Bob Crum

The Rotary Club of Moorpark presented a Civil War reenactment of the following historic battle.
Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Dates: July 1-3, 1863
Union General: George G. Meade | Confederate General: Robert E. Lee

The Union Army took a primary defensive position on Cemetery Ridge to the north & east around Cemetery Hill. The ridge only 40 feet above the surrounding terrain but two miles long, rising to the north roughly 80 feet above the surroundings to form Cemetery Hill descending on the south end into low, wooded, somewhat marshy ground.

The first day of battle saw considerable fighting. Many Union soldiers used newly issued Spencer repeating carbines causing heavy casualties. Using rifles of the day, the Confederates still caused heavy casualties. Gettysburg became the killing field.

The second day involved many desperate attacks and counterattacks in an attempt to gain control of Cemetery Hill. Again heavy losses on both sides.

General Lee attacked on the third day. Known as “Pickett’s Charge,” some 15,000 Confederate troops, led by Gen. George Edward Pickett, assaulted Cemetery Ridge, held by about 10,000 Federal infantrymen. The Southern spearhead broke through and penetrated the ridge.

Critically weakened by artillery and lacking reinforcement while under savage attack from three sides, the Southerners retreated, leaving hundreds of prisoners. On July 4 Lee waited to meet an attack that never came. That night, taking advantage of heavy rain he retreated toward Virginia. Meade stopped the Confederate invasion and won a critical three-day battle.

At battles end, president Abraham Lincoln gave his infamous Gettysburg Address. He extolled the sacrifices of those who died at Gettysburg – urging resolve "that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

The exciting event is touted as the largest Civil War battle reenactment west of the Mississippi. Hundreds of reenactors come from all over the country converge on the Hitch Ranch in Moorpark, CA. Advertised as the event that will make history come to life right before your eyes is an understatement.

However, photographing such events is extremely challenging. Naturally, it's important not to miss anything significant but too often too many significant events (action) occurred simultaneously. In a word: Consternation.

A Canon 7D Mark II is my main camera with a Tamron 16-300mm lens mounted. I also had my older Canon 7D onto which I mounted a Tamron 70-300mm lens with a 1.4X teleconverter for extended range. BTW, that's the same combo used for photoing mermaids on Anacapa Island. I should have left the 7D home. By the time I put down one camera and picked up the other I missed a shot. Ugh!

Kudos to the Moorpark Rotary for presenting an outstanding event. Besides the battlefield action, many Civil War era tents were pitched on the grounds. Uniformed Union and Confederate personnel at various camps. Old potbelly stoves heated coffee. Bacon cooked over fire pits. At one tent I stumbled upon a clandestine battle strategy meeting.

A canon firing is the photo of the week. Catching the exact moment of the brief flash was extremely vexing. Not knowing the exact moment the canon fires, I put the camera on burst mode. Even so, it took many attempts to get the ultimate image I wanted. Check fillmoregazette.com for the color version. Next exciting photo op: L. A. Air Show, 3/24, 3/25 at Wm. J. Fox Airfield, 4555 W. Ave G, Lancaster. See you there?

Happy photoing.

Email your suggestions, questions or comments to bob@fillmoregazette.com