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Gettysburg Collection

Gettysburg Battlewalks

Gettysburg Battlewalks

Civil war historians and enthusiasts meet on America’s most famous battlefield every year to walk in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought there in July of 1863.  The Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest fight to ever take place on American soil, is explained to visitors and PCN viewers by Gettysburg National Military Park Rangers (GNMP) and licensed battlefield guides from the National Park Service. 

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Gettysburg Collection

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Battlewalks • Talks • Panels • Books • Interviews • And More!
New and past Gettysburg Battlewalks plus so much more are available to stream now on demand on the Gettysburg Collection with a subscription. Hundreds of videos about Gettysburg content are waiting for you!
► Click here to start watching now.

 

 

What is a Gettysburg Battlewalk?

GETTYSBURG BATTLEWALKS ON PCN

By Larry Kaspar, Senior Producer and Host

A visitor taking a stroll today through Gettysburg and the tranquil surrounding countryside can find jarring reminders of violence.  Bullet-riddled walls, a gaping hole in the side of a barn from a cannonball, are sobering reminders of a great battle.   

If you stood on the spot at a certain hour in 1863 that’s occupied by PCN studios today, you would have heard thunderous cannon-fire rolling across the landscape from thirty-five miles away at the Battle of Gettysburg. 

In that small south-central Pennsylvania town, men were struggling and dying in what history books would call the bloodiest fight to ever take place on American soil.  And it didn’t involve a foreign invader.  The United States was a country at war with itself.

Since 1995, in partnership with the Gettysburg National Military Park, PCN has marked the occasion by televising Gettysburg Battlewalks.  On the anniversary of the battle, historians guide park visitors across the actual battlefield in the footsteps of the soldiers who fought there on July 1, 2, and 3 of 1863.

”Being on the same ground that was marched over, fought over, and bled over, helps us to bridge the divide between the past and the present, and hopefully allows us to connect, in a meaningful way, with those who made history at Gettysburg,” says Christopher Gwinn, Chief of Interpretation and Education at Gettysburg National Military Park. “We are thrilled to be able to again work with PCN to share this experience with viewers across Pennsylvania, so that they too can benefit from this experience."Battlewalks are geared for both the novice park visitor and the advanced Civil War buff.  Youngsters can find programs designed for their tastes, too; few kids can resist a chance to learn about crude medical treatment given at battlefield hospitals in 1863.  Some Battlewalks offer basic information and take about a half-hour.  Others can take about two hours.  Choosing one over the other depends on the visitor’s level of interest and physical endurance.  Some of the more analytical Battlewalks even entertain what-if scenarios posed by experts who ponder how changing one event might have affected the outcome of the battle.

PCN’s cameras record each Battlewalk in a way that makes the viewer feel as if they were along with the group.  You’ll hear no voice-over narration, you’ll see no actors or performers, with the exception of a few lucky volunteers who wear woolen uniforms and explain their gear and weapons to make a point.  What you will see and hear, are experts and park visitors on a solemn procession into another time, when the future of the United States was in doubt.

Armies at the time didn’t know it, but the Battle of Gettysburg proved to be a turning point.  Though the Civil War would rage on, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered to be the high-water mark of the Confederacy, because they would never again advance that far to the north.  Over one-hundred fifty years later, battlefield visitors and historians alike continue to be fascinated with this unique time in our nation’s history.     

To help illustrate war’s human toll, park rangers often hold up photographs during Battlewalks of soldiers in uniform.  The effect can be startling.  Some faces are too young to have shouldered such grave responsibility.  They stare out from the pages of history, from another age.  They give pause to a person in the 21st century who might wonder how they themselves might have risen to the challenge.

Watch Gettysburg Battlewalks on PCN-TV and the PCN app.  

Gettysburg Collection


 

 

Battlewalks • Talks • Panels • Books • Interviews • And More!
New and past Gettysburg Battlewalks plus so much more are available to stream now on demand on the Gettysburg Collection with a subscription. Hundreds of videos about Gettysburg content are waiting for you!
Tour the battlefield with the Gettysburg National Military Park Rangers, stream a lecture from nationally acclaimed historians, or watch an interview with experts on subjects ranging from key moments and figures in the battle to Gettysburg's impact on the Civil War. The Gettysburg Collection is your complete visual guide to the Battle of Gettysburg, directly from the experts. Subscribe to PCN Select to start watching the Gettysburg Collection today! PCN Select subscribers can use their accounts to watch on the mobile app, Roku, and Amazon Fire. 

