On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln came to Gettysburg. The historic battle had taken place only a few months before that, and Lincoln came to be part of the dedication of the cemetery. The memorable battle that changed the course of the Civil War was only four months in the rear-view mirror - not that anyone would have used that description in 1863.
With politicians in the area, you can bet there were speeches. In those days, speeches tended to go on and on and on. So when Lincoln took the podium, around the Soldiers' Memorial pictured here, everyone expected another long address.
Lincoln's words were short in number, as photographers of the day didn't even have time to get their cameras ready. It checked in at only 272 words.
While images of that day are few, the words of Lincoln have stood the proverbial test of time: the Gettysburg Address.
Lincoln didn't hang around the small Pennsylvania town long. The next day at 6 p.m., he took a train back to Washington. The train station now is the Gettysburg Lincoln Railroad Station.
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