After the Battle of Gettysburg, the town faced the grim task of burying thousands of dead soldiers and animals left on the battlefield, prompting support for creating a National Cemetery for Union soldiers. The cemetery was dedicated on November 19, 1863, with renowned orator Edward Everett delivering a lengthy speech. President Abraham Lincoln, invited by David Wills, graduate of the class of 1851 and head of the committee planning the ceremony, arrived the night before and briefly addressed a crowd. During the dedication ceremony, Pennsylvania College students joined the procession and unexpectedly ended up near the speakers. Everett spoke for nearly two hours, followed by Lincoln’s short address—the Gettysburg Address—which was initially seen as unremarkable by some but later became one of the most famous speeches in American history.