“General Hill now came up and told me he had been very unwell all day, and in fact he looks very delicate. He said he had two divisions engaged, and had driven the enemy four miles into the present position, capturing a great many prisoners, some cannon, and some colors. He said, however, that the Yankees had fought with a determination unusual to them.
“July 2nd (Thursday).At 2P.M.General Longstreet advised me, if I wished to have a good view of the battle, to return to my tree of yesterday. I did so and remained there with Lawley and Captain Schreibert during the rest of the afternoon. But until 4.45P.M.all was profoundly quiet, and we began to doubt whether a fight was coming off today at all. At that time, however, Longstreet suddenly commenced a heavy cannonade on the right. Ewell immediately took it up on the left. The enemy replied with equal fury, and in a few moments the firing along the whole line was as heavy as it is possible to conceive. A dense smoke arose for six miles; there was little wind to drive it away, and the air seemed full of shells—each of which appeared to have a different style of going, and made a different noise from the others. The ordnance on both sides is of a very varied description. Every now and then a caisson would blow up—if a Federal one, a Confederate yell would immediately follow. The Southern troops, when charging, or to express their delight, always yell in a manner peculiar to themselves. The Yankee cheer is much like ours, but the Confederate officers declare that the Rebel yell has a particular merit, and always produces a salutary effect upon their adversaries. A corps is sometimes spoken of as ‘a good yelling regiment.’
“As soon as the firing began, General Lee joined Hill just below our tree, and he remained there nearly all the time, looking through his field-glasses, sometimes talking to Hill and sometimes to Colonel Long of his staff. But generally he sat quite alone on the stump of a tree. What I remarked especially was, that during the whole time the firing continued, he sent only one message, and received only one report. It evidently is his system to arrange the plan thoroughly with the three commanders, and then leave to them the duty of modifying and carrying it out to the best of their abilities.
“When the cannonade was at its height, a Confederate band of music, between the cemetery and ourselves, began to play polkas and waltzes, which sounded very curious, accompanied by the hissing and bursting of the shells.
“At 5.45 all became comparatively quiet on our left and in the cemetery; but volleys of musketry on the right told us that Longstreet’s infantry were advancing, and the onward progress of the smoke showed that he was progressing favorably; but about 6.30 there seemed to be a check, and even a slight retrograde movement.... A little before dark the firing dropped off in every direction, and soon ceased altogether. We then received intelligence that Longstreet had carried everything before him for some time, capturing several batteries and driving the enemy from his positions; but when Hill’s Florida brigade and some other troops gave way, he was forced to abandon a small portion of the ground he had won, together with all the captured guns, except three. His troops, however, bivouacked during the night on ground occupied by the enemy in the morning.
“July 3rd (Friday).At 2.30P.M., after passing General Lee and his staff, I rode on through the woods in the direction in which I had left Longstreet. I soon began to meet many wounded men returning from the front; many of them asked in piteous tones the way to a doctor or an ambulance. The further I got, the greater became the number of the wounded. At last I came to a perfect stream of them flocking through the woods in numbers as great as the crowd in Oxford Street in the middle of the day. Some were walking alone on crutches composed of two rifles, others were supported by men less badly wounded than themselves, and others carried on stretchers by the ambulance corps, but in no case did I see a sound manhelping the wounded to the rear unless he carried the red badge of the ambulance corps. They were still under heavy fire, the shells bringing down great limbs of trees, and carrying further destruction amongst this melancholy procession. I saw all this in much less time than it takes to write it, and although astonished to meet such vast numbers of wounded, I had not seen enough to give me any idea of the real extent of the mischief.
“When I got close up to General Longstreet, I saw one of his regiments advancing through the woods in good order; so, thinking I was just in time to see the attack, I remarked to the General that ‘I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.’ Longstreet was seated at the top of a snake fence at the edge of the woods (Spangler Woods), and looking perfectly calm and unperturbed. He replied, laughing, ‘The devil you wouldn’t! I would like to have missed it very much; we’ve attacked and been repulsed: look there!’
“For the first time I then had a view of the open space between the two positions, and saw it covered with Confederates slowly and sulkily returning towards us in small broken parties, under a heavy fire of artillery. But the fire where we were was not so bad as further to the rear; for although the air seemed alive with shells, yet the greater number burst behind us. The General told me that Pickett’s Division had succeeded in carrying the enemy’s position and captured his guns, but after remaining there twenty minutes, it had been forced to retire on the retreat of Heth and Pettigrew on his left....
“Major Walton was the only officer with him (Longstreet) when I came up—all the rest had been put in the charge. In a few minutes Major Latrobe arrived on foot, carrying his saddle, having just had his horse killed. Colonel Sorrell was also in the same predicament, and Captain Goree’s horse was wounded in the mouth....
