The Battle of Gettysburg ended, but what was left behind, was unimaginable, 51,000 casualties (23,000 Union and 28,000 Confederate). Private residences took in and cared for these suffering soldiers. Without these caring townspeople, the death rate would have increased tremendously. The soldiers realized that they were part of history in the making. As in any momentous event, the participants sought some kind of remembrance from the battle, something they could gaze at in their twilight years and reminisce about being part of such an historical event. Be it a button, a bullet, canteen, photograph, letter, or even a handful of the sacred soil.....just something. Collecting of these relics continued with the veterans, right up until today. The author has spent the last 20 years acquiring and documenting these artifacts and has now included many of them in this book which was released in 2008 (revised 2009).
