The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-07
WONDERFUL
PAINTING OF
GETTYSBURG
Battle Scene Begun Within
48 Hours After Fight Was
Over, May be Bought by
Congress
Painting is Now on Exhibi-
ton at D. NJ. Read Store
Canvas Historically Ac-
curate.

Through this week The D. NJ. Read
Company have had on Exhibition in
one of their upper stores, on the third
floor the great war painting repre-
senting The Battle of Gettysburg. 1t
has been interesting to watch the
enormous crowds that have visited
this picture, coming and going all
all day long, showing that the name
Of Gettysburg is a word that thrills
the hearts of all Americans.
The painting was done by James
Walker. an artist and an officer in
the Federal army. The canvas is 20
feet long and IL feet wide. display
ing a long stretch of beautiful coun-
try, the rolling fields and hills of
Pennsylvania, to the south Of Gettys-
burg. The lookeron is supposed to be
at the rear of the Union troops. fac
ing the west, on his right Cemetery
Hill, and at the extreme left, five
miles away in imagination, Round
Top and little Round Top. The Con-
federate army on Seminary Hill to
the west, spread out over seven and
q half miles, facing the Union army.
At the time of the painting of the
picture. and it was commenced by
Mr.. Walker within forty eight hours
after the battle had ended, before the
smoke of the guns had drifted away,
before the traces of the awful carnage
had disappeared, the supervision and
arrangement Of the troops Of both arm
les had been planned by Colonel Bac-
helder, the government historian of
the battle. 1t took eight years to
finish the painting. and the positions
Of the different regiments with Off
GERS, ordnance and military impedi-
ments. have all been pronounced alb
solutely correct by officers from both
armies.
The time is supposed to be direct
ly after Pickett's charge, after those
FIVE thousand men, the very flower
of the southern army. had made their
intrepid attempt to cut the Union
army asunder. Barely one thousand
Confederate soldiers came back to
their own lines after that famous
charge. General Armistead who led
the brigade fell just inside the Union
defences, by the side of one of the
guns on which he had laid his hand: |
but it was defeat for him, not victory, |
and the valiant general is shown in |
the foreground on the painting, wound |
ed and dying, in the act of delivering |
his watch and spurs to Captain Bing- |
ham a Union officer kneeling beside |
him, to be sent home to Virginia
So very clear is the painting, so |
exact the detail. that many officers |
can be recognized General Meade on |
horseback directing a battery; Cap |
tain Henry H. Bingham, now we'll
known as the Father of Congress. |
from his long years of service in the
Hazard. Captain Cowan and General
Webb, who died not many days ago.
Mr.. James Drummond Ball, we'll
known lecturer of Boston tells in
forcible and concise language story
Of this last days engagement at Get
ox- inf ion, fr,s
visitors.
The location of the different regi-
ments is pointed out. People can see
where the memorable fights took
place, at the "stone WALL the wheat
field" the peach orchard and the
coin delivered his immortal address is
shown. Connecticut regiments held
prominent places at Gettysburg. The
Fourteenth which did wonderful
work, 1.-THE Seventeenth which miss
ed one hundred and ninety-seven men
after the battle, THE Twentieth and
THE Twenty seventh Many Con-
necticut men of present prominence
gained distinction on that field. Of
f1cer Russell Glenn of this city. with
small group of Boys in Blue"
mere lads they were, set fire to the
barns which appear in the picture
smoking, on their exact location by
the Emmetsburg road. Culp's Hill
will bring stirring remembrances to
Connecticut men. Mr.. Ball is thor
oughly conversant with his subject
and carriers his hearers with him
along this great battlefield.
The painting will remain at Reads
until Saturday the fifteenth, with
daily lectures, both morning and af-
ternoon
A bill is now pending in Congress
regarding the painting. and there is
little doubt that it will be purchased
by the government and eventually
take its place in Washington