“Soon after I joined General Lee, who had in the meanwhile come to that part of the field on becoming aware of the disaster. If Longstreet’s conduct was admirable, that of General Lee was perfectly sublime. He was engaged in rallying and in encouraging the broken troops, and was riding about a little in front of the woods, quite alone—the whole of his staff being engaged in a similar manner further to the rear. His face, which is always placid and cheerful, did not show signs of the slightest disappointment, or annoyance; and he was addressing to every soldier he met a few words of encouragement, such as, ‘All this will come right in the end: we’ll talk it over afterwards; but, in the meantime, all good men must rally. We want all good and true men just now.’ He spoke to all the wounded men that passed him, and the slightly wounded he exhorted ‘to bind up their hurts and take up a musket’ in this emergency. Very few failed to answer his appeal, and I saw many badly wounded men take off their hats and cheer him. He said to me, ‘This has been a sad day for us, Colonel—a sad day; but we can’t expect always to gain victories.’ He was also kind enough to advise me to get into some more sheltered position as the shells were bursting round us with considerable frequency....
“I saw General Wilcox come up to him, and explain, almost crying, the state of his brigade. General Lee immediately shook hands with him and said cheerfully, ‘Never mind, General, all this has beenmyfault—it is I that have lost this fight, and you must help me out of it in the best way you can.’ In this manner I saw General Lee encourage and reanimate his somewhat dispirited troops, and magnanimously take upon his own shoulders the whole weight of the repulse.”
The Gettysburg National Military Park lies entirely within the limits of Adams County, Pennsylvania. Gettysburg, the county-seat, is situated about 8 miles from the Mason and Dixon’s line, the southern boundary of the State. It was founded in 1780, and named for its founder, James Gettys.
At the time of the battle the town had a population of about 2,000. Little did the quiet inhabitants expect that its peaceful environs—Oak Hill, Seminary Ridge, Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, the Round Tops, and Devil’s Den—would witness the most sanguinary struggle of the Civil War, and that Gettysburg would gain a lasting fame, unequaled by the most noted battlefields of the Old World. Not even the commanders, Meade and Lee, knew where they would meet in battle array. Like two giant stormclouds, the two armies neared each other for days, neither foreseeing where they would mingle their lightnings in the storm of battle. Advance forces met and clashed while making reconnaissances—and Gettysburg and its vicinity was selected by accident rather than by design.
What fame Gettysburg enjoyed was due chiefly to its College, then called Pennsylvania, now Gettysburg, and to its Lutheran Theological Seminary. The town had been the home for some years of Thaddeus Stevens, the “Great Commoner,” life-long champion of human rights, savior of the free school system of Pennsylvania, and after his removal to Lancaster, in 1842, a brilliant leader in the House of Representatives during the war. The vicinity furnished its full quota of soldiers, though none of its companies except one, Company K, First Pennsylvania Reserves, participated in the battle, the rest being on duty elsewhere.
The population of Gettysburg has increased to 5,500. The College and Seminary are still flourishing. The College has an enrollment of over 600 students. A Reserve Officers Training Corps has been added to the course, and students are being instructed in military tactics by United States Army officers.
The area of Gettysburg National Military Park, including East Cavalry Field 15 miles east of the town, and South Cavalry Field 3 miles south, is nearly 40 square miles. The part surrounding Gettysburg covers about 24 square miles, and was the scene of the principal engagements on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1863. The Government owns a total of 2,441 acres; the remainder is held by private owners.
The first organization in charge of the battlefield was the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, upon which the Legislature of Pennsylvania, on April 30th, 1864, conferred the rights of a corporation. In 1867-68 the Legislature appropriated $6,000 to be applied to the purchase of portions of the battlegrounds and the general purposes for which the Association was incorporated. The money was used to secure the portion of Culp’s Hill upon which the breastworks were still standing; the section of East Cemetery Hill where Stewart’s, Reynolds’, Ricketts’, Cooper’s and Weidrick’s batteries were posted, where the lunettes still remain; and also a small piece of ground on the slope and summit of Little Round Top. This purchase was the nucleus of what became, by additional purchases of the Association and later of the Gettysburg National Park Commission, the present Gettysburg National Military Park.
View from Culp’s Hill.—Gettysburg’s fine trees. In the distance is the Phillipoteaux Cyclorama with its vivid representation of Pickett’s Charge
View from Culp’s Hill.—Gettysburg’s fine trees. In the distance is the Phillipoteaux Cyclorama with its vivid representation of Pickett’s Charge
The Legislatures of the Northern States represented in thebattle contributed various sums for the prosecution of the work, and from time to time new members of the Association were appointed. As the appropriations were received, additional land was acquired and avenues were laid out. The erection of monuments to the different regiments was begun by the State of Massachusetts in 1879. In 1894, the whole property, about 600 acres of land, with 17 miles of avenues, giving access to 320 monuments, was transferred to the United States Government. The Gettysburg National Military Park was established by Act of Congress, approved February 11th, 1895, and the Secretary of War appointed the Gettysburg National Park Commission: Colonel John P. Nicholson, Pennsylvania, Chairman, John B. Bachelder, Massachusetts, and Brigadier General William H. Forney, Alabama. Colonel E. B. Cope was selected as topographical engineer.
