Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-10-31
raE rwENrY-sEvENrn Q. v. TRIP
"Reminiscences or Gettysburg Battle
Field.

Ekomlm10C0n0o0 OF &0Sxy0DuH& D0sss0
Field.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Following are few "reminiscences Of our
recent trip to Gettysburg with the Twenty
seventh G. ", which may be interesting to
some of your readers: The town Of Gettys-
burg Is very much built up since the war
time, and now has about thirty-two hundred
inhabitants. There are several hotels and
any number Of boarding houses, for the ac-
eommodationf of visitors. At the freeman
House on Baltimore street, where We stopped,
excellent board may be had at $3.50 per day.
The house stood in . very exposed position
during the great battle. We counted four
teen bullet holes in the upper part at the
rear. Mr.. James Price. the owner Of this
house, is fine old gentleman of eighty four
years, and now boards with Mr.. Freeman
On the evening of the 22d, while the rain
descended, which kept most of our party
comfortably housed, Mr.. Price entertained
the company with thrilling description of
his experiences during that battle. He was
returning from warehouse where he had
been caring for the wounded, when he was
met by party Of rebels, who took him
prisoner. One of them fred at, without
wounding him. They kept him prisoner
short time and then sent him home, telling
him to stay in the house and keep out of the
way of the bullets. He Was then fifty eight
years old. Rising early one morning he dis
covered that the rebels had decamped during
the night. In great excitement he started to
inform the Union authorities, when he dis
covered that he had on neither hat, coat nor
shoes. Returning to the house he dressed him
self properly, thinking that in his former
condition they would doubt his veracity. All
along the road were knapsacks, guns, ect.,
which the rebels had left behind them. He
picked up one of the guns and with it he
captured six rebel deeerters who were hidden
away near by. One of them was in the field
next to the house, which field he sold few
years ago; another he found in his barn. He
afterward found on examination that the
gun was not loaded. The superstition Is that
they were very willing to be captured. His
wife harbored and nursed, unknown to him,
five wounded Union soldiers until they could
receive medical attention after the battle. He
has never heard from but one of them since,
and that one is Col. Colville of st. Paul,
Minnesota, who came with his wife year
years ago, rich in faith and hope of better
life, and the old gentleman. who is devout
Christian, expects soon to follow her. EN-
bedded in the front wall of the brick build
| ing directly opposite is shell which did not
| explode. The charge was Withdrawn years
ago and it was left as relic.
Further along Baltimore street stands q
low brick house. In this house lived two
sisters. One of them was sick in bed
the other was baking bread. Three bullets
passed through the window and close to the
eiek girls bed without harming her, while
another bullet passed through the door
striking the other sister as she was remov
ing her bread from the oven, and killing hel
instantly. The bullet holes still remain il
the door and window, and in the brick walls
Very little walking is done in Gettysburg
| by visitors as the points of interest lie so fal
| gagged to take q party of seven from o'cloci
a. m. all day, with two hours extra ride thu
day before, for the trifing sum of seventy
FIVE cents apiece, but the snow Wednesday
morning prevented our starting until O'Clock
p. m. He informed us that there were
great many carriages in the place, and al
| good ones, but in reality there is not decen
one. They are all ramshackle affairs. II
all appearances, they were built soon afte
| Noah left the ark and have been in servie'
ever since.
The most interesting spots to US were Lit
tie Round Top and Devils Den. At Devils
Den photographer stationed there ahowet
US peculiar ring which was taken from tn,
skeleton of man which was dug from among
the rocks in the den last winter. They saw
a piece of bone protruding and on digging
unearthed the skeleton. There was pothinf
with which to identify him but the ring and
the buttens, which showed that he belonged
to Georgia regiment. There he had lair
i for tuapkv.oiy vaara At tho font of Titk1S
Round Top stands the tree where a rebe
sharpshooter was killed and hung among the
| branches for three days before he was dis
| covered.
A body was dug up near the church re
Gently. With it was found q wallet with the
| Warren" The picture is now in a small
relic shop on Baltimore street and If thu
original could be found the remains might b.
| identified.
The house where old John Burns lived, tbs
hero of one of Bret Harte's famous poems,
still stands and always attracts visitors. AL
though Bret Harte has drawn on his imagina.
ton to some extent, yet the townspeople who
remember him say there is some truth in the
| story.
Everybody on reaching Gettysburg ia i'm
mediatsly transformed into Q relic-hunter.
In fact, the demand for relics far exceeds the
| supply. We were shown q building in the
vicinity where 1t was alleged relics were
| manufactured. 1t was probably hoax. The
| proprietor of q relic store informed as that
he had ga fresh supply in this morning.
One enterprising youth informed lady
where she could find some relies and wher
she had found bullet Immediately demand.
cd ten cents. He was presented with tbs
bullet.
Forty new monuments will be erected or
this famous battlefield In the ensuing year.