February 10, 2014

When it comes to things I like best about Gettysburg, this photo of the Lydia Thompson house, otherwise known as Gen. Lee’s headquarters, has it all: Artillery out front, a nice contrast of colors, and a perfect stone finish. I’ve loved stone structures all my life. Not sure why . . . ancestor memories maybe? (Now if we could only get those modern dormers removed . . .)

  
The first thing I did was: (No, not enjoy the historicalness of the building or its environs as most folks would) start taking close-ups of the artillery. I’m not sure if this piece is original or not; I can’t tell if the mottling around the barrel is lettering or just a warp from age. Sadly, this piece and its twin could probably benefit from a good paint job. Nonetheless, they do look nice perched on the lawn.

 

Stone buildings have always held a fascination for me, and getting to see one close-up is always a treat. What I particularly like here is that it looks very old-fashioned (except for the chain across the door). Save for that chain (and there probably wasn’t a bench here in 1863) I can imagine that this is exactly what the side of the house looked like when Lydia Thompson and her family lived here, and when Gen. Lee arrived. That’s a big part of Gettysburg for me, knowing what something looked like, seeing what the soldiers saw. Now, as for reviews, I haven’t been in the museum for quite a few years but I remember it being very small. (Still neat to see the inside of the house, though). The gift shop is nice but they seem to have a fast turnaround, at least for the few items I looked for from month to month.

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. WILLIAM TEESDALE

Co. C, 68^TH Pennsylvania Infantry

Born November 25, 1822 --- Died July 10, 1863 at age 40

Though Pvt. Teesdale was born in Scotland, he loved his adopted country enough to offer his life for it. His death was mourned by wife Margaret, a daughter also named Margaret (eighteen), and son Robert (fourteen). 18-year-old Margaret joined her father in death just five months later. Pvt. Teesdale suffered three mortal wounds at Gettysburg and was later buried at the National Cemetery (his stone is misspelled “Peisdale.”)


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