Did you know...? ...Of the Union states that participated during the three-day battle, New York's 23,000 soldiers were second only to Pennsylvania in the number of troops deployed. With nearly 6,700 killed, wounded or missing, New York suffered more casualties and has more soldiers buried in Gettysburg National Cemetery than any other state.
...The CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA was formed in February 1861. The Confederate States of America was a republic composed of eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union in order to preserve slavery, states' rights, and political liberty for whites. Its conservative government, with Mississippian Jefferson Davis as president, sought a peaceful separation, but the United States refused to acquiesce in the secession. The war that ensued started at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, and lasted four years. It cost the South nearly 500,000 men killed or wounded out of a population of 9 million (including 3 million slaves) and $5 billion in treasure.
...more Americans died during the Civil War than any other war. American Deaths in All Wars
The following numbers reflect deaths (excluding wounded and missing):
Source: U.S. Army Military History Institute, Carlisle, PA
Civil War (1861-1865) 623,026
World War II (1941-1945) 407,316
World War I (1917-1918) 116,708
Vietnam War (1964-1973) 58,169
Korean War (1950-1953) 36,914
Mexican War (1846-1848) 13,283
Revolutionary War (1775-1783) 4,435
Spanish-American War (1898) 2,446
War of 1812 (1812-1815) 2,260
Persian Gulf War (1991) 269
...Trivia about the movie Gettysburg:
Composer Edelman, Randy was initially not interested in the project because of the massive amount of music he would have to write for the film's original six hour length (when it was meant to be a mini-series). However, says Edelman, "I saw the faces of these officers, at the beginning of it, and it completely turned me on. I knew I was going to have to do it." loose you, General." future US Army Generals.
Except for the featured cast, this movie featured over 13,000 volunteer civil war reenactors that paid their own way, provided their own props, and fought the battles presented on screen using the same tactics as were current at the time.
Sheen, Martin's role in the movie as General Lee was at one time slated for Hurt, William, who bailed on the project when the studio at the time financing the film went broke. Jones, Tommy Lee was approached, but could not take it because his scheduale was filled, and Duvall, Robert was the next most likely candidate, having approached the producers and done research on the role, Virginia accent and all, until Sheen signed at a sudden last-minute deal.
Original working title was "The Killer Angels." Test audiences thought the movie was about motocycle gangs and thus it was changed to its broader, current title.
From the first ideas and story drafts, to the final editing and post production, almost 15 years of work went into the making of this film.
The name of Sergeant Kilrain, the only fictional character among the primary characters, is apparently derived from a contraction of the title of the original novel, The Killer Angels.
Although actor Tim Scott is credited as playing Confederate Lt. Gen. Richard Ewell, his character does not appear in the film, having been left on the cutting room floor.
