Scratched And Replaced

SFcam: 2012: Part Twenty
(May 9, 2012)

From the cold marble of Washington DC, we took a detour down into Gettysburg to observe the landscape. The field didn't offer much in terms of excitement, but the few notable monuments and structures hinted at war long gone. And the presence of conflict always lingered in the air.

More odd was the peculiar arrangement of the monuments. One in particular struck me as rather sloppy. In a somewhat symmetrical area of a small valley, a large structure held several plaques riddled with the names of soldiers, presumably men that died during the Battle of Gettysburg. However, some names seemed unevenly arranged, others appeared to be removed entirely.

Our tour guide answered my confusions by informing me that the battle itself has been constantly studied by scholars and historians. Anyone who was thought to have been cowardly or selfish in battle was removed from the general list. Oftentimes, figures that historians had only mistaken for cowards would then be reconstructed back on. If not, then other names would take their places.