Gettysburg battlefield boulders reveal hidden Civil War stories in plain sight
The Gettysburg battlefield offers visitors a unique way to connect with history, using its enduring boulders and black-and-white photographs to uncover untold Civil War stories.
The battlefield is filled with monuments marking what was, but some landmarks, like the boulders, have endured unchanged since 1863.
"All of these things, if you know where to look, they're hidden in plain sight," said Gettysburg National Military Park guide Jason Martz.
The boulders can tell stories few have ever heard, and because they haven't moved, you can use them to see the past.
"You can quite literally stand in their footsteps and see what they saw. And that's, that's incredible. That's something that you can't do in any other place," Martz said.
All you need is a black-and-white photograph and the right rock.
Waud Rock and a sketch artist’s view
One notable boulder at the base of Devil's Den, known as "Waud Rock," is named after Alfred Waud, a noted Civil War sketch artist who sat on the rock in the days following the battle to draw what he saw.
"Sketch artists were, to put it in modern terms, a war correspondent," Martz said.
Photographers likely took Waud's picture as a courtesy.
Waud Rock is the only boulder on the battlefield named after someone.
The story behind the 'rebel sharpshooter' photos
Another boulder near Devil's Den provides a vantage point for framing three photographs of a fallen Confederate soldier, believed to be Private John Rutherford Ash from Georgia.
Historians have pieced together that photographers moved Ash's body between the rocks to stage a shot, calling him a "rebel sharpshooter."
"This photograph is set up in a way to show just how brutal Civil War battles truly were," said Martz.
Bringing the battlefield to life
Using the rocks as reference points, visitors can connect with the harrowing history of the battlefield.
"It now jumps off the page. It now jumps out of the television and it's real. It's absolutely real because there he is. He's right there. And that's as real as you can get," said Martz.
A staged image for visitors
One photograph taken months after the battle, in November 1863, shows Devil's Den as the backdrop.
This photo was staged to sell to visitors who were coming to Gettysburg to see President Lincoln dedicate the National Cemetery.
More to explore
The Gettysburg National Military Park has posted many more black-and-white photographs, along with a map showing visitors where they can frame them up on the battlefield.
