On this day: November 19 in 1863

At the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, more than 51,000 Confederate and Union soldiers were wounded, missing, or dead. Many of those who died were laid in makeshift graves along the battlefield. Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin commissioned David Wills, an attorney, to purchase land for a proper burial site for the deceased Union soldiers. Wills acquired 17 acres for the cemetery, which was planned and designed by landscape architect William Saunders.
The cemetery was dedicated on November 19, 1863 . The main speaker for the event was Edward Everett, one of the nations foremost orators. President Lincoln was also invited to speak as Chief Executive of the nation, formally to set apart these grounds to their sacred use by a few appropriate remarks. At the ceremony, Everett spoke for more than 2 hours; Lincoln spoke for 2 minutes. President Lincoln had thought his speech to be too short and less than notable. We now call Lincoln's speech The Gettysburg Address as if it were the only speech delivered that day. The official program listed Everett as the Oration speaker and Lincoln as the giver of Dedicatory Remarks.
Everett's speech, which took two hours, was expected to run long, although it caused the crowd to grow restless. A New York Times reporter noticed that during its delivery, "there were as many people wandering about the fields, made memorable by the fierce struggles of July, as stood around the stand listening to his eloquent speech."
Despite popular stories, historians agree that Lincoln did not whip up his "remarks" on the back of an envelope enroute from Washington. His effort was the product of a lifetime from a man known for study and deep reflection. He wrote at least half or more of it on White House stationery before his trip, and apparently applied finishing touches in his room at the Wills house in which he stayed. Lincoln, ever a painstaking writer, also knew that words from his presidential pen would be highly scrutinized.