Off To Maryland

Before we left Gettysburg today, we made one last stop downtown at the David Wills House, part of Gettysburg National Military Park.  This is the house where President Lincoln spent the night before delivering the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery.

David Wills House

The exhibits in the house fill in some of the missing pieces of the Battle of Gettysburg, including the impact of the battle and its aftermath on the townspeople.  David Wills was a prominent lawyer who was directly involved in the creation of a national cemetery in Gettysburg.  He invited President Lincoln to deliver a “few appropriate remarks” at the dedication ceremony.

More than 20,000 people came to Gettysburg for the ceremony, and David and Catherine Wills accommodated many of the distinguished guests.  The bedroom where Lincoln slept and finished revising the Gettysburg Address is on display and is furnished with original pieces.  The museum interprets the significance of the speech and why it continues to endure to this day.



Bedroom Where Lincoln Stayed Before Delivering the Gettysburg Address

We finally left Pennsylvania, on our way to Baltimore, Maryland, to visit with friends and family.  Tonight we had dinner with Noreen and Mike, and it was wonderful to see them.  It’s been way too long since we got together, but they are the kind of friends where we can just pick up where we left off.


Mike and Noreen

Tonight was also our first experience “camping” in a Wal-Mart parking lot.  There are simply no campgrounds near Baltimore, so we decided to give this a try.  So far, so good.  I’ll report tomorrow on how it turned out.


Our "Campsite" at Wal-Mart