The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-06-17
The Battle Field of Gettysburg.

GETTYSBURG, June "a visit to Gettysburg
the scene OF the great American Waterloo,
including all monuments on the battle tilld.
The place where military strife caused
"A thousand hearts to stream with gore
Thousand, thousand heroes fall,
And many a widows tears to pour.
And from the war-crowned wall
a thousand sabcrs start and stream
with the blood of the brave and fair,
And the soul-lit brand TO leap from the hand
OF the dead to the living there.'
To describe this scene with the peM. OF to Dor
tray on canvas with the brush, is like painting
the rainbow or seeking to garnish the 6eauteous
eye OF heaven with taper light. There is moth
ing to lead the mind; to grasp this scene in all
its melancholy loneliness but the scene itself
The battle field is beipg adorned with costly
and magnificent nA2aItsKseDts composed of ma
terial and placed in foundations that time it
obect Of ssfn
placed as near as possible on the spot it is des-
ignated to represent. The breastworks, en-
trenGhments and forests are being preserved
as they were in the DAYS of that awful conflict
and clash of arms There are driveways
opened through the battle ground and one
railway leading from the town to the little
round-top park for the accommodation of WISH
tors. Millions of dollars have heen spent to
adorn the spot with enduring staae, and extol
the character of the Union soldier for his
bravery, to be handed down 70 generations yet
unborn, which is very oonmendable. But
when political prejudice has ceased to exist,
when the North and the South have mingled
and commingled, and become one great body
polite, they will visit this great battle ground
to celebrate tho great battle deeds of their an
cestors, and TO learn from monumental de-
scription the vQSious characters who distin-
gushed themselves III military genius and
deeds of daring, regardless of the issue then
existing. They will be ovcrtaken with disap-
pointment, for they will find no spot marked
with monumental record where u Confederate
soldier distinguished himself Il warrior and
fell under the flag of his country or of his
adoption. We hope this wall of political pre-
Judice will be rased to the earth from which
u sprang, i'll time for both armies of that
greatest battle that ever was fought on this
continent to be properly represented with
monumental display on the field where it was
acted. Mr.. p. ID. Swisher, civilian who wit
messed the battle, pointed out to us q pine tree
about midway between the little High-top
mountain and the DEVILS Den, they being
about 800 yards apart, which n Confederate
soldier climbed into the top of to discharge his
duty as Il sharp shooter, and during the en-
gagenent the Union forces followed the Con-
federates in their retreat towards the Devils
Den, and found this sharp shooter in the tree
war, but his offer rejected, and he fell
through the limbs of the tree, riddled with
bullets, to the earth, where he now rests be-
meath its sod with nothing to mark the spot
save the shadow of the pine tree. A more
daring act of bravery could not be performed
by man than to take midway between two lines
OF infantry and battery position such as that,
yet his name and his deed of daring is not
known in history. Those who wish to be
economical in their expenses while visiting the
battle ground and secure more in detail of the
scenes and incidents connected Herewith, will
do well to call on Mr.. Z. ID. Swisher, who lives
at High-Top Park, and can accommodate
seven or eight persons in good Old Pennsyl-
vania style and hos. itality with extremely
moderate charges, and will in person be your
guide and instructor over the great field of
blood and hattie