The Soldiers’ National Monument is a large white monument. The monument stands near the site of the temporary wooden speaker’s platform from which Lincoln spoke. He faced out over the still unfinished gravesites, over this former cornfield and apple orchard, toward the distant fields that still, four months after the battle, were giving up the remains of fallen soldiers. Imagine the sad, burdened President, seated upon the platform, listening to the famous orator Edward Everett finish his two-hour main address. A five stanza dirge is sung, a short offering of poetry follows, then the President is introduced. Lincoln rises to speak and in his high tenor voice he begins, “For score and seven years ago….” About two minutes later he finishes the ten sentences.