Day 16

October 19, 2021:

Peeling open my eyes, I noticed the bed was a mess. Sheets were strewn about me, my clothes were on, and my laptop was open to one side, totally out of power. Also both the lamps were still on, allowing me to see the room. It was 5 am, and I’d passed out for the last eight hours, grabbing some much-needed rest. But I was still tired, so I took off my clothes, cleaned up the bed, turned off the lights, and tried to curl up under the covers.

It worked, but not for long. I got back up around 6:30 am, this time for good. I plugged in my computer and got to work on my blog, working to catch up for the last two days. I’d seen a lot at Gettysburg, and knew I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. At around 10:30, I hit publish, then rapidly scrambled to get everything packed and out the door. Motel checkout was at 11:00, and I cut it close, turning in the key with just a few minutes to spare.

I was hungry, and considered my options on food. All the restaurants and gas stations were located either in Gettysburg proper, or to the south in Fairplay. Well, except one. There was a hotel-restaurant called Richard’s just next door, but checking the reviews, I decided to avoid it. One reviewer said he’d “rather gnaw the corn out of a terd” than eat there. It couldn’t have been that bad, but I figured I’d take him at his word.

I cycled north along 15, seeing additional memorials for union cavalry flanking units outside of the military park. Once I got back, I cycled back to where I left off, then continued the auto tour along the south side of the battlefield to Big and Little Round Top.

Little Round Top is absolutely worth seeing. It’s the hill the Confederates tried to assault on the second day of the battle to flank Union forces on the high ground of Cemetery Ridge. A brigade commanded by Strong took battlefield initiative to guard Little Round Top against incoming Confederate soldiers. Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine understood the need to hold Little Round Top at any cost. He and his men withstood repeated Confederate assaults, and Chamberlain was later awarded the Medal of Honor for having initiated a bayonet charge that ultimately drove the Confederates off and saved the flank of the Union army. Further, standing atop the memorials there provides a commanding view of the battlefield, including Devil’s Den and the Valley of Death. It is across these boulder-strewn fields that the Army of Northern Virginia would have charged, and you can see just how fruitless such a task was.

I then followed the road through Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, and Plum Run. I saw many of the free black-owned farm houses that were left in tatters following the battle. I saw the massive monument to Union soldiers from Pennsylvania. I thought this memorial was especially well done, not just listing the numbers of dead, but instead listing all the men by name, both those who lived and those who died. The monument has stairs that you climb that lead to a balcony overlooking the fields. There were a lot of wasps up there for some reason. Nevertheless, I got a good look around from this vantage point.

I also saw the monument for the High Water Mark of the Rebellion. It’s so named since Gettysburg was the northern-most offensive that the Confederates launched, and the furthest Pickett’s Charge came to overrunning Union positions. But it seems very misleading to me, since the Army of Northern Virginia marched as far north as Harrisburg, quite a ways to the northeast of Gettysburg. It’s certainly not the farthest north those troops went.

I decided to skip the Gettysburg museum. Having toured the entirety of the battlefield, having read every memorial I saw, and having read the historical context for the campaign and battle on Wikipedia, I didn’t think there was much more for me at the museum.

Still hungry, I saw a sign for a spicy chicken sandwich from KFC. It reminded me of the fantastic spicy chicken sandwiches I got during college from Chick-Fil-A. It was actually my first time inside a KFC, despite having lived for years in Kentucky during high school. It was pretty good, but I don’t like their fries. The Chick-Fil-A sandwich was better in any event.

I rode back through downtown Gettysburg, stopping only at a bike store to have my brakes tightened. The guy showed me how to do it. I’d had it all backwards, and I think it’s a really counter-intuitive system. I also stopped at a Starbucks to have my bottles refilled. The employee there refused, and the manager explained that they’re not allowed to, citing some sort of health concern. This must be a recent policy of the last few years, since I can recall having my bottles filled at Starbucks on previous trips. I understand that they were just abiding by policy, but it’s a stupid policy, and I want to complain directly to their HQ.

Anyway, I went to the Dollar Tree across the lot instead, purchasing a gallon jug of water and a bag of ginger cookies. I filled my bottles from the jug, then cycled back towards Gettysburg to take the Harrisburg Road out. I think this was ultimately the wrong decision. Country roads with slimmer shoulders really aren’t better than larger roads with wider shoulders. I can already hear you wishing me luck in Ireland. I later stopped at a Rutter’s gas station for a bottle of orange juice, apples, and zip-ties.

I started to prepare to camp a lot earlier today, to prevent myself running out of options like I did yesterday. I cycled through East Berlin, PA to get closer to a few legitimate campsites I could have used if I couldn’t find anything. But I did see a path leading away from the road into the woods, right along the Conewago Creek. It was elevated and flat, private and shaded. But I was also fairly certain it was private property, given that the path seemed tended to and I ran into a Trespassing sign a little deeper in. I walked up the street to the house above that property and rang the doorbell. I introduced myself, explained why I was there, and asked if I could use the trail to camp this evening. The man, who introduced himself as Mark, shook my hand and agreed. “You asked permission, so you get permission.” He also offered that I could set up my camp in his concrete barn up the road, saying it might be more comfortable to have a roof overhead. I checked it out, but couldn’t figure out how to open the gate, and would either have to throw my bike over the fence or bother Mark again. Since it wasn’t forecasted to rain, I just went back to the spot I had earlier identified and set up.

I suppose the one issue with having selected that site is that it is just too obvious. It’s too nice. And places that are too nice can sometimes attract unwanted attention. Around midnight, I heard footsteps by the road, crunching the undergrowth underneath. I popped my head out of the tent, looking out. I saw a silhouette by the road, holding a flashlight. A car with its emergency blinker on was rolling slowly downhill next to him… maybe in neutral. I shined my flashlight back, thinking it might have been Mark. Instead, the man walked out onto the street, opened the driver’s side door, and hopped in. The car slowly accelerated away, and all was quiet again. I got out of the tent to lock my bike, returning with my laptop which I had accidentally left in a bike pannier. Minutes later, I could smell a faint but distinctive scent of marijuana drift through the air. I cursed, hoping he’d finish up soon. After about fifteen minutes, the smell was gone, and the rest of the night passed uneventfully.