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Founded in 1797 by Scots-Irish settlers on their way to the Shenandoah Valley, Gettysburg is best known as the site of the famous 1863 Civil War battle.

More than 50,000 men died here and the battlefield remains a poignant place where the chilling silence eerily recalls its significant place in American history. The battlefield has been preserved to tell the story of war, yet honor the soldiers who fought for their cause and changed the fate of American history forever.

It was at Gettysburg that the leaders of both the Union and Confederate armies, who would ultimately play out the Civil War to its end, first met. All seemed to understand that the outcome of the war would be determined here. In a bold attempt to invade America’s capital city, the Confederate army amassed thousands of troops ready to open a gateway to take Washington from the north while the Union understood that the ground had to be held at any cost, or the war would be lost. Entire regiments were wiped out as the tide turned against the South.

Months later President Lincoln delivered his much lauded Gettysburg Address here, and urged the nation to unite in democracy. Today the town is surrounded by vineyards, historic villages and quiet timeless countryside.