The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-07-17
UNION AND CONFEDERATE VETERANS MET
At GETTYSBURG AS FRIENDS
Local Men Attended. One of Whom Gives the
Following Descriptive Account


etery Ridge. Following the Ridge
half way between Little Round Top
and Cemetery Hill we come to High
Water mark" monument and the
Bloody Angle" where the Confeder-
ate columns under the fiery Pickett
were hurled back from the Union
lines The second corps. Gen Han
cock in command, In which the Nine
teenth Maine Infantry formed part,
bore the brunt of Pickett.s charge
There never was more desperate
| fighting in all the worlds history than
took place at this point on the after
noon of July 3. 1863 Regimental
and Battery monuments are all about
here marking the place where the diff
! ferent regiments and batteries were
engaged.
Passing along to the north We reach
Cemetery Hill. which lies 10 the south
west of the town At this point
| Ewell's Confederate corps. consisting
of Early's, Rodes' and Johnson's Div
isions on the second day fought por-
tons o four First, Fifth, Sixth. and
Eleventh corps. our lines reaching
over to Culp's Hill still further TO the
east The Seventh Maine Infantry
was in the Sixth corps and the
Second Maine and Fifth Maine Bat
teries were in the First corps
marched up the slope of Cemetery HIN
over the very ground where the Lou
isiana Tigers. composing HAYS Bri-
gade of Early's division charged up TO
our lines and We're driven back with
| loss in killed. wounded and prison
ers of 50 per cent of the command
! On Cemetery Hill is a tablet which
: marks the spot where Lincoln stood
when he delivered the immortal Get
! tysburg address. To me this was
one of the most hallowed places on
the battlefield Just north of here is
the National Cemetery, where rest
over 5000 Union soldiers who were
| killed and died OF wounds at Gettys-
burg. | went across from here TO
! Culps Hill, the scene of terrible con
! tict. Here Is another observatory
| of the same height OF the one on Big
| Round Top. | go TO the top aud get
a splendid view OF the surrounding
country. At the northern point Of
| Cemetery Ridge Is another obserya-
| tory afording the gradnest view OF
the three. To the west and north
west six thousand tents were glisten-
ing in the sunlight and splendid
| view of the battlefield from the eX-
| IRENE right along Seminary Ridge. the
| Confederate line OF battle to the peach
orchard. wheat field Devils Den and
the Round Tops. Cups Hill, Gene
terry Hill, the town OF Gettysburg and
beautiful hills. valleys and plains
stretch of In all directions, One
glance from the top OF this obserya-
| tory we'll paid a journey to Gettys-
burg.
Among the most interesting places
visited on the great battlefield OF
Gettysburg, filled with deep memories
of half a century, are Gen. Meade's
headquarters small frame building.
half mile back aud nearly opposite
the Bloody Angle" east of Cemetery
Ridge. There are bullet marks in
many places and one she'll passed en-
tirely through the gable ends II Is
kept in the same condition as the time
OF the battle being painted and cared
for by the Government. Gen Lee $
| headquarters, stone building TO the
west OF Gettysburg and near where
Gen. Reynolds was killed, the John
Burns monument in the Cemetery on
the northeast slope of Cemetery Hill
commemorative the old hero who
tiOh his hiuNhtA anu NGAll III AAti1 llAO
battle with the l45th Pennsylvania
Infantry, the beautiful tablet near the
Burns monument erected to the
memory OF Miss Jennie Wade, who
was Killed in her home while making
and cooking bread for the Union sol
diers. aud the equestrian statutes of
all the corps commanders In sections
of the field where their respective
Z .uaf Y1u a Rvh
| There are splendid avenues construct
ed all over the battlefield bearing the
[ name OF the general officers
We went mile 10 the southwest OF
the Maine encampment and noted the
| Confederate battle line where Pickett's
columns were formed TO make that
historic charge on the Union Center.
As looked across that field a mile
to the Union lines where our batteries
were thickly planted and our battle
line OF Infantry was formed, 1 thought
OF the almost super-human endurance
and bravery of those southern sol
diers as they faced that awful storm
OF shot and shell during the entire
distance. leaving the field thickly
stresn with the dead and wounded as
they advanced. only a few reaching
the Union lines.
This article would be incomplete If
did not mention the exercises in the
/ big tents erected on the field directly
in the pathway Of Pickett's charge. 1t
would accommodate $4,000 at one time
The most noted speakers were the
President Vice President, Speaker
Clark. Secretary OF War. Commander
in-Chief OF the G. A r.. Commander
OF the Confederate Veterans and the
Governors OF some ten different states
The trend OF thought in all their
speeches Was 10 the effect that this
great reunion OF the blue and gray
obliterated now and forever all bit
terness OF feeling between the north
aud south and henceforward 1t is one
country and one flag. The bravery
and military skill OF southern soldiers
on the great battlefields of the war
were recognized, the equal courage
and devotion OF our northern soldiers
admitted After fifty years of separa-
ton we meet as comrades and bro
theirs and turn our faces to a better
country, to q higher and grander
citizenship
railroad separated the Confeder-
ate camp from the Union soldiers en-
campment Freely we would cross
over from one to the other and mingle
-. Ia 81.