GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Acclaimed stage and screen actor, playwright and author Stephen Lang will perform a reading of his book "The Wheatfield" at 2 p.m., Friday, July 2, as part of the battle anniversary special programming at the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital, the Gettysburg Foundation announced Tuesday.
A highlight of the programming for the 158th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Lang will perform the rare public reading of his book, which tells the true story of Union soldier and Medal of Honor recipient James Jackson Purman and his encounters with friend and foe in the Gettysburg Wheatfield.
Lang portrayed Maj. Gen. George Pickett in the 1993 film "Gettysburg," among many other roles.
Visitors to the historic site have the opportunity to interact with living historians who relate the experiences of the family, surgeons, caregivers, soldiers and citizens during and after the battle.
Living historians will be on-site for the battle anniversary and holiday weekend, July 1-4.
Living historians of the 2nd Corps Field Hospital CSA will depict a Confederate field hospital and encampment including a portrayal of Confederate surgeon, Hunter McGuire.
Admission to the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital and the July 2 Lang reading is included with a ticket to the experiences at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center, located minutes from the historic site.
Friends of Gettysburg receive complimentary admission to the historic site.
The George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital is open for the summer season 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 15, as well as this battle anniversary special opening Thursday, July 1, with the on-site living history and encampment continuing throughout the battle anniversary and holiday weekend, Friday, July 2 through Sunday, July 4.
George Spangler’s property, a successful family farm before and after the Battle of Gettysburg, served as the Union Army’s 11th Corps field hospital where more than 1,900 wounded soldiers — both Union and Confederate — received care.
The site also served as an artillery reserve, an ammunition reserve, a provost guard and a temporary cemetery for both Union and Confederate soldiers.
Today, the George Spangler Farm & Field Hospital stands as the best surviving example of a corps-level field hospital used during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Meticulously renovated and restored, the historic site features original buildings from the battle for visitors to explore. The historic site is located at 488 Blacksmith Shop Road, Gettysburg.