Upon the death of General Forney, Major William M. Robbins, of North Carolina, was appointed to fill the vacancy. John B. Bachelder was succeeded by Major Charles A. Richardson, of New York. On the death of Major Robbins, General L. L. Lomax, of Virginia, was appointed. General Lomax died May 28th, 1913, and Major Richardson on January 24th, 1917. Colonel Nicholson, the last surviving member of the Commission, died on March 8th, 1922. All Commissioners, with the exception of John B. Bachelder, served in the Battle of Gettysburg, and he reached the field immediately after the battle, continuing his interest and his historical researches until his death. On the death of Colonel Nicholson, Colonel E. B. Cope was appointed Superintendent.
The Park is a monument to the devotion of this Commission, in active operation for thirty years. Colonel Cope was succeeded (1931) by Colonel E. E. Davis, a native of Iowa, commissioned Major Quartermaster Reserve Corps, March 6th, 1917, who served overseas in the World War. Colonel Davis retired on July 16th, 1932. James R. McConaghie, native of Iowa, a graduate of Harvard College, 1st Lieutenant, 4th Infantry, 3rd Division in the World War, was appointed Superintendent February 8th, 1933.
The development begun by the Association included laying out of avenues and erecting of regimental monuments, but nothing was done toward converting the avenues into permanent roads. The different lines of battle were not accurately marked, and importantsections of land remained in private hands. By the end of the year the new Commission had made preliminary survey of 20 miles of avenues and proposed avenues, and, the following year, began construction. Gradually the whole field was made accessible by almost 35 miles of telford and macadam avenues. These avenues show the important positions occupied by the contending forces. Stone bridges were built across the streams. Miles of pipe-fencing and post-and-rail fencing were constructed, the former along the avenues indicating the battle-lines and the latter to enclose the Government land. Five steel observation towers were erected on prominent points, affording views in all directions.
Jennie Wade House.—Here Jennie Wade was killed while baking bread. The house is practically unchanged: bullet-marks and other injuries have been preserved
Jennie Wade House.—Here Jennie Wade was killed while baking bread. The house is practically unchanged: bullet-marks and other injuries have been preserved
An important task of the Commission was the accurate marking of the lines of battle of the opposing forces. Prominent commanders of both armies visited the field and assisted in locating the positions of the corps, divisions, and brigades. Suitable monuments and markers were then erected, with bronze tablets inscribed with an account of the operations of each corps, division, and brigade.
Markers also show the locations of the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief, as well as of the corps commanders of both armies. Six equestrian statues have been erected by States; also, imposingState monuments by New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and Alabama. There are many smaller markers, placed by States and other organizations. Bronze statues of division and brigade commanders have been erected. There are a number of National Monuments; one in the National Cemetery, where Lincoln stood when making his immortal address at the dedication of the cemetery, November 19th, 1863; also one in the south end of the cemetery bearing a bust of Lincoln, and another on Hancock Avenue in memory of the troops of the Regular Army. All the positions held by the Regulars have been marked. The total number of monuments to date is 845. Four hundred and fifteen guns indicate the positions of the artillery brigades and battalions.
The relief maps of the Gettysburg National Military Park, on exhibition at the office in the Federal Building, in Gettysburg, were designed by the Engineer of the Commission, Colonel E. B. Cope, and built under his supervision. The largest reproduces 24 square miles and correctly delineates all the topographical features of the Park. Many of the monuments and markers erected by the Commission were also designed by Colonel Cope. The imposing stone gateway at the entrance to Hancock Avenue was proposed by the Chairman, Colonel Nicholson, and designed by the Engineer. This gateway is built of native granite taken from the battlefield.
Celebrations, reunions, dedications, and campfires almost without number have been held at Gettysburg, bringing to the field those who participated in the battle, their families and friends, and many other visitors. For many years, until a permanent camp was established at Mt. Gretna, the National Guard of Pennsylvania encamped on the field. The two greatest occasions were the Twenty-fifth Anniversary in 1888, and the Fiftieth Anniversary in 1913. The latter was attended by almost 55,000 survivors of the two armies. Ample accommodations were provided for their comfort and enjoyment. The time extended over a period of eight days, June 29th to July 6th, and every State in the Union was represented. The men who had met as mortal enemies fifty years before now met as brothers. The American soldier is not only a good fighter but also a good friend. Many donned their uniforms of ’63, some of Blue and some of Gray, but in the wearers great changes had been wrought. The sturdy veterans who in the vigor of their youth met fifty years before in battle, returnedgrizzled with age and the ravages of war, many bearing scars. With keen interest, in pairs and groups, they moved from place to place relating to each other their experiences. In startling contrast to the 45,000 casualties of ’63 there were only seven deaths, and these from the infirmities of age and natural causes. The President of the United States and many able speakers from all sections of the country made addresses to large audiences. It was an event never to be forgotten and did much finally to heal the animosities engendered by the war.
