50 years after the Battle of Gettysburg, another army invaded the town

In 1863, more than 165,000 soldiers fought and tens of thousands died on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pa. Many historians consider this the turning point of the Civil War.

As the years passed, the surviving veterans grew older and passed away. By the turn of the century, the remaining veterans were in their 70s. As the 50th anniversary of the Civil War approached, it became apparent that if the country intended to honor its veterans, this would be the last chance to thank many of them.

In the early years of the 20th century, plans began forming for a Grand Reunion in Gettysburg for the 50th anniversary of the battle. More than 54,000 Civil War veterans plus tens of thousands of spectators, family, visitors, and journalists descended on Gettysburg in 1913. The veterans stayed in a tent city on the battlefield as they remembered the great battle fought there.

No North, No South… is the story of the reunion and the Union and Confederate veterans who came together there to remember their service to country and to celebrate renewed friendships. It contains more than 100 photographs from the 1913 Grand Reunion of the Battle of Gettysburg that will give you a sense of what it was like to be part of the greatest gathering of Civil War veterans ever held.

James Rada, Jr. is an award-winning writer who Midwest Book Review called a writer of considerable and deftly expressed storytelling talent. He writes history and historical fiction books.