Gettysburg Battlefield

The Gettysburg Battlefield encompasses the terrain of the July 1–3, 1863 military engagements during the American Civil War, extending from Knoxlyn Ridge on the west of the borough to East Cavalry Field on the east. The landscape includes ridges, open fields, roads, cemeteries, and specific tactical locations such as East Cavalry Field and the site of the first shot at Knoxlyn Ridge; a pre-battle action at the Gettysburg Railroad trestle over Rock Creek (burned June 27) is also associated with the campaign. Over time the battlefield has been intensively mapped, monumented, interpreted, and used as a site for scholarly seminars and military teaching, described in some course materials as a "laboratory" for studying leadership and battlefield operations. Parts of the battlefield were reused in World War II as a prisoner-of-war camp, illustrating changing land uses after the Civil War. As an active National Military Park the site continues to host ranger-led tours, public programming, and attracts continuing media and scholarly attention.