On July 3, 1922, Marines from Quantico, Va., under the command of Brigadier-General Smedley D. Butler, repeated Pickett’s Charge as it was made in 1863, and on July 4th conducted it as such a charge would be made under present warfare conditions with modern equipment and maneuvers. President Harding, General Pershing, and many others prominent in the State and Nation enjoyed the display.
Culp’s Hill.—Here the Union troops held their line late in the afternoon of the second day.
Culp’s Hill.—Here the Union troops held their line late in the afternoon of the second day.
For many years the West Point Military Academy seniors visited the field, usually in the month of May, remaining several days in order to study the strategical and tactical features of the battle in preparation for a required thesis. These visits have been discontinued since the World War.
In May, 1917, a training-camp for World War soldiers was established within the limits of the Park. The 4th, 7th and 58th Regiments of U. S. Infantry were transferred from El Paso, Texas, augmented by recruits, and divided into six United States Regular Regiments, viz.: 4th, 7th, 58th, 59th, 60th, and 61st. After being trained they were sent either to other camps or to the battlefields of France. During the year 1918 a unit of Tank Service was trained on the battlefield.
The fortifications remaining within the park include a line of earthworks on Culp’s Hill, which was thrown up by the Union troops of the 12th Corps. On East Cemetery Hill there are a number of lunettes at the position held by the Union batteries. The stone wall along the west side of Hancock Avenue, extending from the Taneytown Road to some distance south of the Angle, where Armistead crossed it in Pickett’s Charge, is well preserved, and practically the same as at the time of the battle. There are some stone walls on the south side of Little Round Top that were erected and used by the Union forces. At the base of Big Round Top and along Seminary Ridge are long stone walls, erected and used by the Confederates. The boulders in the vicinity of Devil’s Den and the Round Tops afforded natural defences for both armies. A line of earthworks on South Hancock Avenue is still in good condition.
The Virginia Memorial.—The bronze group represents the various arms of the Confederate service. Above is a portrait statue of General Lee. The Memorial is the work of F. W. Sievers.
The Virginia Memorial.—The bronze group represents the various arms of the Confederate service. Above is a portrait statue of General Lee. The Memorial is the work of F. W. Sievers.
The physical features of the Park are both varied and interesting. Standing in bold relief in the background at a distance of about 8 miles is a continuation of the Blue Ridge, designated locally as the South Mountain. This range, bounding the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, screened the advance of the Confederate Army, and it was at the Cashtown Gap that General Lee ordered a concentration of his forces before his advance on Gettysburg.
The entire surface of the Park consists of low ridges and intervening valleys, beginning on the north in Herr’s Ridge, upon which Heth’s Division was deployed at the opening of the battle on July 1st. Opposite this ridge, and extending in the same direction, is McPherson Ridge, where the Union cavalry forces under Bufordwere deployed. Along Willoughby Run, which flows between these ridges, the battle opened on July 1, 1863. The next elevation, immediately north and west of the town, is known as Oak Ridge at its northern extremity and as far south as the Chambersburg Pike; from this point to its southern extremity it is called Seminary Ridge, taking its name from the yet existing Lutheran Theological Seminary. It was held by the Union Army on the first day of the battle and formed its principal line of defence. On the second and third days it was the principal Confederate line.
Seminary Ridge at its southern extremity drops off to a small ravine beyond which is Warfield Ridge, which extends in a southerly direction opposite Big Round Top; this formed the right of the Confederate line of battle on the second and third days.
South and southwest of the town is Cemetery Ridge, of which Big Round Top and Little Round Top are spurs, named from the Evergreen Cemetery and the site of the National Cemetery after the battle.
Ricketts’ Battery.—Ricketts’ Battery on East Cemetery Hill was remanned four times. Owing to the slope, the guns could not be sufficiently depressed, and the defenders fought with sticks and stones
Ricketts’ Battery.—Ricketts’ Battery on East Cemetery Hill was remanned four times. Owing to the slope, the guns could not be sufficiently depressed, and the defenders fought with sticks and stones
Cemetery Ridge formed the main line of battle of the Union Army during the battles of the 2nd and 3rd. A short distance east of the cemetery it bends sharply to the right, forming two rocky and wooded prominences, Culp’s Hill and Spangler’s Hill. BetweenSeminary Ridge on the west and Cemetery Ridge on the east, a low ridge along the line of the Emmitsburg Road is designated Emmitsburg Road Ridge. This extends to the Peach Orchard. It was crossed on the afternoon of the 3rd by the assaulting column of Pickett’s Charge, and is one of the interesting points of the battle. Another ridge on the west front of Little Round Top contains Devil’s Den, a mass of enormous granite rocks, apparently tossed in confusion by some giant hand. In this picturesque spot Longstreet made his famous assault against the Union left on the afternoon of July 2nd. The trend of these various ridges conforms generally to that of the Blue Ridge.
