Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1913-07-09
Gettysburg.
Mr.. Editor

MIR. Editor:
We left Barton on the 1910 a. m.
train Saturday, June 30th, via New
London, New York & Philadelphia and
arrived at Gettysburg Sunday at 3. Is
p. m. without mishap. The accommoda-
tions on the boat from New London to
New York were not good unless you
had secured a stateroom. Mattresses
were furnished but not enough to
accommodate all (there were $50 Ver-
menters) some having to sit up all
night. From Philadelphia we passed
through fine farming country, wheat
fields all ripe for the harvest. The
principal towns passed through were
Lancaster, York, Columbia, Hanover, the
latter place being as far north as the
Rebel cavalry reached during the war,
where they were met and repulsed by
the Vermont cavalry. When we left
the cars at Gettysburg we were drawn
up in line and photographed for the
benefit of the illustrated papers. The
cars run direct to the camping ground
situated just west of the city. / should
think the tents covered at least three
hundred acres and were all laid out in
streets and numbered so that it was
very easy for the veterans to find the
tent to which they were assigned.
veteran was provided with blanket,
plate, spoon, cup, knife and fork. Two
lanterns were furnished for each tent.
The food furnished was good and
plenty of it, the supply of water was
abundant and good, everything was as
we'll arranged as it could be. The
only drawback was the extreme hot
weather, which, with the dust, was
something fearful. 1t was estimated
that there were from sixty to seventy
five thousand veterans from the Union
and Confederate armies present. We
met many old comrades, some of whom
we had not seen since we were dis
charged. l met one member of my
company that had not seen since we
were discharged, who came from
Seattle WASH, for the encampment.
One of the pleasures Of the trip was
the cordiality with which the Con-
federates greeted US. The first one l
met held out his hand with. ''How do
you do, brother?'' giving a warm
clasp, saying as his eyes filled with
tears, "We are all brothers now; one
country, one flag and union forever"
and know he meant it from the bottom
Ca, who, as he held out his hand, said,
leach Vermonter had badge pinned
to his coat with the word vermont"
printed on it), Il thought we killed all
the Vermonters in the war but you
seem to be quite numerous here to-
day." 1 told him there were lots of
us left yet. "Well," he said, ''you
were a id hard lot of boys to whip
anyway" 1t was certainly pleas
ure to meet and be greeted with
such cordiality by our old enemies.
There are many monuments on the
field, of which Vermont has three fine
ones, one erected by the state at the
point where Picket made his famous
charge, another erected by the 18th
VT. on the spot where they received
the brunt of the charge, and one for
the old Vermont brigade at the foot
of and in the rear of Little Round
Top, also think there is one for the
Vermont sharpshooters. [ spent near
ly two days looking over the battle
ground and think have very correct
idea of the battle. The streets of the
camp ground were all wired for cleo
tricity and in the night when lit made
a grand display. They were making
great preparations for great display
of fireworks on the Fourth on Little
Round Top, but / came away too soon
to see that. We arrived home without
any mishap and as far as I know, only
one Orleans county veteran was
taken to the hospital and his case was
not serious.
J. N. Webster.