USPS 85th Anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

The United States Post Office on 19 November 1948 issued a first day cover stamp marking the 85th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This bright blue, 3 cent stamp bore the Gettysburg cancellation postmark on its initial release. Approximately 63,388,000 stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, using a Rotary Press method. The cachet shown here depicts Lincoln delivering the Gettysburg Address, with the full address inscribed on a scroll. The stamp features the closing lines from Lincoln's speech

The Battle of Gettysburg was one of many battles fought during the American Civil War (1861-1865), and it was one the bloodiest and marked the last time Confederate forces attempted to  advance north. It commenced on 1 July 1863 and lasted three days. In that time, casualties were between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers from both armies --  the most costly in U.S. history.

On 19 November 1863, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honour the fallen Union soldiers and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.

Local Gettysburg attorney David Willis was the driving force behind establishing a nationally funded cemetery to bury the soldiers who died in the battle. To honor the occasion, Willis invited Edward Everett, a famous public speaker, to give the oration. Over a month later, Willis as an afterthought sent an invitation to the White House to ask President Lincoln to “formerly set aside these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks.” Lincoln agreed.

 

Everett spoke first, delivering a nearly two-hour speech that contained 13,607 words. In contrast, Lincoln’s speech was just 10 sentences – 271 words. He spoke for a little over two minutes.

At the time, the Lincoln’s main concern was maintaining the support of the Union in the war effort. His two-minute speech captivated the crowd of about 15,000.

Soldier and lawyer E.W. Andrews who was present on that day, remembered, “On this occasion [Lincoln] came out before the vast assembly, and stepped slowly to the front of the platform, with his hands clasped before him, his natural sadness of expression deepened, his head bent forward, and his eyes cast to the ground.

“In this attitude he stood for a few seconds, silent, as if communing with his own thoughts; and when he began to speak, and throughout his entire address, his manner indicated no consciousness of the presence of tens of thousands hanging on his lips, but rather of one who, like the prophet of old, was overmastered by some unseen spirit of the scene, and passively gave utterance to the memories, the feelings, the counsels and the prophecies with which he was inspired..."

Afterwards the speech was met with silence, which Lincoln interpreted as failure. On the contrary, the audience was in awe of the words he had spoken.
 
The following day, Everett congratulated Lincoln, saying, “I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.” Lincoln replied in a letter, “I am pleased to know that, in your judgment, the little I did say was not entirely a failure.”

Today, President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address has since become one of the most famous speeches in America’s history.

HERE's a video from Ken Burns "Civil War" which provides a backdrop of the Gettysburg battle and the speech itself. Click the link --