Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-10-16
on HISTORIC GROUNDS.
A Day on the Battlefield of Gettys-
burg-Edwin II. spencer Writes
interesting Description oft

columns of the BANNER to give its
readers little description of how
this world renowned battlefield looks
now, after nearly forty years have
passed. AS the railroad company,
which advertised TO run a special
train to the G. A. r. Encampment at
Washington did nothing as they
agreed, not taking our train
to Gettysburg and the con-
ductor utterly refusing to do so,
Messrs. George Hoppough and Dorr
Osgood and my daughter Maud and
myself stopped of at Harrisburg, the
capitol of Pennsylvania, and made
side trip to Gettysburg, some forty
miles, the next morning
Like most of the generals who par
ticipated in that great struggle we
arrived in due season and proceeded
to take in the situation as it now is.
The village lies in a slight depression
or valley with Seminary Ridge, the
seat of some Institution of learning
on one side and Cemetery Ridge the
village burying ground on the other,
these ridges being a mile or so apart.
The rebels came into the village
from the north. Lee with his victo-
rious army had invaded Pennsylvania
determined TO carry the war with all
its horrors and devastation into the
free states. Hooker, who with the
army of the Potomac, had been driven
back to the defences of Washington,
was now ordered forward to intercept
Lee and turn him back. Hooker NOV
ed forward attacking Lees rear and
line of communications with the
south, causing Lee to turn back from
York, city of several thousand in
habtants about twenty miles south
of Harrisburg, which Lee had invaded
and although the Mayor had gone out
several miles to meet him and was
promised special immunity on sur
rendering the defenceless city, no
sooner had Lee occupied the town
than he levied upon the people a de-
mand for food and clothing and $780,
600 in cash, $4,000 of which was &C
tually paid him, quite unusual pro-
ceedure in civil warfare. Lee forced
to turn back to protect his line of
communications and supplies met our
army whose command had now been
transferred to General Geo. G.. Meade
at Gettysburg where the two mighty
armies nearly equal in numbers,
equipment and discipline struggled
three terrible days for the mastery.
| will not intrude on your space to
describe this terrible struggle which
has been a thousand times so ably
told, but would suggest that all read
again Greely's or Hadley's description
of it.
The battlefield is being kept as far
as possible as left after the awful
carnage had ended. The lines of de-
fence hastily thrown up for miles
during single night are still there.
The guns used by the batteries on
either side are still there, replaced
in the same position in which
they were used. The trees, battle
SCARED, are still there and well cared
for, and the long stone wall in front
of the village cemetery behind which
our men awaited the assault of Pick
ett's immortal division of Longstreet's
Corps who had never till now been
turned back in battle.
A most remarkable fact of this bat
tie is, that out of the ?, 100 inhabit-
ants living in Gettysburg at that time
lonly one was killed, Jennie Wade, a
beautiful girl of twenty. standing be-
hind half open door in the kitchen
of little brick house making bread
for the sick and wounded union SOL
diers, was instantly killed by rifle
ball passing through the outside door
and also the door behind which she
stood. On the Fourth of July, after
Lees retreat, her body was buried in
the garden, where it remained until
| lllN SldlI VI lOMd idloNh VDsOoo anu
removed it TO the city cemetery and
placed over Il an elegant life size
statue of the girl. To the people of
Gettysburg Jennie Wade is a heroine
and the old house where she died is
kept in tact just as it was after the
battle, cut and pierced through and
through by balls and shells. In fact
the inhabitants are more and more
determined as the years go 10y not to
modest or have molested any of the
traces of these three terrible days.
The marks of battle are everywhere
seen on buildings and trees then
standing. There are now over 400
elegant monument erected on the
battlefield by the general government
and the states. Most of them mark
the places where noted generals iell