Guns Supporting Pickett’s Charge.—These guns took part in the great artillery duel which preceded Pickett’s Charge
Guns Supporting Pickett’s Charge.—These guns took part in the great artillery duel which preceded Pickett’s Charge
There are no large streams on the battlefield. The largest is Marsh Creek, only a small part of which is within the Park area. On the east is Rock Creek, extending the whole length of the Park, so named on account of the immense boulders within the channel and along the borders. On the north and west of Gettysburg is Willoughby Run, also extending the entire length of the Park and flowing south to Marsh Creek. Another small stream is Plum Run, near the center, beginning on the Codori farm and running south through the gorge at the Round Tops; this was crossed and recrossed by both armies during the second and third days. Lying wholly within the Potomac basin, all the streams flow south.
The highest point within the Park is Big Round Top on the south, which rises to an elevation of 786 feet, and is visible for miles in all directions. From Big Round Top, Little Round Top, Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, and Oak Hill there are extensive panoramic views. Aside from the historic association there is much in the magnificent and beautiful scenery to interest the visitor. In the woods and meadows, in the glens and vales of the battlefield there are romantic and charming bits of landscape. The prospect from the National Cemetery as the sun disappears behind the South Mountain is one of great beauty and impressiveness.
A large portion of the Park is covered with timber, chiefly the different varieties of oak, hickory, ash, poplar, elm, gum, cedar, and pine. Many of the groves are forests primeval, and in the fall the lofty pines of Big Round Top, contrasting with the crimson of the gigantic oaks covering it from base to summit and the gray-lichened surface of the massive boulders, form a striking and beautiful picture. Much care is given to the protection of the groves, in order to preserve the original condition of the field. Tree-surgery has prolonged the lives of trees of special historic interest. Visitors return year after year in spring to see the glorious masses of dogwood and redbud.
Center of Union Line.—The center of the Union line, showing the Angle and the rounded clump of trees toward which Pickett directed his charge
Center of Union Line.—The center of the Union line, showing the Angle and the rounded clump of trees toward which Pickett directed his charge
High-Water Mark.—This monument, erected close to the rounded clump of trees toward which Pickett directed his charge, marks the turning-point of the conflict
High-Water Mark.—This monument, erected close to the rounded clump of trees toward which Pickett directed his charge, marks the turning-point of the conflict
East Cavalry Field, 3 miles east of Gettysburg, is the point from which Stuart’s Cavalry started to move round the right wing of the Union Army in order to reach the rear of Meade’s line at the time of Pickett’s Charge. South Cavalry Field, 3 miles south of Gettysburg, was held by Farnsworth’s Brigade of Kilpatrick’s Division, and Merritt’s Brigade of Buford’s Division. All these positions have been marked with suitable tablets. The Cavalry Fields, though not contiguous to the main field, are important parts of the National Military Park.
Gettysburg has two railroads: the Philadelphia & Reading, and the Western Maryland, affording service from all points. Ten roads radiate from the town like the spokes of a wheel, and these provide ample approaches. The Lincoln Highway, entering via the Chambersburg Pike and continuing on the York Pike, gives a through route from west to east, and the Harrisburg Road leads directly to the State Capital. The Emmitsburg Road runs southwest to Emmitsburg, and thence to Frederick and Washington. The Baltimore Pike is a through route to Baltimore and the South. The Hanover Road runs to Hanover on the east. There are also the Taneytown and Hagerstown roads, the latter the line of General Lee’s retreat.
A uniformed guide service with an established schedule of rateswas authorized by the Secretary of War in 1916. No person is allowed to act as guide for pay without being examined and licensed by the Superintendent of the Park. There are interesting collections of Civil War relics at the Jennie Wade House, the Lee Museum, and other places. A single year has brought 800,000 visitors to the field. The average yearly number is 700,000.
Of the eighty-three cemeteries in the United States dedicated exclusively to the burial of soldiers, that at Gettysburg was the first.
A few days after the battle, Governor A. G. Curtin, of Pennsylvania, solicitous for the welfare of the soldiers, came to Gettysburg and appointed David Wills, a leading attorney, to act as his agent in the work of establishing a cemetery. Correspondence with the governors of other States was begun. Grounds were selected by Mr. Wills, and by the direction of Governor Curtin purchased for the State of Pennsylvania, to provide a burial-place for soldiers who fell in the battle.
Lots in the cemetery were tendered without cost to each State having dead upon the field. The expense of removing the bodies, laying out, ornamenting and enclosing the grounds, erecting a lodge for the keeper, and erecting a suitable monument to the memory of the dead, was to be borne by the several States, assessed in proportion to their population.
The seventeen acres of land which were purchased lie on Cemetery Hill adjoining the Citizens’ Cemetery, at the apex of what had been the triangular battle-line of the Union Army, and an important tactical position on July 2nd and 3rd. At the time of the battle this land was a cornfield, divided by stone fences which were used to great advantage by the infantry of the Union Army. The most elevated portions had been points of vantage for many batteries of artillery.
