By Alixandria Wells-Good

Contributing writer

MECHANICSBURG – The 7th grade students in Scott Marsh’s social studies lab class at Mechanicsburg Middle School spent the weekend of May 17 traveling to Gettysburg, Pa., after receiving a grant from the American Battlefield Trust.

Many are familiar with Gettysburg and the historical significance the location holds from the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War. With more than 50,000 estimated casualties, the three-day engagement was the bloodiest single battle of the conflict.

After the battle, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “Gettysburg Address” there and it would later become home to the Gettysburg National Cemetery which was created for the Union soldiers who perished during the Civil War battle there.

The American Battlefield Trust is an organization dedicated to the preservation of battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War through the acquisition of battlefield land. The organization is also committed to educating the public about those battlegrounds and what happened there. According to their website, the organization has saved more than 58,000 acres in 25 states.

Each year, the trust receives applications from classrooms across the country to participate in the History Field Trip Grant Program, which offers funding and assistance to K-12 teachers planning field trips to Civil War, War of 1812, or Revolutionary War battlefields and related historic sites. During the 2018-2019 school year, more than 7,500 students from 24 states took part.

This year, after receiving funds from the American Battlefield Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program, as well as generous donations from Mechanicsburg staff and teachers, Dr. Mary Margaret Kerr, and the Champaign County Democratic Party, students from Mechanicsburg Middle School were able to go on a historical journey through time to experience Gettysburg first hand.

Marsh heard about the grant opportunity while participating in the American Battlefield Trust’s Virtual Teacher’s Institute last summer. Marsh stated that the application process was simple, and it included him sharing with the American Battlefield Trust his plan for the trip, where he would take his students and what they would do. Marsh said, “I had to show them what the cost was going to be and how I was planning to use the trip as a learning experience.”

Marsh shared that a profound moment for him during the trip was getting to see his students experience “The Shriver House Museum,” where students were able to witness how the Shriver family lived in Gettysburg and how their lives were interrupted. Their home, now the museum, was built in 1860 and witnessed the battles there. He said “Experiencing this place allowed us to smell the musty odor of the house, see the light streaming through a hole in the attic where Confederate snipers were shooting at U.S. troops on Cemetery Ridge, and just hearing the footfalls of our feet in the house where so much history took place. The students really empathized with the people who had to endure what took place there so many years ago.”

Student Addison O’Neal shared that the visuals and stories they experienced while at the Shriver house “truly put me in a perspective that made me want to cry. All together the house was a beautiful experience.”

Marsh went on to share, “The students presented their projects next to the same boulders that were there during the battle. The students saw the same cracks in the rocks where pictures of the battle’s dead were taken in 1863. I could see how amazed they were to see and touch those same boulders. “

Student Jillian Miller of Marsh’s class agreed that the boulders at Devil’s Den were a significant moment of the trip. Jillian shared that she along with two classmates did a research project on civil war photography which they presented while on the trip. She said “at Devil’s Den we got to see the exact spot where one of them was taken. We got to touch the rocks that were in the photo and it really affected me in a deep way.”

Student Thomas Good shared that to him the most interesting part of the trip was going to the different battlefields of Gettysburg, and he was surprised to see how far the battlefield stretched. He said, “I thought it was a lot smaller.”

Student Willow Bradley shared that “The most interesting thing we did was climb the towers. There were many towers that helped you see the entire battlefield. They were very cool.” Willow went on to say, “Gettysburg is a very wonderful place that is absolutely worth your while.”

Marsh stated “My favorite part of the trip was getting out of the classroom and seeing what we have been studying all year connect with my students. Gettysburg is a beautiful place and there is a lot to learn. My students took it all in and had a great time learning history. What could be better than that?”

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