Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-28
A Visit to Gettysburgh.

We will give our readers short
description of some of the routes
travelled and the sights seen in our
walk over the field. Within the town
there are here and there marks of
shot and shell on the buildings that
have not yet been obliterated. Nei-
ther army sought to shell the town
and it suffered only slightly. Passing
out to the westward the Lutheran
Theological Seminary stands on Sem
mary ridge half a mile beyond the
limits of the village. The Seminary
is large, high, brick building, on
which a tower of some height affords
a view of nearly all the country IN a
radius of from two to twenty miles.
In this tower Buford looked off to the
west and north to scan the signs of
Lees approaching armies here, also,
Lee is said to have stood and watched
the charge and the destruction of
Pickett's hordes as they swept over
the plains and up the slope of Gene
tery Ridge. A few rods to the north
on one of the turnpike roads that en-
ter the town the Confederate general
made his headquarters during the last
two days of the battle. He was in a
small stone house. The trees that
formed the background of the college
grounds stand.as they did in the day
of the 1st of July, 1868, showing the
marks of bullets on both sides, ,receiv-
ed while the pressed back forces of
Doubleday and Wadsworth were
stemming the tide of defeat. Half a
mile further out is long line of
monuments where the first strong
battle line was made. In the edge
of yonder tongue of woods is the
monument that marks the place where
the brave Reynolds fell. Away off
to the left three-fourths of mile,
stand monuments and marks where
the left wing of our out-numbered
men fought hard and long. To the
right is the railroad where our troops
overcame and captured almost brig
ade of rebel infantry. Further to the
front stand many stones showing
where the first fighting commenced,
and toward the north where Buford's S
cavalry, dismounted, held the foe in
check while Howard's and other
troops came on to the field. A mile
away toward the northeast the bloody
lines are marked with many stones
showing where SeigePs corps, under
the command of Carl Schurz, stood
against Elwell's corps till outfanked
and outnumbered they fed for the
town and the heights beyond. This
whole field can be grasped from GER
tain points almost at an eye vision,
and it shows how great is the scene
on which large battles are fought.
The day, though lost, was an honora-
BILE one on our side. Returning to
town one passes up the highway to
the old town cemetery and the ridge
of hundred feet or more which be-
came the center of our lines. Here
are the very spots where our batteries
were placed to face the enemy in all
directions. Guns are standing on
dummy carriages where they stood
twenty-siX years ago in the memora-
BILE battle. Southwest is the Nation
al Cemetery surrounded with a strong,
capped stone wall. Within are the
graves of the several thousand Union
soldiers who were picked up and dis
inferred from all parts of the field.
Those who have visited the beautiful
and well-kept cemeteries of our large
towns and cities will know how the
grounds look, if we say similar to the
best in city cemeteries. The grave
plats are fiat but surrounded by curb
ing. The dead from the different
states are placed by themselves, and
the names of all known soldiers are
cut in the stone lying on the grave.
The unknown" of which there is a
large number, are marked as un-
known. Vermont has 81, we believe,
buried there. The evergreen trees,
the willows and shrubbery are such
as to make the spot seem like the
woods or a grove. just at the south
east of this cemetery Gen. Meade
had his headquarters, and here I'd
VT. Brigade lay during the morning
of the second day of the fight. Cross
ing to the eastward Slocum's Avenue
leads to Culp's Hill. This is pecul-
iarly interesting part of the field.
Here was some desperate fighting
Here the rebels took portion of our
lines and they were wrested back
after several hours of bloody fight
ing. The trees-it was largely wood
ed-show on stock and branch the
marks of the leaden and iron hail
that SCARED and tore them in the
bloody contest. Here is the spot
where a large tree was cut down
by bullets. Here also was the spring
near the extreme right of our line
where both rebel and federal filled
his canteen to carry it to his wound
ed or diving comrade. Returning t.
Cemetery Hill there are monument
close down to the base, where ou
troops and batteries fought the force
of Hill. A little further to the south
ward is the crest on the ridge wher