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To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg in July, a new website called Gettysburg By The Numbers presents information on the battle using eye-catching infographics and animations.
The site, designed for middle school students and up, is organized into a number of content areas, making it easy to locate interesting information. Here’s a sampling:
Demographics: The youngest recorded soldier was 12; women accompanied Union and Confederate armies; an estimated 1,000 African Americans participated in the battle.
Weapons: Besides cannons, muskets, and rifles, other arms used included swords and sabers, grenades and Gatling guns.
Casualties: The Civil War had the highest number of casualties per day of any US war in history (599 per day).
Geography: Troops heading to Gettysburg marched long distances, sometimes 20 – 30 miles per day.
Costs: Military pay for a private in the Confederate army was $192 per month (in today’s dollars); for a Union soldier, it was $227.
Inside Packs and Haversacks:
Supplies: While on the move, soldiers ate salt pork or fresh meat, and hard bread.
There is additional information on the weather during the battle, soldier clothing, communication, monuments and the aftermath. Within each section are additional research questions for students to look up and answer. There are also lesson ideas and handouts, and links to more resources.
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