Gettysburg National Military Park
Virtual Tour - The Aftermath
The National Cemetery Dedication

Dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery
Dedication ceremonies in the Soldiers National Cemetery on November 19, 1863. The massive crowd is packed close to the speaker's platform in the center distance.
National Archives
The cemetery was only partially completed when it was dedicated on November 19, 1863. The honorable Edward Everett was invited to deliver the keynote address while President Lincoln was invited to add "a few appropriate remarks." The Gettysburg Address is President Lincoln's most meaningful and well remembered speech.

Hotels and lodgings quickly filled to capacity in and around Gettysburg the day before the dedication. The president arrived on a special train from Washington and made his way through a large crowd to the Wills House on the town square. He spoke briefly to the crowd and then retreated into a second story bedroom where he sat to complete the second half of his address, begun while he was still in Washington. Meanwhile, the Wills home was filled to capacity with dignitaries and prominent citizens. Every bedroom was taken by the time Governor Curtin arrived, so he was forced to gather a few hours of sleep on a living room sofa.

The following morning dawned bright and clear, disturbed only by the booming of signal cannon from Cemetery Hill. The processional to the cemetery began at 10 A.M. and made its way up Baltimore Street to the cemetery grounds. A special platform was constructed on the edge of the new cemetery and it was soon filled to overflowing. A crowd of over 10,000 gathered around the speaker's platform to hear patriotic hymns and Mr. Everett's address. After a brief delay, Everett was introduced and looked over the hushed crowd. His voice filled with emotion, he recalled the history of the setting and compared this honor of deceased Union sons to the funerals held for heroes of ancient Greece. The elderly speaker gave a brief history of the great battle, an account of European affairs, and his view on the eventual outcome of the war. Nearly exhausted after two hours of speaking, he closed with a strong sentiment for once again raising the flag of the Union over southern capitols.

After a brief musical interlude, the president rose and faced the crowd, pressed to the front of the platform. Lincoln spoke steadily for two minutes and then returned to his chair, accompanied by polite applause. Many listeners were stunned that the speech was so short. His speech had been brief, yet to the point- unification of the northern people to support the Union cause and see the war through. While Democratic newspapers ridiculed the president's speech, most hailed it for its simplicity. The greatest compliment came from Edward Everett who wrote the president, "I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours, as you did in two minutes."

Burials in the cemetery grounds were completed six months after the dedication. In 1865, the foundation was set for the Soldiers' Monument, the central memorial in the cemetery, and dedicated in 1869. Administration of the Soldiers National Cemetery was turned over to the Federal Government in 1872.

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Gettysburg National Military Park
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Gettysburg, PA 17325