The land was surrounded on the west, east, and north by a substantial, well-built wall of native granite, topped by a heavy dressed coping. A division fence of iron was erected between the Soldiers’ National Cemetery and the Citizens’ Cemetery.
The plans and designs for the laying out of the cemetery were prepared by William Saunders, an able landscape gardener of the Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. A semi-circular plan for the arrangement of the graves was adopted. The ground allotted to each State converges upon a central point. The size of each plot was determined by the number of graves belonging to each State. The bodies were placed side by side in parallel trenches with a space of twelve feet to each parallel and with a grass path between the rows of graves. The outer section is lettered A, and so on in alphabetical order. Two feet of space was allowed to each body, and a person standing in the center of the semi-circle and facing the circumference reads the names from left to right. The bodies are laid with the heads towards the center. The headstones are uniform in size and contain the name, regiment and company of each soldier so far as it was possible to obtain them. Another lot was set apart for the soldiers of the Regular Army. The graves of the unknown dead are located at each end of the semi-circle.
On the 27th of October, 1863, the work of exhumation was begun under the supervision of Samuel Weaver, a citizen of Gettysburg. It was completed on March 18th, 1864. The number of bodies exhumed and interred in the cemetery was 3,512, including 158 taken up by the authorities of Boston. Of the total number, 979 were unknown. Later other bodies were discovered and added, and the total interred was 3,734. Many other Union dead were sent to their family burial places.The Confederate bodies remained in the original trenches until 1870-73, when 3,320 were transferred to southern cemeteries.
The central point of the semi-circle from which Lincoln delivered his address is now occupied by the National Monument, one of the finest on the field. It is 60 feet in height; the pedestal, 25 feet square at the base, is crowned by a colossal statue representing the Genius of Liberty. Projecting from the angles are four buttresses, each supporting an allegorical statue. War is personified by an American soldier. History, a figure with stylus and pen, records the achievements and names of the dead. Peace is typified by a statue of an American mechanic; Plenty by a female figure with a sheaf of wheat. The main die of the pedestal is panelled. Upon one of the panels is inscribed an extract from Lincoln’s Address.
From the point where this monument stands, a magnificent view is presented to the beholder. Sloping gradually toward the north and the west, the entire cemetery is spread out as a beautiful panorama, showing on a carpet of green the semi-circle of graves, the driveways lined with rows of splendid maples, spruces, birches, magnolias, and many other trees, as well as many clumps of shrubbery filling the intervals between. A view from this point as the sun sinks behind the distant range of the South Mountain is one long to be remembered.
Standing at the upper end of the cemetery is a lesser monument in the form of an exedra, the center of which contains a bust of Lincoln. Two panels, one to the left, the other to the right, contain inscriptions; one giving David Wills’ letter of invitation to President Lincoln to attend the dedicatory exercises on November 19th, 1863; the other, Lincoln’s immortal address in its entirety.
Opposite this monument is the Rostrum from which the memorial addresses are now delivered. The first memorial exercise was held on May 30th, 1868, establishing a custom continued until this day. Among the speakers of recent years, either in the cemetery or on adjoining sections of the Park, have been Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, and Hoover; Vice-President Curtis; Pennsylvania Governors Sproul and Pinchot, and Honorable James J. Davis.
Airplane View.—The National Cemetery with its curving rows of headstones
Airplane View.—The National Cemetery with its curving rows of headstones
No action of the battle itself has been more variously reported than the visit of President Lincoln at the time of the dedication of the National Cemetery on November 19, 1863. A wise collector and judge among many conflicting accounts is Dr. William E. Barton, noted Lincoln scholar, who in his “Lincoln at Gettysburg” has assembled all available material.
Dr. Barton gives various interesting reasons why Lincoln chose to come to Gettysburg, though his presence was not very earnestly desired by the committee of arrangements. His ability as anything but a political speaker had not been demonstrated, and it was feared that he might spoil the occasion. Until two weeks before the dedication, the only invitation sent him was one of the printed circulars mailed to all national officials, congressmen, and others.
National Monument.—On the site of National Monument stood the platform from which Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal address
National Monument.—On the site of National Monument stood the platform from which Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal address
He was eager, Dr. Barton thinks, to see the field of Gettysburg. He had rejoiced in the victory, and had deplored with equal earnestness Meade’s cautious policy in making no pursuit. He wished to urge the people to renewed devotion to the cause which at that moment did not look altogether promising. He wished also, Dr. Barton believes, to counteract the impression made by acruel slander which had wide circulation. Again and again newspapers inimical to him had published an account of his visit to the Antietam battlefield a year earlier, asserting that he had asked his friend Ward Hill Lamon to sing a ribald song as they drove about among the unburied dead.
Lincoln Memorial.—Memorial in honor of Lincoln’s AddressHenry K. Bush-Brown, Sculptor
Lincoln Memorial.—Memorial in honor of Lincoln’s AddressHenry K. Bush-Brown, Sculptor
Lincoln turned a deaf ear to most slanders, but this touched him to the quick. It was not unlikely that he longed to prove the libel false by a visit to another battlefield. The story continued to be told, however, throughout his life.
