From Leut Greg Keeley In Washington
The marching would have made a cub scout blush, the sergeants had a hard time keeping the troops in line at Little Round Top (it was commented that herding cats would be easier) and come lunchtime the tea was not hot, but ice cold in the best US tradition.

Trials and tribulations aside, the annual Australian Army in US Conference was an enormous success. Delegates and their partners received a unique understanding of the tactics and horror of the most telling battle in the Civil War.

According to Army Week organiser, Maj Tim Rudd, the Army Conference had a number of aims.

“It provided the opportunity to Australian Army LOs and exchange personnel throughout North America to broaden their understanding of the US military and allowed for the opportunity for admin-related briefings at the Embassy and the military attaché gets to put a face to the name,” he said.

In total there were 44 uniformed personnel from around the US and Canada.

“There were two full days of various admin and op-related briefs, there was the Gettysburg day and a guided tour through the Pentagon.

“The Gettysburg Battlefield Tour or, as the US Mil call it, a Staff Ride, was a highlight”.

Gettysburg holds a significant place in US history. The understanding of this battle from the military viewpoint is extremely important to the understanding of the Civil War in general.

Lt-Col Greg Hampton of the US Army – who is a part-time Civil War enthusiast and re-enactor, treated the Australian contingent to a tour.

Maj Rudd said the delivery was not all about dates and tactics.

“It was also the social and cultural aspects of the battle. This added to our understanding of the significance that Gettysburg, and the Civil War generally, holds to the people of the US.”

In July of 1863, the turning point of the Civil War occurred at the Battle of Gettysburg when the Army of Northern Virginia with about 75,000 men under Gen Robert E. Lee and the Army of the Potomac with 90,000 men under Gen George Meade, met by chance when a brigade of Southern troops looking for supplies in the area was fired upon by a unit of Northern Cavalry along the Chambersburg Pike.

The fighting escalated into a full-scale battle on those hot summer days of July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Many different estimates exist on the number of casualties inflicted during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Total Confederate casualties have been estimated to be as great as 28,000. It is usually agreed that total Confederate casualties numbered at least 1/3 of Lee’s army.

Casualties generally included anyone who deserted, was captured, missing, wounded, or killed. In essence, if a soldier was not present during muster, he could likely be counted as a casualty.

On July 4th, Lee moved his army south to Virginia to continue the war. The town of Gettysburg was left with the suffering, death and destruction.

The bodies of men and animals were scattered over the battlefield. Thousands were dead or wounded.

There were over 50,000 casualties, captured, wounded or killed.

On November 18, 1863, the National Cemetery, containing the graves of over 3,000 Union soldiers who fell at Gettysburg, was dedicated.

It was here Abraham Lincoln made his short speech that became known as The Gettysburg Address.

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