Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-05-02
GREAT PAINTING
Of GETTYSBURG
AMAZEs S|CKLES
Famous General Made Reminis-
cent by Sight of Spot
Where He Lost Leg.

General Sickles, commander of the
Third Corps in the desperate second
days battle at Gettysburg, viewed
Paul Philipoteaux's mammoth painting
of that battlefield at Hahne & Co.'S
store yesterday afternoon.
That's a marvellous bit of work. he
said to a STAR reporter, that paint
ing. 1t brings the battle very, very
close to me. / get acrid tang of the
POWDER hear the guns-the shells
are dropping-dropping all around.
It's back there, back of those woods,
where there's a bit of rising ground.
An exposed spot that-you can scarce
ly sec 1t on h ~painting-back of those
trees n the ring of smoke. I was
there on the second day. Exposed, you
say? Yes, but that's war. Their bat
teries swept that hill. But it was the
vantage place-it was where / could
see he field; it was my post. The
shell that struck me came through the
corner of a barn there"
The general was told that the hole
had neve been patched, but was still
visible In the old barn at that part of
the field of Gettysburg.
Barn Was RiddIed.
Yes, 1t may belt may be. The
barn was riddled with rife shot and
torn with shells"
The general deliberated a momen
as he recalled reminiscently that epo...-
making battle In which he himself, the
sole surviving general of it. had played
SO great a part.
You know he said with a twinkle
in his eyes, II suppose l ought to have
sent Longstreet a vote of thanks for
leaving as much of me whole as he
did" -,
General Sickles was reminded that
his famous opponent was also
wounded.
Eyes, poor Longstreet nearly died.
He never could write with his right
hand after that. That day-ah, who
can forget that day? Fourteen Of our
/ generals, | think it was, were out of
the fight"
Picture Is $50 Feet Long.
The picture is monumental in size
and execution, $50 feet long and
twenty-seven feet wide. But as he was
wheeled around the general studied
every portion of the canvas with the
closest attention. With General Hora-
ito C. King and A. j. ZabrislSie, who
stood beside the general throughout, he
discussed the plan of battle and the
complicated and intermixed lines of
troops as though he were directing his
command on the shell-swept hill with
the thunder of the battle around and
the enemy before him.
YES. there's the round top road"
he exclaimed. There's the artillery
advancing. That road winds up there
toward little Round Top, and back Of
it is Round Top itself. l remember the
fight, every detail of tia terrible bat
tie. But it was fought in a worthy
cause"
Sickles was the idol of the German
troops, md they were heartbroken and
almost -disorganized after he was
wounded. In later years the general
obtained the unique honor of the mar
row red ribbon which futters only
from the breast of members of the
Legion OF Honor.
The general was invited 10 visit the
famous painting by Albert j. Hahne,
who planned a quiet and informal re-
/ ception for the aged soldier. Tables
were set in the Turkish room, which
was specially decorated for the occa-
sion. Twenty-Five or thirty veterans
from various New Jersey posts a
lunch, but the general wished to return
TO New York Immediately after he had
finished his inspection of the painting.
Fought the Battle Over Again.
AS he wheeled across the sidewalk to
the waiting automobile, General Sickles
said:
Il must thank you, gentlemen. This
afternoon ! was again at the Battle
! of Gettysburg!'
Miss Eleanor Earle Wilmerding, Mrs.
James T. j. DAILY n Mrs. Harriet l..
Tichenor, all of New York, were of the
generals party.
The picture is the largest war paint
ing In the world, vas painted in a spe-
cially built studio at Paris at a con-
tract price of $4,000, and it is valued
today at over 500. 900.