The Portland daily press., 1899-10-26
THE FIELD OF GETTYSBURG
Work OF the Association In Marking
the Position OF the Forces.
CFrom the PHILADELPHIA pre,s.1

tFrOm the Il nlfaueltnlh BTesf.)
Those persons who have not visited the
field OF Gettysburg recently would bs
pleasantly surprised ut the work OF tire
association which has undertaken and
nearly completed the task of marking the
position of the forces engaged In that ire
mendous battle, and of making all parts
Of the field essily accessible to the ordin-
airy visitor. The task was cha of great
magnitude by ress3n Of the complex
movements Of the troops TN both sides,
mum ering nors than 100, eco men, but 1t
Is believed hat the position OF every regi-
ment, battery, and squadron has teen
accurately marked, not only by han :
some and arpropriat, regiinentsl an
State monuments, but by smaller mar kers
which define the actual location of the
troops.
The roads or avsnues as laid out COM
plstely cover the lines OF hatsle at every
stage Of the contest. and they havs hes u
given appropriate names, usually those
OF the Generals who wire prominent 10
ths fight. The visitor to the field in the
course of two hours or more may be
driven over the first days battle ground
and 10 enab'e ed to locate the position OF
every organization engaged On tnat day,
the historic spot whrre Rsynolis tell, thr
sos ns Of the severe fight ny on the right,
the fatal gap In the lines which pava the
rebel army Its opportuuitJ. onl the rou
o, hurried retreat OF the Temporarily de-
featec Union forces.
Many OF the buildings and IN uch of the
ground on which the battle was fought
are In the same condition az In 1858 4 h.
route which takes one over the second
ana third days battlefield Is perhaps
fuller OF interest, and the work OF the
Battlefield Association illustrates aud
emphaaizes every in9iden5 of tie two
awful AMI historic days 1hs II Q Of
Sickles advance, the peach orchard, VIII t
held and the rocky slope OF the Rom
Tops. the famous Beviis Dan. the Valley
Of Death, and the Inns of the Union troops
along Cemetery Ridge throngh the
Union centre and the National Cemetery
and Culp's Hili-ali the scene OF bloody
ughting-makes the ride one of the 10 ust
interesting In America.
line ground over which Piakett's fam.
Gus charge was made remains about the
same as IL was In 1853, but tns Union
line which tire brave AImistead pierced
10 sdorn, ~ with magnificent monuments
and markers which tell the story of the
brave deeds OF both Union ana Cnnfeier-
ate soldiers.
NsVcF VII tut EiRub hHuh VI bub
army, the slope Of Culp's Hill is fine
avenue named after Gen. Slooum, whica
often follow the yet clearly marked
breAstworks OF the Twelfth Corps, and IL
delightful ride over most historic
ground. The famous SpsngIer spring
has been we'll preserved, and the line Of
the rebel movsns mt to the rear and Mt
right angles with the works Of Gotham q
brigade Of the White Star division over
which large Il roe Of rebels crept on the
night of July =, has been we'll marked
with monuments ~ ons OF ths most inter
astiug points on the field. II the COM
mandsr Of the rebel forces had understood
tn advantages Of the position gained
that night he need not have wasted the
lives in assaulting Little Round Top,
or have thrown Pickett's foros across an
open area Of = mile IN the face Of Han
cooks veterans and the artillery of the
Army Of the Potomac.
No other State or N ition has adorned
and beautited a bait sdeld or made L.
oh an object Of intsr ast to future gen.
erations as has been dons to Getu, sbnls
A great deal nas bean dons in the same
direction ct Oh ,tbanoo.sa, where the file Il
OF Grants brilliant victory has been
ca 1titisd with Appropriate historic mon
umsnts, and the approaches to Mission
airy Ridge and Lookout Mountain have
Leo made by long manadAmiZsd avenues
and boulevard worthy Of Paris itself
has been constructed along the Ridge
from the Tennessee River to Lookout
Noun tain, a distance Of about eight
miles
It would bs q mAttsr of interest to
know what effect this vast expenditure
OF money, historic Study, and the creation
or hundreds OF permanent works OF art
will have on tbs future gsner alton Of the
A merican reople. 1t Q ,n0ot fail to keep
alive martial spirit, t. encourage the
study and effect a more perfect under
standing of the greatest war epoch In the
history Of the country, and to stimulate u
love OF art In = Crude but popular form.
The people at large have as yet not n
full knowledge of what has been dore in
the way of marking and q forming .thsse
and other battlefleids. but their knowl-
edge is widening each year, and their
acquaintance With it will become more
perfect as time rolls on.