 

► Click here to start watching now.

Battlewalks

BATTLEWALKS

Walk in the steps of past soldiers with guided tours led by Gettysburg National Military Park Rangers, Licensed Battlefield Guides, and Historians.

Battletalks

BATTLETALKS

Discussions from experts at the Civil War Institute, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg Foundation, Greystone's, National Civil War Museum, and the Sacred Trust.

Interviews

INTERVIEWS

Listen as notable authors and historians like Carol Reardon, Brad Gottfried, Scott Mingus, James McClure, and more, delve into the history of Gettysburg in intimate interviews.

PA Books

PA BOOKS

PA Books interviews authors on books analyzing important moments and figures in the Battle of Gettysburg.

PCN Profiles

PCN PROFILES

PCN Profiles interviews notable Pennsylvanians who work to preserve and promote the Battle of Gettysburg.

Before and After

BEFORE & AFTER

Analysis of the events preceding the battle and its aftermath, led by Gettysburg National Military Park Rangers and historians.

 FREE TO WATCH - On Demand - 2020 Gettysburg
The Aftermath at Spangler Farm, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Louisa May Alcott, Living History Interview
Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks, Living History
Barlow's Knoll: Confederate Perspective, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Battle for Culp's Hill, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Black History at Gettysburg, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Brig. Gen. John Buford, Living History Interview
The Cannonade, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Coster Avenue, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Crisis on Cemetery Ridge, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Maj. Pauline Cushman, Living History Interview
Maj. Martin Delaney, Living History Interview
Devil's Den, Postcard
"The Devil's Own Day," Gettysburg Battlewalk
East Cavalry Battlefield, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Eisenhower at Gettysburg, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Fight for the Harmon Farm, Gettysburg Battlewalk
The First Shots, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Gettysburg Living History Portrayals - Battle of Gettysburg Day 1
Gettysburg Living History Portrayals - Battle of Gettysburg Day 2
Gettysburg Living History Portrayals - Battle of Gettysburg Day 3
Brevet Maj. Gen John Hartranft, Living History
The High-Water Mark, Gettysburg Battlewalk
The Irish Brigade in the Wheatfield, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Iverson's Brigade, Gettysburg Battlewalk
John Burns, Civilian Soldier; Gettysburg Battlewalk
Little Round Top, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Little Round Top, Postcard
Gen. George Meade, Living History Interview
Meade's Council of War, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Neil's Brigade, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Peach Orchard 1, Postcard
Peach Orchard 2, Postcard
Pennsylvania Monument, Postcard
Pickett's Charge: "A Desperate Thing to Attempt," Gettysburg Battlewalk
Power's Hill, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, Living History
Sickles Takes the High Ground, Gettysburg Battlewalk
Sgt. James P. Sullivan, Living History Interview
Marie Tepe, Living History Interview
Union Retreat: Fighting in the Streets, Gettysburg Battlewalk
What Was Robert E. Lee Thinking?, Gettysburg Battlewalk

 FREE TO WATCH - 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk Minis
Cemetery Ridge with Ranger John Nichols
Children's Educational Programs Mini
Pickett's Charge with Christopher Gwinn, Chief of Interpretation and Education
The Rose Farm with Historian John Heiser

 FREE TO WATCH - Retro Gettysburg Battlewalk Minis
Gettysburg Battlewalks 01
Gettysburg Battlewalks 02
Gettysburg Battlewalks 03
Gettysburg Battlewalks 04


Shop Gettysburg Battlewalks

  • 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk: Archer’s Brigade

    $25.00 – $30.00
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  • 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk: Barlow’s Knoll

    $25.00 – $30.00
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  • 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk: Benning’s Brigade

    $25.00 – $30.00
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  • 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk: Cemetery Hill

    $25.00 – $30.00
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  • 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk: Early and Johnson Bend the Union Fishhook

    $25.00 – $30.00
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  • 2019 Gettysburg Battlewalk: Eyewitness Stories from the Rose Farm

    $25.00 – $30.00
    Select options

Click here to see more

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