When President Abraham Lincoln first arrived in Gettysburg, Pa., it was the day before he was to speak at the dedication of the National Soldiers Cemetery, and his comments hadn’t yet been completed. He needed a placed to stay the night and work. Gettysburg attorney David Wills owned the largest house on the downtown square and he had also been the person to invite the President to speak at the dedication. So in November 1863, it wasn’t surprising that he played host to Abraham Lincoln. Wills Role in the Gettysburg Address It was Wills who convinced the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to purchase 17 acres to become a cemetery for the soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg that had occurred less than five months prior. He planned the cemetery dedication for November 19, 1863, with Edward Everett as the main Read more…