Batteries, Balloons, and Big Music
Living History at Gettysburg National Park

Gettysburg, PA

July 18 - 20, 2014

Your Correspondent traveled to Gettysburg without the 67th NY and came across an interesting Living History taking place at the Pennsylvania Monument. From Spring through Fall, the National Park Service books all kinds of Civil War impressions on this plot of green and this weekend they combined two: the 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery and the Calvert Arms Fife and Drum Corps. These two units are completely independent and have no relation yet for the weekend they worked well as one in entertaining the public. Hovering above it all was the strange spherical presence of a white hot air balloon rising and falling from its mooring on Steinwehr Street strangely reminsent of the BBC Series, the Prisoner.
Deafening explosions, loud music, unsettling balloons... this weekend at Gettysburg had something for everyone.

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VIDEO

First sighting Friday evening Calvert Arms Fife and Drum Quiet in the camp of Battery B This time at the Angle Saturday morning in camp A fuller picture A familiar tree to us Practicing under the Fly Battery drill Visitors at the Musicians' camp 49th Pennsylvania Volunteers Calling the musicians to order Performing at the Pennsylvania Monument Six fifers fifing Hovering over Ziegler's Grove Drummers catch up Battery B giving its demo Holding aloft a firing pin Captain Demaria speaking Types of Ammo