The National tribune., 1910-10-27
50TH ANNIVERSARY AT GETTYs-
BURG
The Philadelphia Brigade's Ideas as to
Exercises

Hon. Geo. T. Oliver. Chairman. Com
| mittee on Gettysburg Anniversary.
Dear Sir: In reply to your request for
suggestions to aid your joint committee
of the House and Senate TO make re-
port as to the proper action 10 be taxi
en- by Congress to enable the United
States fittingly to join lii the celebra-
ton OF the 50th anniversary of the bat
tie of Gettysburg have to say:
This matter was carefully considered
+ by survivors of the Philadelphia Bri-
gade at special meeting. called for
! that purpose Tuesday evening Oct IL
and was directed to submit the follow
ing for the consideration of your COM
mittee:
l. The 50th anniversary of the battle
of Gettysburg should be held July ], 2,
and 4, 1913. at Gettysburg, and the
National Encampments of the G. A r.
and the United Confederate Veterans
should he reGue=ted bv the Congress of
the United States TO hold their sessions
that year at Gettysburg on July l and
i2-their sessions to be held separate
Ily--closing their work on July in
time to hold a great Union campfire of
! the Blue and Gray in the evening of
that day. a: which the two foremost
speakers should he the Commanders-in-
+ Chief of the G. a. r. and the United
Confed crate Veterans
I 2. On July 3 there should be 4 fra
ternai arm-in-arrn visitation of the
great battlefield, and in the evening 100
campfires OF the Plue and Gray should
be held to rehcarse The stories of their
great campaigns from Bull Run 10 Ap-
pomattox-to pledge Fraternity, Char
ity and Loyalty to each fo- the future
3. ON July the greatest jubilee the
world has ever scen-the President Of
the United States as the orator-should
be held at the FlCody Angle Of Cettys-
hIlr lNa n isTk- Tor .rI,
with its inception and inspiration there
and extending to every city, town. vii
I laee and hamlet in the United States
to every regiment of L. 5. troops wher-
ever stationed, to every battleship in
whatever waters those ships may float
and on The Sunday evening preceding
July 4. 1913. a jubilee of praise to the
: Great Jehovah for preserving us a Ma
ton should be held in every American
church, of every faith, from Alaska to
the Philippines, from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from the St. Lawrence
| to the Rio GTande.
| 4. The United States. in its own way
thru State Government or otherwise
should furnish transportation to and
from Gettysburg for every veteran of
the civil war who may desire to attend
| that anniversary, no matter whether he
wore the Union blue or Confederate
gray. and the Government should pro-
tNiut tlItln Win SIe.ltT ana TutlOnS WflIe
at Gettysburg. This the National Gov
ernment only could do.
| 5. The United States alone has the
means and the method, and the power
to make the 50th anniversary of the
battle of Gettysburg just what it should
be-just what every patriotic and un-
iselfish American citizen would have it
| and for the National Government to do
This would prove to be one of the wisest
expenditures Of public funds ever made
| by the United States.
| 8. As the 5Oth anniversary Of the bat
tie of Gettysburg should be just as much
a National event as the dedication of
the National Cemetery at GETTYSBURG
| the National Government, thru its Con-
| eress-represcntative of all the peo-
I plc-must arrange for and conduct this
Observance, the grandest event since the
close of the civil war Faithfully yours
John W. Frazier, Adjutant, Philadel-
phla Brigade.