Gettysburg Greg
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2010
- Location
- Decatur, Illinois
The top photo below is the untouched photograph of Lee's HQ on the Chambersburg Pike taken by Mathew Brady's crew o/a July 15, 1863. The widow Thompson can be sitting on a kitchen chair next to Brady's often photographed assistant. This is one of many Gettysburg photographs available to be downloaded from the Library of Congress in the high resolution format, tiff. Then the photo can be blown up to reveal very interesting and otherwise unseen details. Check out the details in the second photo below and you can clearly see that Brady can be seen somewhat camouflaged among the roses. Notice that the widow's roses and trellis appear to have survived the battle rather unscathed. Also, of particular interest to me is the horseshoe seen nailed to the fence post in the right foreground. I can't help but wonder if it was there prior to the battle. Was it placed there for luck and why is it oriented with the open end down. I have always heard that means your luck will run out so it is usually the case that you will see a good luck horseshoe with the open end up. Just one of my meaningless observations that I found interesting.