Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-05-29

~battleneld OF gettysburg, fa.,
will again be the scene Of a
meeting of the Blue and the
Gray, but this time they will meet in
amity and affection. A h~alf-century will
have passed since last these men of two
great American armies met on this
northern field. Then they were face
to face in deadly conflict, for the issue,
it was we'll understood to both con-
tending forces, was the success Of the
southern cause, or the beginning of its
defeat, to be followed by the restora-
ton of the Union as it had been before
the first shot was fired at Fort Sum-
ter.
The United States government and
the government of nearly every state
in the Union have combined to make
the Gettysburg reunion of the soldiers
of the north and south one of the great
peace events of the century. The state
,of Pennsylvania some time ago ap-
pointed a "Fiftieth Anniversary of the
Battle Of Gettysburg commission" to
make preparations for the four days
reunion, at which Pennsylvania as a
state was to act as host to the vet
Grams Of the wal between the states
and to the thousands of visitors who
would follow their march to the field
of battle, and appropriated $15O,O00 for
the purpose of entertaining the vet
,erans.
10000 Veterans Expected.
1t is expected that 100000 veterans
of the war, not all of them, however,
survivors of the Gettysburg battle, will
be found encamped upon the held
when reveille sounds on the morning
of July /. 1t will be a different re-
yeille than that which the fife and
drum corps of the two great armies
sounded fifty years ago. The call to
awakening will be a call to a peaceful
celebration while the call to the awak-
,ening in July, 1868, was a call of
armies to conflict and, to thousands OF
men, a call to death.
For years the veterans have been
looking forward to this reunion. 1t is
probable that there will be present
many thousands of survivors o. the
OdIIlGs L lie OAlLCu OtdLCo 6oFSh LiN
under an act Of congress has appro-
priated money for the preparation of
the camps and for the messing Of the
soldier visitors. The average age OF
the men engaged in the Civil war was
only eighteen years, but fifty years
have passed since these soldier boys
fought at Gettysburg, and so If the
computation of age was a true n the
average years of the veterans who will
meet in Pennsylvania in July will be
about sixty-eight years. Many of them
of course, will be much older and q
good many of them, men who entered
at ages ranging from fourteen to sew
enteen years, will be younger, but al
will be old men as the world views
age.
Many of the states of the Union
north as we'll as south, have made ap
preparations to send their veterans tt
the Gettysburg reunion and to pay al
other expenses. The battle of Gettys
burg is recognized as the turning poin
of the war between the states. 1t hal
been called time and again one Of thu
decisive battles of the world. Gener
ally it is recognized that Gettysburg
decided the great conflict, helped il
the decision probably by the fall o
Vicksburg on the Mississippi, whicI
took place virtually at the momen
that the conflict on the Pennsylvani
field was decided in favor Of the nortf
ern rms.
The preparations which the govern
ment Is making to care for the vetel
ans at Gettysburg are interesting
They have been under the charge c
James B. Aleshire, quartermaster gel
eral of the United States army, an
Henry G. Sharpe, commissary genera
of the United States army. Two year
ago last March II, 900 regular troop
were gathered in camp at Texas. Tn
health of the soldiers throughout tn
Texas encampment was almost pc
feet, made SO by the plans which ha
been carefully laid to see that perfe'
sanitation was maintained. The Uni
ed States army was taught a lesso
by the Spanish war, when lack
proper sanitary precautions and unpr
paredness in other ways cost the go
eminent the lives of more men tha
we're sacrificed to the bullets of Il
Spaniard.
The estimates of the commissal
and quartermaster authorities al
based upon an attendance Of 10000 We
Grams It probably will cost the go
ernment about 1850, 900 to act In pa
as host to the survivors Of the bait
and other veterans who attend Il
Gettysburg reunion.
Big Task to Feed Men.
The survivors of the war from Il
north and south who will be presei
being old men, must be cared for
a way which would not have beer nc
essary fifty years ago. The messing
the veterans will require 400 arm
ranges, 1 great field bakery, 400
mess kits, 800 cooks, 800 kitchen ne
ers and 1870 bakers. This helping p
sonnet will be required to be In car
for at least seven days, and many
them for a longer period. for the p'
pose Of installing the field bakery, I
field ranges and in dismantling. clei
ing. packing and storing material on
the encampment Is over.
The old soldiers are to be suppl
with fresh meat directly from refr