The National tribune., 1900-08-16
MODERN GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.
A Breezy Description of Trip from Wash
ington to the Battlefield.

in mind with what interest l read all ac-
counts of skirmishes, battles and cam
paigns published in The NATIONAL TRI-
J BUNE, thought perhaps a few lines from
me concerning a recent visit to Gettys-
burg might please some of your numer-
Gus readers.
For years l had contemplated a drive
to Gettysburg and the pleasure such a
journey through Maryland and Pennsyl-
vania. with the recollections of years ago
fresh in mind, would give, and as an old
time comrade and friend consented to JOIN
me for the expedition, on June last we
harnesSed a span of splendid travellers to
a light wagon and headed our column at
Washington for Gettysburg.
Our first stop was at the house of a
hospitable farmer in Montgomery Co..
Nd. where, after good nights rest and
splendid breakfast, in which the old
time homemade country sausage, warm
biscuit and creamy coffee largely predom-
mated, we started out on J. Il. b. Stuarts
trail of June, 1868, via Hoods Mills, on
the B. & o. Railroad, for Westminster,
Carroll Co., Md.
1t will be remembered that when our
army was well on the way north, in June,
| 1868, the main cavalry commands of both
Gems. Hooker and Lee We're fighting at
| Upperviie, Aldic and in the gaps i'll the
Blue Ridge, and that finally, when Gen.
Pleasonton was ordered to the head of
our columns, j. f. =. Stuart, with 5000
| picked men and a battery of horse artil-
| lery, swung around east of Manassas
junction, crossed the Orange & AleXan-
| dria Railroad Mt Fairfax Station, passed
| Fairfax Court House to the Potomac at
| Seneca, crossed to PoolcSville and Rock
vile, and between the latter place and
| Washington captured well-loaded and
| equipped train of $50 wagons, with four
mule teams attached to each, spreading
terror and CONSERVATION to the inhabi-
tants of Washington, lest the enemy
| should seize the city.
| Passing from Rockville via Brookvile
TO Hoods Mills, Stuart destroyed much of
the railroad and then pushed on to West
| minister, where he encountered his first
decided opposition, while on this march,
from the 1st Del. Cav. AS the list Del
| did not anticipate meeting force so
largely outnumbering them, the conflict,
| am told, was decidedly spirited, but, of
| course, the Delaware boys were soon
wiped out and Stuarts boys had an open
way north. During this fight at West
minister, among the killed were two Lieu
tenants in Stuart's command, and in his
official report of the engagement he said
the ladies of Westminster begged the
| bodies for burial, and that their request
was granted.
had ali this in mind, and made inquiry
of a comrade residing there if he knew
| where the remains of those officers were
buried. He said he knew where one
grave was located and together we visited
the village cemetery, and there, under a
| mighty sycamore tree, with the Stars and
| Stripes (placed there on Memorial Day by
| our comrades of the G.. \. r., peacefully
waving, l found the grave OF Lieut.. Muir
| ray, who fell June 30, 1863. He was a
| member of the 4th Va Cav. The body
lpf vhn foil in hnt ytybn
he did, has been removed by relatives, and
| Murray is there alone. a marble slab
marks his resting place, and / am graft
| fed that the grave of this officer, who lost
his life so far removed from home and
| kindred, is so well marked and cared for
at this late day.
On the night of June %, 1863, Stuart
learned of the occupation of LittlestOwn,
Pa, only few miles in his front (his
picketS were ont as far as Union MillS) by
our troops, and very early on the morning
Of June 80 he headed his column for Han
over, where q spirited engagement took
place between our cavalry and his forces,
coming together entirely unexpectedly,
when Stuart swung around and rode to
York and Carlisle.
With all this in mind, too, and with
one of Stuart's officers as q companion,
we spent an interesting and pleasant
evening at Westminster.
where the Twelfth Corps, under Slocum,
to which my regiment was attached,
camped June so, 1868.
After resting and thinking over the old
days, we drove to the battlefield of Get
tysburg and found splendid entertainment
for man and beast on the old Trostle
farm, now occupied by Jacob Solt. This
is over toward Little Round Top, where
LOngstreets advance halted on the night
of July 2, 1863, and where Sickes was
wounded, right in the midst Of this great
historic field.
After splendid dinner Mr.. Solt
"hitched up" and during that afternoon
and all the next day drove us to every
part OF that greatest and best-preserved
battlefield Of the greatest war Of modern
times. l cannot attempt any description
Of all there is there to interest, instruct
and please visitors at the present date,
yet no one can forget or fail to appreciate
those delightful avenues and driveways
opened up by the present Battlefield Com
missioners, Col. Nicholson and Majs.
Richardson and Robbins, the two former
representing Meade's and the latter Lees
army. Every facility is now afforded Wis
itors for reaching all parts of the field by
wagon or electric road, and ii is q pleas
ure to travel on both.
On July /, 1868, the Twelfth Corps left
Littlestown, and marching toward Get
tysburg, the First Division, under Will
Jams, was sent to the right, and the Sec
ond Division, under Geary, to the left,
and at 5 p. m. Candy's and Greene's Bri-
gades Of Geary's Division were in line of
battle from Little Round Top, extending
to the left of the First Corps, west of
Cemetery Hill The only markers now
there to show that any part of Gearys
Division was on the left of our general
line Of battle July 1, 1868, are those of
the 9TH Ohio and 147th Pa. Personally
| would like to see tablets showing that
Candy's and Greene's Brigades of Geary's
Division were on that part of the field
beyond the left of the First Corps and
Williams's Division on the right on July
l,-1S63, us shown by the official reports
OF their respective commanders. / shall
be glad to cooperate with all comrades
OF like sentiments, to secure the same
Standing on CUPS Hill we thought of
the mighty struggle there on the night
of July 2, 1863, when Greene's splendid
New York brigade held its position de-
spite the terrific onslaughts of Johnson's
Division; of the destructive fighting on the
| morning and forenoon of July 3, until the
enemy gave up and fell back out of rifle
| range; of the death of Mai Leigh, Chief
of Edward Johnson's staff; of the sur
| render of part of the 4th Va; of the
gallant Sergeant who attempted to steal
the regimental colors from q regiment be-
hind the breastworks and who was killed
for his reckleSsness, and last but not least
of the dead boys In gray we buried i'm
the trenches around Culp's Hill.
A Maryland regiment on the Confed-
crate side has monument on Cup's Hill,
\ Ls,,J, tha ~, .