The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-05-31
PATRIOTIC EXERCISES At
GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD
President Taft the Orator at the dwelling Monument
the Soldiers Of the Regular Army Who Fell on This
Field During the Three Days Bloody Carnage
During Which the Nations Destiny Hung
on the Success of Arms

Gettysburg, Pa. May 31.-The mon
ument erected on the battlefield OF
Gettysburg to commemorate the SER
vices of the regular army of the Unit
ed States in the Gettysburg campaign
in 1868, which will be unveiled this
afternoon. is one of the most inter-
esting. dignified and conspicuous me-
is situated on Hammock avenue lit
tie south Of the bloody angle where
Pickett's fearless men struck the un-
ion line with such disastrous results
to the invading army. The memori-
al is shaft S5 feet high from the
ground and is made of light color
granite from the quarries at Mount
Airy, N. c.
! The base plinth of the monument
is II 1-2 feet square and II feet high
and is surrounded by beautiful gran
ite terrace 43 1-2 feet square with a
two foot high fence or wall. Four
entrances each II feet wide with
three granite steps lead to the base
of the monument. On each side of
the second plinth, which is 12 1-2
feet high, is an eagle cut solidly on
the face of the plinth. Each eagle
is four feet high and all are said
to be the finest modelled eagles ever
cut in granite or cast in bronze in
America. Upon the second DDinth
rests the plain shaft which is SO feet
tall.
On each side of the plinth is large
bronze panel. said to be the largest
and finest memorial tablets ever cast
| in the United States or any other
country. The tablet facing the east
contains the following inscription:
Erected by the Congress to Com
memorate the Services of that Por-
ton of the Army of the Potomac Com
posed of Cavalry, Artillery. Infantry
and Engineers of the Regular Army
Of the United States in the Gettys-
burg Campaign. June-July 1863"
The tablet on the west side is in
scribed as follows:
"The artillery consisting Of 26 bat
teries was distributed over the field
among the several Army Corps and
placed in position where their serv-
ices were most needed. Brig.-General
-Four Regiments of Cavalry under
Brig. General Wesley Merritt took
position on the right flank of the con-
federate line of battle.
Eleven Regiments of Infantry were
on the field. Ten with the Second
Division. Fifth Corps. and one at
Headquarters. Army of the Potomac.
battalion of U. S. Engineers"
Captain George H. Hendell, Com
nand.
Casualties: Killed. 12 officers. 159
enlisted men: wounded. 62 officers,
SCI enlisted men: Missing, 6 officers.
267 enlisted men,"
The north and south tablets contain
the names Of the ~ organizations and
the names of their commanders.
Forty-two small monuments. one for
each of the commands in the Gettys-
burg campaign. which were erected at
the location each organization occu-
pied during the battle. are of Jones'
boro granite. 81 by so inches and sew
Ell feet high. Upon each is descript-
i've bronze tablet and the coat Of arms
of the United States.
The central monument and the 40
regimental memorials were author
ized by act of congress of February
IS. 1908. and March 8. 1905. and cost
altogether s6l.000. The Gettysburg
National Park Commission was assist
ed in the selection of the site and
adoption of designs for the memorials
by a committee of nine from among
the surviving officers of the COM
mands that took part in the three
days battle.
The erection and dedication of the
monuments to the regular soldiers
enriches battlefield that already con-
tains hundreds of beautiful memori
ais. There are now on the field about
500 monuments and the number of
tablets erected exceeds 500. The num-
ber of guns mounted on the field, un-
Pennsylvania will next year erect
state monument at a cost Of $780,
900 and the states of Alabama and
Virginia will also place monuments
on the famous field in the near fu-
ture to commemorate the valorous
services of their sons in that night
struggle.
President Taft's Address
President Taft was the principal
orator of the day. He said:
I'VE are gathered at this historic
spot today to dedicate monument to
the memory of the officers and the en-
listed men of the regular army who
gave up their lives for their country
in the three days battle. 1t is but Il
tardy recognition of the nations debt
to its brave defenders whose alle-
glance was purely to the nation. with
out local color or the Strengthening of
state or municipal pride.
The danger of the standing army
entertained by our ancestors is seen
in the constitutional restrictions and
complaints registered in the declara-