There is a reason I include a link to the blog of the Gettysburg National Military Park (besides the fact that I can’t get to the park nearly as much as I’d like).
Anyway, the latest post on the blog by Chuck Teague, a seasonal ranger and prolific poster to the Gettysburg Discussion Group list back when I was a member is a good reason to check back there whenever possible. This post is about the 1866 panoramas that George Leo Frankenstein painted at Gettysburg. Of real interest to those of us who study the 17th CVI are the ones he painted at East Cemetery Hill. Only 3 years after the battle, they show us what the landscape looked like at the time of the battle better than many of the existing photographs.
The post shows one such view, located here, shows the area where the 17th CVI advanced, fought, and retreated on July 1st. The Almshouse, with Barlow’s Knoll just beyond, is easy to pick out. Having stood on East Cemetery Hill many, many times trying to picture the scene on July 1863, I can tell you it takes a very vivid imagination. Looking at the painting, it is far easier to imagine what it was like on those 3 days in early July.
The post is an interesting one and I recommend you take the time to visit. Just click on the link for From the Fields of Gettysburg here or to the right.