Tag Archive | Gettysburg National Cemetery
June 11, 2025  

Featured Photo: Memorial Day in Gettysburg, A Historic Tradition

Commemorating Memorial Day in Gettysburg, ca. early 1900s.

Women and children reverently carry bouquets to lay upon the graves in the cemetery. Photo by Lewis Reed, ca. early 1900s.

Memorial Day in Gettysburg holds a significant place in American history, marked by a long-standing tradition of remembrance and commemoration. The Memorial Day parade and ceremony in Gettysburg is recognized as one of the oldest continuously held ceremonies in the United States. A poignant visual record of this tradition is captured in the photograph taken by Lewis Reed. This image depicts local women and children walking en route to the Soldiers National Cemetery to lay flowers. This act of laying flowers is a symbolic gesture of remembrance, a practice that continues to this day.

Gettysburg National Cemetery is the final resting place for 3,512 Union soldiers. This cemetery is not only a burial ground, but also a site of historical significance, as it is where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his iconic Gettysburg Address in 1863.