The world will little note, nor long remember..

[Bugman]

How wrong Mr. Lincoln was about that.

Gettysburg, Pa. November 19 1863.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln

 

[The Internet]

Maybe I'm wrong but I heard he delivered it in very soft tone of voice, it might only have been the guys right in front of him who heard it!

Always great to read, now more than ever, I hope he's right, I hope it doesn't perish from the Earth. One thing's for sure: he'd puke himself green if he saw his party today! Overtaken by the people he was fighting!

Seriously, what a total waste of human life that war was, so sad. You'd need a speech like this during that war! "Can you tell me one more time, Mr. President, why are we doing this?"

 

[milagros317]

Thanks for reminding us of this classic short speech, Bugman.
Perhaps this thread belongs in the P&R Forum.

 

[paracarl44]

Gettysburg is a short distance from where I live.

They have restored the railroad station to the original condition when Mr. Lincoln arrived by train to make The Gettysburg Address.

 

[Barbershopman]

I find it interesting that Edward Everett spoke for over two hours prior to Lincoln and later stated that Lincoln accomplished in two minutes what he said he had hoped to do and failed to accomplish in two hours.

If you are any sort of history buff at all, do yourself a favor and go visit Gettysburg. I am a huge history buff (especially of the Civil War) and crossed this item off my bucket list in 2010. But beware, you'll need more than one day to take all of it in. I toured the site for two days and still didn't get to everything.

Barbershopman

 

[Bugman]

I find it interesting that Edward Everett spoke for over two hours prior to Lincoln and later stated that Lincoln accomplished in two minutes what he said he had hoped to do and failed to accomplish in two hours.

If you are any sort of history buff at all, do yourself a favor and go visit Gettysburg. I am a huge history buff (especially of the Civil War) and crossed this item off my bucket list in 2010. But beware, you'll need more than one day to take all of it in. I toured the site for two days and still didn't get to everything.

Barbershopman

I'm hoping to visit Gettysburg someday. You've probably noticed I'm a bit of a history buff myself. 😉 My great-grandfather was a Union cavalry officer during the Civil War and we have (well one of my cousins has) two diaries he kept during the war. They were transcribed years ago and I've read some of it. Fascinating stuff.

 

[The Internet]

My great-grandfather was a Union cavalry officer during the Civil War and we have (well one of my cousins has) two diaries he kept during the war. They were transcribed years ago and I've read some of it. Fascinating stuff.

Are you kidding???? That is AMAZING!!

A year before he died, I sat down with my Grandfather and recorded over three hours of his WWII remembrances, I'm so happy I did. But TWO DIARIES from the Civil War??????!

Is it in a Word document or something you can send? I want to read them!

 

[Bugman]

Are you kidding???? That is AMAZING!!

A year before he died, I sat down with my Grandfather and recorded over three hours of his WWII remembrances, I'm so happy I did. But TWO DIARIES from the Civil War??????!

Is it in a Word document or something you can send? I want to read them!

'Net, it's great you did that with your grandfather. Wish we could have done that with my father but he was always reluctant to talk about those years.

I'll PM you about the diaries but here's what I think is a pretty cool story. My mother had the diaries when I was a kid and somehow a history professor from Arizona State University heard about them. He flew to KC and visited our house, spending hours reading them and taking notes.

This professor happened to be a friend of actor Cliff Arquette (remember Charlie Weaver?) who was himself a Civil War buff and collector. Arquette later contacted my mother with an offer to buy the diaries but she wasn't about to turn loose.