Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-14
Io,oa's Governor on,
Gettysb,srg Reunion,
,ial to Tines Republican.

Gettysburg Reunion
Special to Times Republican.
Abel. July 1.-THE following letter
was written by Governor George W..
Clarke after his return from the re-
union Of the civil war veterans at
Gettysburs. Pa. and has attracted
wide attention. It y. perhaps. one Of
the most interesting compositions con-
corning that great reunion that has
been written. The letter follows:
Last week made trip to Gettys-
burg. There was held there, in COM
memoration Of the great battle fought
fifty years ago the most notable gath
ering Of its kind, perhaps, In the his
tory of the world. Doubtless 1t may
be said that not in any other country
at any period Of human history could
such a meeting have been possible.
The victors and the vanquished were
there. It was an expression Of the
unanimity Of the sentiment Of q great
people for great history under one
flag over an tndissolable union Of SOW
ereign states. The flag Of the union
f1oated everywhere and was cheered
and Saluted alike by the blue and the
gray.
1T was beautiful, touching, inspir-
ing, indeed, to see these men in the
most unaffected feeling Of comrade-
ship. on the very ground where they
fought each other so desperately fifty
years ago. discussing the events Of
those three memorable days and ex-
pressing their entire satisfaction with
the issue of the battle and the great
results that have followed since. The
pectation. It was measure of the
tremendous moment and decisivenesa
Of that great conflict.
Gettysburg must ever be held to be
one Of the greatest and most decisive
Of all the battles Of the world in di-
recting the course Of human history.
But everybody is familiar with these
things and with the way the battle was
fought. But everybody has not seen
the field. 1t seems to me that II one
had been selecting spot for the en-
actment of what was known would
be one Of the greatest events in hum
an history and visited thru all the
coming years by representatives Of
great people he would have said:
Here Is the place at Gettysburg
1T is said that the field 10 almost
exactly as ii was when the battle Was
fought, except that the town IS larger
and the trees have grown up where
planted along a portion Of Cemetery
Ridge. It is hard to conceive OF q place
more beautiful than along the winding
roadway the government has built up
Culp's Hill and Little Round Top
among the fine oak trees and granite
boulders great and small. The deep,
dark woods, how cool and refreshing
on hot day. The earth works thrown
up here and there fifty years ago are
yet discernable. Stones are plentiful
and long lines Of them still remain to
show where they were piled to protect
from the storm of bullets. But when
one reaches the top, especially of Little
Round Top, and gets q view of the val
ley below. the scene 10 entrancingly
beautiful. There lies spread out be-
fore him in splendid view practically
the whole of the battlefield except that
the town somewhat obscures the view
a little distance to the northwest
where the battle opened. But yonder
is the quaint little city. To the west
eighteen miles forming most beau
tiful background are the Blue Ridge
mountains Nearer, only little more
than q mile away Is Seminary Ridge.
not very high, indeed. rather low. and
running south from the town almost
parallel with Cemetery Ridge Of which
the Round Tops are part and which
one can easily see from Little Round
Top all along it's way. 1t has more
elevation all the way than the opposite
ridge.
"Yonder is the Wheat field which
was fought over and over until one
could cross 1t by stepping only on dead
bodies. Yonder is the peach orchard.
Much closer 10 Devils Den formed by
great boulders which were infested
with rebel sharpshooters. Yonder are
the woods from which Pickett's d.
vision emerged and the mile Of almost
level plain over which they made the
charge, to be forever famous in the
annals of war. There 10 the stone
fence and the bloody angle where the
union troops met the shock of the on
the southern confederacy and all for
WHICH IL 6lOOus 4AClc ~ WOO 0CISACN
that the nation, baptized in blood.
should have a new birth Of freedom
and that government of the people. BY
the people and for the people should
rot perish from the earth !.
There it was settled that state
could not secede from the union-that
this government Is an indissoluable
union of states. And as one looks
further there, near the Bloody Angle.
is a beautiful clump Of trees enclosed
by an iron fence and q splendid monu-
nent of finest design marking the
High Water Mark Of the southern
cause. From this point it rapidly re-
ceded. Further on a mile or more
near the town rs the highest point Of
Cemetery Ridge where the famous
Louisiana Tigers, forming at the town,
made their desperate charge right up
to the union batteries, capturing part