Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-11-27
Letter from Gettysburgh.
GrrrrsBrReH. Pa, Nov. 20. 1858.


time being, at Columbia, on the hanks Of the
4 bridge & mile and quarter
long spanned the waters there on the 18th of
June last; but on the appearance of brigade
of rebel infantry on that day near Wrightsyille
on the opposite shore, the structure was fired to
prevent their crossing, and completely destroyed
to the stone sbutments. Consequently travellers
across that wav must depend tipoa tie Ferry.
There is, or was on Iuesd,y last, choice be-
tween a steamboat of twO-horse power, and d.
vers rowboats of two man power. ! chose the
former Of course, and with eighteen others, Ia
dies and gentlemen, stepped on board the
stauneh and elegant (by a figure Of speech) I
Steamer Union. Capt. Duke. There were many .
who would fain have taken passage with Us, but .
they were refused by Capt. Duke as sternly as
old Charon drove back the unhappy shades who /
thronged the shores Of Sts-. Nineteen souls, I
or bodies rather, wac the capacity of his steamer,
and not another could gain admittance though /
they waved greenbacks in punches before his /
eyes The Union moved away from under their /
eager noses, with the grace OF high pressure
water fowl. and we, her favored passengers,
looked complacently on their disappointment, as /
We left them behind to the tender nercies Of the I
wherrymen. We had a lIttle fear lest our steam
shallop might be overloaded, for two of the Ia 1
dies were Of well nigh the weight of four
average mortals We had apparently mo-
mentary fear Of rebel priysteers, dispelied how
ever, by Capt Dukes prompt assurance that no
hostile Alabamas vexed honest craft on those wa
tiers; but we had not the slightest fear of being
outstrippel on our passage over. Alas for the
folly Of shortsghtei followers OF the steam de-
demon Our captain forgot to turn tire damper
in his smoke-pipe; the steam, in spite OF eager
poking and much feeding with pine chips, ran
rapidly down, the wheels Of the Union turned
with slower stroke, the FLASHING Of oars vas
heard behind Us, and soon with i'll concealed
smiles and tongues thrust banteringly into their
cheeks, the friends We left behind US first lapel,
then passed, then distanced the Union and her
chop-f,llen load Never mind. We got over.
aui after a collision with a canal boat, OCCASION
ei by our rubber declining 10 w0rk st the most
critical moment or the passage, we made a
safe landing. Twill be all the same a thousand
years hence, as If We hal outstripped the World
in oars. And | needn't and wouldn't have
given 50 much space to our passage Of the sus-
quehanna, were it not for the moral Of the tale,
which the as,ure reaiers Of the FREE Pass can
not fail to perceive and apply
We took at Wrghtsvilie one-horse" rail-
roal to York, and then a one-and-a-half horse
railroad to Gettysburgh, reaching there through
much delay and tribulatiOn at ten O'Clock at
night-to mud the " hotels Overlooking. and
our crowd swelled by two or three hum
drei other pullers at times foretop, who
confidently supposed that thirty-six hours
start Of the big rush would give them the
pick Of the public accommodations of Gettys-
burgh, dependant on private hospitality for food
and shelter. Jared veil enough however. and
so I trust did the rest.
The next day gave tothe batJle-h,ld Invent
first to the scene of the first days hard and cost
ly fight. Guided by Maj. Rosengarten, then of
Mai. zen. Reynolds staff, l stood upon the spo,
where that brave and able general fell. while
forming MS line. ! looked over the ground
where. shortly after, Cen Doubleday. who sue
ceedei to the command Of the first corps. cut of
and captured Gen. Archer and a good share Of
his brigade, and maintained for an hour and
half Of stubborn fighting his position. TIL How
ards Eleventh Corps came up, in time TO save
the First from utter destruction but itself to be
beaten back with the First 10 Cemetery Ridge.
after melancholy loss in killed and wounded
and prisoners We passed next To the south.
along the ridge on which Lee formed MS lines On
the second day. The fields, then trampled by many
thousands ill-shod rebels. have re-arned in that
portion Of the battle ground, in great measure,
their former condition; the fences nave been put
up. and the plough and harrow have obliterated
the deep cannon ruts. We crossed over the fields
in front Of Rogers house. on which Sickles male I
Ii, ill-aivised advance on THURSDAY and which
he left strswei with the bodies OF his own men
and thst Of the enemy. We climbed " Little
Round Top" among the boullers AT the base Of
which still lie the bones Of some Of the rebels,
slain by CrawtOrd's men of the Pennsylvania
reserves, on Thu $ lay afternoon. and which in
that portion Of the battle ground alone failed TO
find burial reached the top Of Round Top Just
me national flag was flung to the breeze
from a tall flag staff erected on its very summit.
Then passing towards the centre. stopped, of
course, on the ground held by STANDARDS men
Of the Vermont Second Brigade, ami On which I
they ainked AMI shattered the rebel column.
three full divisions nll-sei in probably the heav--
lest and most desperate charge Of the war The T.
battle ground here remains much As il was LEFT I
At the battles elosc-clothing, cartrdge-boxes, /
blyonet-sheaths, and soldiers accoutremeuts by /
thousands still strew the ground. The low I
bresst-works Of rails still remain, and the skeie
tons of horses covered by the skin, are scattered
unburiel IS they fell
Thence to Cemetery Hi, on the left Of which /
the grounds Of the National Cemetery have been /
laid out. found easily the position allotted to 1
Vermont on the northeastern slope Of Cemetery /
Hill. NINETEEN Of the bodies Of our brave boys /
have been removed from espots where they found 4
hasty burial and re-interred here and the trenches
are open for the remainder Their remains are
placed IN PLAIN wooden cofins in trenches walled
with stone at the head and feet, aud each BODY
marked by numbered stake, to be replaced in
due time | suppose by suitable head board or
stone The work Of re-interment Is going on
over the whole ground. About 1900. hardly
third of the whole number Of our dead. have
thus far been collected but it is intended that
the work shall be completed before Winter
I must hasten to the close of my letter, as