Following is Ward Hill Lamon’s account of the visit to Gettysburg, from his “Recollections of Lincoln.” It is the opinion of the author of this book, an eye-witness, that the reception which Lamon describes had other causes than failure to value Lincoln’s words. The address was intended to be merely a simple dedication which would not naturally be followed by applause. The audience had stood through the address of Edward Everett which occupied two hours, and through a prayer and musical numbers in addition. Many of the crowd were turning away—they turned back and listened earnestly, but with no impulse to applaud.
At the time of the dedication, Mr. Lamon was chief marshal of the parade and was with Lincoln on the platform when the address was delivered. Lamon writes:
... A day or two before the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Mr. Lincoln told me that he would be expected to make a speech on the occasion;that he was extremely busy, and had no time for preparation; and that he greatly feared he would not be able to acquit himself with credit, much less to fill the measure of public expectation. From his hat (the usual receptacle for his private notes and memoranda) he drew a sheet of foolscap, one side of which was closely written with what he informed me was a memorandum of his intended address. This he read to me, first remarking that it was not at all satisfactory to him. It proved to be in substance, if not the exact words, what was afterwards printed as his famous Gettysburg speech.After its delivery on the day of commemoration, he expressed deep regret that he had not prepared it with greater care. He said to me on the stand, immediately after concluding the speech: “Lamon, that speech won’t scour! It is a flat failure, and the people are disappointed.” (The word “scour” he often used in expressing his conviction that a thing lacked merit, or would not stand the test of close criticism or the wear of time.) He seemed deeply concerned about what the people might think of his address; more deeply, in fact, than I had ever seen him on any public occasion. His frank and regretful condemnation of his effort, and more especially his manner of expressing that regret, struck me as somewhat remarkable; and my own impression was deepened by the fact that the orator of the day, Mr. Everett, and Secretary Seward both coincided with Mr. Lincoln in his unfavorable view of its merits.
... A day or two before the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Mr. Lincoln told me that he would be expected to make a speech on the occasion;that he was extremely busy, and had no time for preparation; and that he greatly feared he would not be able to acquit himself with credit, much less to fill the measure of public expectation. From his hat (the usual receptacle for his private notes and memoranda) he drew a sheet of foolscap, one side of which was closely written with what he informed me was a memorandum of his intended address. This he read to me, first remarking that it was not at all satisfactory to him. It proved to be in substance, if not the exact words, what was afterwards printed as his famous Gettysburg speech.
After its delivery on the day of commemoration, he expressed deep regret that he had not prepared it with greater care. He said to me on the stand, immediately after concluding the speech: “Lamon, that speech won’t scour! It is a flat failure, and the people are disappointed.” (The word “scour” he often used in expressing his conviction that a thing lacked merit, or would not stand the test of close criticism or the wear of time.) He seemed deeply concerned about what the people might think of his address; more deeply, in fact, than I had ever seen him on any public occasion. His frank and regretful condemnation of his effort, and more especially his manner of expressing that regret, struck me as somewhat remarkable; and my own impression was deepened by the fact that the orator of the day, Mr. Everett, and Secretary Seward both coincided with Mr. Lincoln in his unfavorable view of its merits.
The Rostrum.—From the vine-draped Rostrum many famous speakers have addressed the throngs that visit Gettysburg on Memorial Day
The Rostrum.—From the vine-draped Rostrum many famous speakers have addressed the throngs that visit Gettysburg on Memorial Day
The occasion was solemn, impressive, and grandly historic. The people, it is true, stood apparently spellbound; and the vast throng was hushed and awed into profound silence while Mr. Lincoln delivered his brief speech. But it seemed to him that this silence and attention to his words arose more from the solemnity of the ceremonies and the awful scenes which gave rise to them, than anything he had said. He believed that the speech was a failure. He thought so at the time, and he never referred to it afterwards, in conversation with me, without someexpression of unqualified regret that he had not made the speech better in every way.On the platform from which Mr. Lincoln delivered his address, and only a moment after it was concluded, Mr. Seward turned to Mr. Everett and asked him what he thought of the President’s speech. Mr. Everett replied, “It is not what I expected from him. I am disappointed.” Then in his turn Mr. Everett asked, “What do you think of it, Mr. Seward?” The response was, “He has made a failure, and I am sorry for it. His speech is not equal to him.” Mr. Seward then turned to me and asked, “Mr. Marshal, what do you think of it?” I answered, “I am sorry to say that it does not impress me as one of his great speeches.”In the face of these facts it has been repeatedly published that this speech was received by the audience with loud demonstrations of approval; that “amid the tears, sobs, and cheers it produced in the excited throng, the orator of the day, Mr. Everett, turned to Lincoln, grasped his hand and exclaimed, ‘I congratulate you on your success!’ adding in a transport of heated enthusiasm, ‘Ah, Mr. President, how gladly would I give my hundred pages to be the author of your twenty lines!’” Nothing of the kind occurred. It is a slander on Mr. Everett, an injustice to Mr. Lincoln, and a falsification of history. Mr. Everett would not have used the words attributed to him, in the face of his own condemnation of the speech uttered a moment before, without subjecting himself to the charge of being a toady and a hypocrite; and he was neither one or the other.As a matter of fact, the silence during the delivery of the speech, and the lack of hearty demonstrations of approval immediately after its close, were taken by Mr. Lincoln as certain proof that it was not well received. In that opinion we all shared. If any person then present saw, or thought he saw, the marvelous beauties of that wonderful speech, as intelligent men in all lands now see and acknowledge them, his superabundant caution closed his lips and stayed his pen. Mr. Lincoln said to me after our return to Washington, “I tell you, Hill, that speech fell on the audience like a wet blanket. I am distressed about it. I ought to have prepared it with more care.” Such continued to be his opinion of that most wonderful of all his platform addresses up to the time of his death.
