From Petersburg |
I don’t recall many of these at Gettysburg, but one stands out that was installed on Oak Hill near the observation tower. The narrator described how the XI Corps line was “smashed” by Jubal Early’s Division. The narratives may not have weathered the test of time well, and might seem a bit camp to modern ears, but they bring to mind the days when my Dad first introduced me to these places. For me, they are as integral a part of the landscape as the cannon, rail fences, and monuments.
My favorite squawk box of all time stands along the line of artillery pieces facing the Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh. “Get every gun you can find,” the narrator booms, quoting General Ruggles. This one still worked four years ago when I visited Shiloh – impressive considering I first listened to it almost twenty years before. Antietam has one at the Cornfield tour stop. I am planning to spend Thursday there for the all day anniversary hike, so I’ll be sure to check on it.
2 comments:
Weather permitting, I'm planning to attend the hike day also. See you there!
I remember the "squawk boxes", too. We always stopped at all the visitor's centers to get brochures about the various sites and then proceeded to visit as many as we could sometimes near dark. We visited so many battlefields on our trip south in 1985. All great memories. Love, from your very proud Mom
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