clothing, my friend's wife included. My friend was dressed in a 24th Michigan Infantry Sgt's uniform.
Isaid, "Its not that close and we wanted to catch the breeze here on the ridge."
The young soldier replied, "Well sir I have to get back to my friends or they will start worrying about me."
I asked him where they were camped and he pointed over to the Southeast of the cemetery.
I said, Go ahead son."
He saluted me and said, "Be careful sir and stay low tomorrow."
I replied, and it came out so fast I didn't realize I said it, "You too son and God bless you."
He turned and walked off in the direction of the cemetery and went into some bushes along the sidewalk. We waited for him to come out into the open field, but he never did?
My friend's wife just stood there and stared. She looked at me and said "did we just talk to a ghost?"
first of all most re-enactors do not like to acknowledge people dressed as generals. In fact at that time not many could tell a general when they saw one, let alone in the coming dark.
His uniform and appearance were TOO good. When he pointed to the campsite, there were no re-enactor groups camped over that way. It was where the 11th corps camped after their retreat on the first day. He had a crescent moon insignia on his coat. so you tell me........

The National Park Service (NPS) Now has a new visitors center that is set off to the side of the battle field and looks close to what the buildings did in the day. The concrete bldg that housed the cyclorama is coming or has come down. The NPS is trying to get the fields back to as close as possible to what they looked like 145 years ago. To bad you wern't making the run in July for the 145th as there are 15,000 registered reenactors on the rolls with 100 ordnance pieces as well. I am looking forward to seeing what changes have come about sence the 125 when I was last there.As for the unusual goings on there yes there is and it can be disconcerting.

Oh wow! yeah, I can tell that will be something.
I remember what the 135th was like. not to long ago I dug out the pictures I took of the march out of Pickett's division at the 125th. A friend of mine wanted to see them. I have two that are shots of the front line with the men lined up. Its line of soldiers, muskets and bayonets that runs all the way across the hollow and halfway up the hill. It was a sight I'll never forget!
Have fun! hope it doesn't get too hot or have too many cases of the Quick step!

Sorry, it should be the 135th in both places mentioned. Agh! Not enough coffee this morning!

While you are in the Antietam area check out the South Mountain State Battlefield. It is only 10 miles from Antietam and it will be worth your trip. My husband works there as a battlefield guide and it is one of the nicer little known battlefields in the area. Also, if you are interested in the Gettysburg area there is a gentleman named John A. Miller who wrote a book titled "The Battle of Monterey Pass" which details the actions from the retreat of Gettysburg. John is the founder of the Monterey Pass Battlefield Association and according to his website, has been doing research on the area for 10 years. The website is www.emmitsburg.net/montereypass and you can get information on purchasing the book there. All the proceeds from the book go into purchasing an interepretive marker for the battle and John also gives guided tours of the area. It is a great book and if you are interested in the area the tour is definately time well spent!

So I just got back, and had a HELL of a good time. Gettysburg is incredibly moving.....Ate @ General Pickett's Buffet....GREAT EATS!!!!
Will try and post pix, (I have about 200 shots) Thanks for all the input, going back next year.........

Duane A. Brinson Lahaina, Hi.
U.S.M.C. 1985-1989

All right Duane!! If you ate at General Pickett's Buffet did you look at the pictures in the back entrance way? If so I'm there in a couple of those as JEB Stuart.
Glad you had a great time!

JPOPE I forgot to post that both me un the missus made a trip to Gettysburg as she wanted to visit Boyds Bears. I finaly got a chance to visit the NEW museum and its good the cyclorama is almost restored I did see a couple things wrong and noted it to the staff. 1. the confederate figure has the blanket roll on the wrong shoulder. 2. the haversack was under the cartridge box as well as to slowly walk the grounds without rushing back to camp to go fight, and my missus wasn't comfortable at all she felt like we were being followed but couldn't see anyone. She liked looking at things from the truck but didn't like the feeling when she walked. I told her that its the spirits of those who fell here. I placed some wild flowers at the base of the monument to the Irish Bde as well as at the wall where the 14th Indiana fought and didn't break. We ate at Gen'l Picketts and it was good and I did look at the photos there were a few fellas I recognized from Kansas.
Next year we were invited to return to Stones River by the NPS to portray the 35th Indiana/ Fighting 1st Irish which fought there and the talk of a national event is still up in the air.

Yes, Gettysburg can be a VERY eerie place. There are things that happen there that defy all logical explanation. Its amazing what has turned up in some of my pictures that I've taken there. Orbs, brown blobs, gray clouds, black clouds covering the picture. Its like they didn't want me to take pictures there.
Its a strange place.

I like the story about the foreign head of state who visited Gettysburg and afterward thanked the Park Service for the arranging for the reenactors who'd drilled, in the rain, for his entertainment.

There were no reenactors at the park that day, and the grass in the field where they had drilled was undisturbed.

I'm fimiliar with that story and yes, its a good one!

There's a program on Discovery Channel, once in a while, The Ghosts of Gettysburg. A lot of strange stuff goes on.

Never miss them! I have talked at length with Mark Nesbitt, author of those books. He also signed my book "Saber and Scapecoat, The Stuart Gettysburg Controversy." That is an outstanding book, it really gets to the truth of the whole situation.
I related to him the story of seeing the ghost of General Reynolds and his finance' in the house across the street from Servant's. When that happened, I had NO knowledge of the story behind it. I didn't find out the story until a year later when I read it in one of the Ghosts of Gettysburg books. I about fell off of my friend's couch when I read it!!!!

Duane,waiting for those pictures.I was there a few years back.It was great.The whole time I was there,I kept thinking about how many of the Southern boys fought and died there.I was walking on ground they bled and died on.To this day I will never understand why the CSA attack that hill.I had oictures of several battle fields but my ex has them.Bad thing is I paid for everything,includeing the pictures.