The occasion was solemn, impressive, and grandly historic. The people, it is true, stood apparently spellbound; and the vast throng was hushed and awed into profound silence while Mr. Lincoln delivered his brief speech. But it seemed to him that this silence and attention to his words arose more from the solemnity of the ceremonies and the awful scenes which gave rise to them, than anything he had said. He believed that the speech was a failure. He thought so at the time, and he never referred to it afterwards, in conversation with me, without someexpression of unqualified regret that he had not made the speech better in every way.
On the platform from which Mr. Lincoln delivered his address, and only a moment after it was concluded, Mr. Seward turned to Mr. Everett and asked him what he thought of the President’s speech. Mr. Everett replied, “It is not what I expected from him. I am disappointed.” Then in his turn Mr. Everett asked, “What do you think of it, Mr. Seward?” The response was, “He has made a failure, and I am sorry for it. His speech is not equal to him.” Mr. Seward then turned to me and asked, “Mr. Marshal, what do you think of it?” I answered, “I am sorry to say that it does not impress me as one of his great speeches.”
In the face of these facts it has been repeatedly published that this speech was received by the audience with loud demonstrations of approval; that “amid the tears, sobs, and cheers it produced in the excited throng, the orator of the day, Mr. Everett, turned to Lincoln, grasped his hand and exclaimed, ‘I congratulate you on your success!’ adding in a transport of heated enthusiasm, ‘Ah, Mr. President, how gladly would I give my hundred pages to be the author of your twenty lines!’” Nothing of the kind occurred. It is a slander on Mr. Everett, an injustice to Mr. Lincoln, and a falsification of history. Mr. Everett would not have used the words attributed to him, in the face of his own condemnation of the speech uttered a moment before, without subjecting himself to the charge of being a toady and a hypocrite; and he was neither one or the other.
As a matter of fact, the silence during the delivery of the speech, and the lack of hearty demonstrations of approval immediately after its close, were taken by Mr. Lincoln as certain proof that it was not well received. In that opinion we all shared. If any person then present saw, or thought he saw, the marvelous beauties of that wonderful speech, as intelligent men in all lands now see and acknowledge them, his superabundant caution closed his lips and stayed his pen. Mr. Lincoln said to me after our return to Washington, “I tell you, Hill, that speech fell on the audience like a wet blanket. I am distressed about it. I ought to have prepared it with more care.” Such continued to be his opinion of that most wonderful of all his platform addresses up to the time of his death.
Only the seasons and the years invadeThese quiet wheatfields where the Armies crashed.And mockingbirds and quail fly unafraidWithin the forest where the rifles flashed.Here where the bladed wings of death have mownAnd gleaned their harvestry of golden lives,The fruitful seeds of corn and wheat are sown,And where the cannon smoked, an orchard thrives.
Only the seasons and the years invade
These quiet wheatfields where the Armies crashed.
And mockingbirds and quail fly unafraid
Within the forest where the rifles flashed.
Here where the bladed wings of death have mown
And gleaned their harvestry of golden lives,
The fruitful seeds of corn and wheat are sown,
And where the cannon smoked, an orchard thrives.
Long are the war years over, with their pain,Their passionate tears and fury, and the sunLies hot and yellow on the heavy grain,And all the fighting on these fields is done.But in their peace, the quivering heart recallsThe youth that bled beside these old stone walls.
Long are the war years over, with their pain,
Their passionate tears and fury, and the sun
Lies hot and yellow on the heavy grain,
And all the fighting on these fields is done.
But in their peace, the quivering heart recalls
The youth that bled beside these old stone walls.
—Agnes Kendrick Gray.By Permission of the Author.
—Agnes Kendrick Gray.
By Permission of the Author.
The principal source of data for this work is the “War of the Rebellion Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.” The appended list of other sources has been made for those who wish to make an extended study.
In addition to the many histories and biographies which include the battle among their subjects, there are novels, short stories, and poems whose authors have made a careful study of Gettysburg as a background. Among them are the following: