Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-07-22
G.. A. r. LETTER.
GETTYSBURG. Pa. July IA. ]

G.. A. r. LETTER.
GETTYSBURG, Pa, July IA, 1885.
EDITOR Observation-Disclosures battle
| field is one of the grandest and most pictur-
esque places Imaginable, and well fitted to
be the theatre of the greatest conflict of the
| nineteenth century. No wonder that compe-
tent military authorities, long before the
event Of the battle, commented upon its
adaptability for that purpose. with it's nights,
| valleys, fine ground for cavalry movements
on the flank, and parallel ridges for mutual
| defence and protection of troops. If q
| battle must be fought, and one that is to be
| immortal in the memory of mankind as the
turning point IN the destiny of great nation,
| no spot could have been selected more in
keeping with the magnitude of the occasion.
No one can travel over this great battlefield
| without being impressed with it's natural
| beauty as we'll as by the memory of the
terrible tragedy acted out there just twenty
two years ago.
Any one who visits the battlefield with the
idea they can see much OF it in a single day,
will be very much disappointed. We Travelled
assiduously on foot over the field during six
| sides a considerable distance in conveyances,
| and yet felt the task was poorly completed.
Including the immediate cavalry operations,
| the line of battle could not have been less
than eight miles long, and covered points
front ana rear not less than five miles apart.
It is estimated that space not less than Is
SOU are miles was strown with the bodies of
10000 men and 5000 horses, killed and wound
ed In the battle The conflict swept from hill
to bill, and ragged in the streets of the town,
80 the visitor is often surprised on. asking So
be shown the battlefield to be pointed to all
the country about him that he can see. AS it
would be utterly impossible to give any ade-
quate description Of the battle in single
letter, we will make only few comments on
what we have seen.
On arriving in Gettysburg, we were so for
tunate as to secure excellent quarters and
board at John Holtzworth's, a social home.like
place, which greatly promoted the enjoyment
of our visit.
After dinner, we visited the scene of the
first day'sconflict, where Gen. Reynolds was
killed. Stood map in hand, in the cupola of
the Theological Seminary, which commands q
splendid view OF the entire country, and care
fully studied all the points of the battle for
| the entire three days. Followed with the eye
the route Of both armies to the conflict, and
the very places where the batteries were
planted, the charges made and the officers
fell. Looked at and visited the spot where
Gen. Reynolds was killed while looking across
| the meadows for reinforcements. The tree
! near which Reynolds fell is pitted with bullet
holes and jagged pieces of iron from it's roots
high among its branches. The walls of the
Seminary are speckled with holes where the
bullets from the Rebel muskets struck. Near
by is the famous railroad cut where our forces
From our splendid lookout. we could trace
the Union line Of battle on that first day, and
see many miles away the routes taken by
Longstreet, Hall and Ewell in converging up
on Gettysburg to overwhelm the Union army.
There beneath us was the meadow across
which our defeated troops fell back holly
pursued by the victorious rebels. On my way
back to town visited a somewhat interesting
locality, the house Of Mr.. Sheads, which lies
in the track of the retreat. Here Col. Vice.
lock of New York, fed into the house closely
followed by a Rebel officer who demanded his
sword. The Colonel refused to surrender,
and dared the Rebel to shoot. A daughter of
Mr.. Sheads came up behind the Colonel and
slyly took the sword. and unobserved in the
tumult, secreted it. Col. Wheelock made his
escape that evening and subsequently, re-
covered the sword. While Mr.. Sheads was
pumping water for the victorious Rebels a
she'll came from the Union lines through the
porch and exploded by the we'll killing an Of
ficer who was boasting of the victory they
ould win. Up in the gable of the house there
still remains a shell sticking in the wall. Mr..
Sheads lost all his sons, four in number, in
the war. The same evening, attended by Mr..
Holtzworth, visited Mrs. Wade, whose
daughter Jennie was killed while baking
bread for the Union soldiers on the morning
of the third days battle. Mrs. Wade, who
lives in q small One-story house, went to her
bureau and brought various little mementoes
of her daughter, including several photo
graphs taken at various ages. She says their
house was in the front Of the Union lines, and
the soldiers kept asking for bread. As the
bread had given out, Jennie said she would
bake some biscuits for them, and while her
hands we're in the dough, bullet from the
Rebel sharpshooters came through the door
and killed her instantly. She was standing at
the time beside her mother. 1t was with
peculiar interest that heard Mrs. Wade give
all the circumstances, and exhibit the little
mementoes she had treasured up so sacrcdly.
Jennie had \ lover, Corporal Sicily, who was
shot few days before, near Winchester, but
the event did not come to her knowledge be-
fore her death, and so the lovers, each ignor-
ant of the others fate, passed suddenly
through the flames of battle into the other
world. When she was taken up for burial his
picture was taken from her pocket stained
with her blood. The G. A. r. Post is named
from him, "Skeliy Post No. g." Her mother
showed me the bread tray Jennie was using
when killed.
Although the entire population of Gettys-
burg remained in their homes during the
three days battle this was the only instance
Of any one being injured. The people took
refuge in their cellars, and often. during the
raging of the fight, could hear the bullets
striking against the walls. Many of the
houses are badly SCARED up with bullet holes
Day after day, Ruide-book in hand, We
travelled over all the more conspicuous points
of interest. Looked over east Cemetery Hill
where the Louisiana Tigers charged our bat
terles on the evening of the second day, and
were annihilated; the dark valley where the
Massachusetts, second was sent on their tool
hardy charge against an impregnable position
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