These Gettysburg Study Notes provide a concise yet detailed overview of the Battle of Gettysburg—ideal for readers who want to better understand the events behind the monuments, and how to connect battle events to the hills, streams, and tree lines that shaped its outcome. Bicyclists appreciate that monuments and geography help not only with navigation, but more importantly, with learning history.
Whether you’re diving into a full-length history book or preparing for a battlefield bike tour, this page offers annotated links to maps, photos, and educational resources. Use it as a launch point for your learning, and as a way to deepen your appreciation for Gettysburg National Military Park—before, during, or after your ride.
Contents
Military History
- Gettysburg Campaign Maps
- Gettysburg in a Nutshell
- Detailed Battle Summary
- Orders of Battle
- Orders of Battle Flashcards
- Read the Official Records
- Study Sheets and Quizzes
- U.S. Civil War Glossary
Special Interest
- What is a Gettysburg Witness Tree?
- How to Find Graves in Soldiers’ National Cemetery
- What Species of Trees are in Soldiers’ National Cemetery
- Monument Shapes and Symbols
- Gettysburg Landscape Photos
- Gettysburg Photo Gallery
- Gettysburg Scavenger Hunts
- Famous Quotations
More
Last Update:
Gettysburg Campaign Maps
Here you will find a set of five maps by Hal Jespersen that cover the Gettysburg Campaign and Battle (June 3 – July 14, 1863).
Gettysburg in a Nutshell
For a summary of the military actions on July 1-3, 1863, including a brief overview of the political context for the start of the U.S. Civil War, please see “Lead Up to the Battle of Gettysburg.” The article introduces the two presidents (Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis) and two army commanders (George G. Meade and Robert E. Lee) whose decisions impacted the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg. The article goes on to provide a one-paragraph summary of each day of battle.
Gettysburg Battle Lineups: July 1, 1863 | July 2, 1863 | July 3, 1863
Detailed Battle Summary (July 1–3, 1863)
The following battle summaries are for people who want to memorize military maneuvers. The summary pages are highly structured and dense. Photos, maps, lists, and other visual learning aids give context to the narrative.
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Click here for a summary of the battle’s aftermath, including casualty counts.
Orders of Battle (Gettysburg)
The following Orders of Battle are re-worked versions of National Park Services pages. The purpose of these structural edits is to make it easier to memorize the command structure of each army at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863).
I added tables of contents, internal page navigation links, indexes for artillery and state affiliation, and external links to the Official Records (for officer reports), Soldiers and Sailors Database (for unit histories), Wikipedia (for biographies), and the American Battlefield Trust (for articles). I also added portrait and monument photo links to the Civil War Cycling gallery, as well as links to quizzes on commanders’ direct reports.
- Army of the Potomac (with hyperlinks!)
- Army of Northern Virginia (with hyperlinks!)
For groupings of military units by state, try these hyperlinked pages:
- Army of the Potomac, by state (with hyperlinks!)
- Army of Northern Virginia, by state (with hyperlinks!)
Orders of Battle Flashcards
Click on each army commander to study the Gettysburg Orders of Battle:
Read the Official Records
Published in 1889 by the U.S. government, the Official Records (OR) consists of 128 volumes. It has the formal title, The War of Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Scanned pages of the complete OR is available online through Cornell University Library and the HathiTrust.
Civil War Cycling has created two sets of hyperlinked indexes to ease your online reading about the Gettysburg Campaign:
Officer Reports—Index to Vol. 27 Pt. 1
- Reports By Number (Nos. 1-378, Army of the Potomac)
- Reports By Officer Name (Army of the Potomac)
Officer Reports—Index to Vol. 27 Pt. 2
- Reports By Number
- Nos. 379-423, Supporting Federal armies
- Nos. 424-589, Confederate Army of Northern Virginia
- Reports By Officer Name (Army of Northern Virginia)
Study Sheets and Quizzes
- Abbreviated battle rosters:
- Beginner Warmup Quizzes:
- Master the Basics Quizzes:
- All Gettysburg Quizzes. These are FREE, immediate, private and anonymous.
U.S. Civil War Glossary
Civil War Cycling’s Civil War Glossary is a basic introduction to military terms. For a more detailed and comprehensive glossary, please visit the American Battlefield Trust.
What is a Gettysburg Witness Tree? And Where to Look:
How to Find Graves in Soldiers’ National Cemetery:
What Species of Trees are in Soldiers’ National Cemetery?
Monument Shapes and Symbols – A Key to the Army of the Potomac:
Gettysburg Landscape Photos:
Gettysburg Photo Gallery – Monuments and Structures:
Gettysburg Scavenger Hunts – Find Monuments:
Famous Quotations:
… and Curious Quizzes:
Fun Facts About Gettysburg Women in 1863
Gettysburg Fun Facts and Trivia (nicknames, horses, lost limbs)
Gettysburg More Fun Facts (class rank, age)
