Abilene weekly reflector., 1898-11-03
VETERANS SILENT CITY.
An Abileneite Writes Of Beautiful
Gettysburg Cemetery.

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famous battlehelds Of Gettysburg with
its 25 miles Of beautiful avenues
winding around hills, rocks and
through valleys interspersed with
over 400 costly monuments is very
familiar but others have not been
fortunate enough to see it.
Gettysburg before the war the
writer remembers well was only
very small agricultural town almost
isolated from the outside world so to
speak. Since the great battle fought
there in '6S she has grown to a beau
tiful little city Of about $500 people,
famous not only throughout the
length and breadth Of this country but
in the distant portions Of the earth.
Many Of the old buildings are still
Standing which were all ridded with
shells, some Of the shells still remain
in the brick walls. The little old
brick house is still being used as a
residence in which was killed Jenny
Wade, the only woman who lost her
life during the battle. She was only
20 years old, was pursuing her house.
hold duties when stray bullet over
took her. Gettysburg has some splen.
did hotels, in many respects equal to
the larger cities. Even in this late
season Of the year there are many
visitors here from all parts Of the
United States.
The national cemetery at this place
Is beautiful, contains about II acres
all nicely fenced in, beautifully laid
out In avenues, handsome evergreen
trees artistically arranged. Here are
some very costly monuments in
honor Of the dead who fought so
bravely. Here lie many Of fathers,
husbands and sons who have nothing
to mark their last resting place but
neat circled stone on which is cut the
word unknown. Many sad
thoughts pass through the mind Of
the visitor as he stands in the midst
this city Of the dead. Almost every
nook and corner throughout the en-
tire battlefield is noted for some.
thing or another concerning the bat
tie, for instance the valley called the
"Valley Of Death. Through this
valley flows small stream Of water
and here the poor fellows crawled to
bathe their wounds. The blood flowed
so freely that it really became
stream Of blood.
Big Round Top is very high in it.
self. On t'p Of it there is situated a
very high steel observatory on top Of {
which one has an elegant view Of the
battlefield and surrounding country 9
for many miles from this point. I
Across the Valley Of Death is located I
the Devils Den. This consists Of ,
high and massive rocks with many
large caves in them. Here we're hid
away some Of the sharpshooters Of {
the Confederates and our boys being
on Round Top would pick off the
boys in gray as they would peep out
CT their hiding places. 1t is said that I
after the battle there were taken SO ,
Confederate bodies out OF those caves. :
Then there is old peach orchard which d
is so famous, the wheat field with its
golden grain just ready for the sickle
but which was never cut. "A harvest ,
Of death instead" Every foot Of the :
field was fought over many times, SO ,
much so that it is said that the q
breastworks were made Of dead bodies. q
This field today is beautifully dec. 4
GRATED with costly monuments repre- q
senting brigades, divisions and corps 3
Of the army who fought SO bravely +
upon 1t. There is only one .Confed. r
crate monument on the entire battle.
field. The reason for there not being =
more is that they are not willing to :
come under the restrictions OF the
association. There are many more
interesting features we might men
tion. The government is continually
making large improvements and with
the costly monuments which are 60
ing up all the while the battlefelds of
Gettysburg will be among the most
interesting places for sight seeing in
the East. J. P. BRILLIANT.