The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-06-23
GATHERING Of
VETS GREATEST
SINCE THE WAR
HILLS OF GETTYSBURG, WHERE
ARMIES OF LEE AND MEADE
PITCHED THEIR TENTS FIFTY
YEARS AGO, FLECkED WITH
TENTS.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.


of Gettysburg, where the armies Of
Meade and Lee pitched their tents fifty
years ago, are fleCked today with can
! vas, harbingers of the tented city
! which will soon arise on the battle
! field. The army Of Civil War veterans
from the north and the south-40, 900
, of them-are coming, some few IN
! thread worn uniforms and all without
/ their muskets, to hold a jubilee re-
union on the fiftieth anniversary of the
battle. Some of the scouts are already
! here; the advance guard will biVouac
! on the field within week; the rank
and file will follow them not more
than forty eight hours later.
! Every star of the forty eight in the
American flag is expected to have its
! own quota of veterans. They will
come as the guests Of the National
government, and of their respective
states and territories, which jointly
! will spend more than a million dol
lars for their entertainment and com
fort To receive them the govern
ment and the state of Pennsylvania
have made elaborate plans. One detail
alone provides for furnishing the vet
Grams more than 8O0,00 meals.
Pennsylvania has been planning Tor
the celebration of the battle for more
than four years. She has appropriated
$415, 900 as her share of the expense.
Congress has appropriated Sl5O,OOO 10
defray the expense of the govern
ments participation, and named
commission to help carry out the plans.
Every state and territory also accept
ed the general invitation to parttci-
pate and nearly all of them approprt-
ated money to transport veterans ana
commissions.
The big camp is pitched on that part
of the battlefield which lies southwest
of Gettysburg. On nearly 300 acres
of contiguous ground 1000 tents ana
more are going up under the super
vision of the War Department. The
camp lies partly on the scene of the
first days fighting and is not far from
High Water Mark, where Pickett's
famous charge shattered against the
Union lines.
Five thousand tents have been
erected for the exclusive use of the
veterans The camp has been laid out
like a city. Each street and each tent
has a number so it will be easy Tor
any veteran to look up a former com
rade or foe. In the center of the camp
will be the headquarters of the chief
quartermaster. The veterans VIII De
encamped according to states.
Although each tent is designed TO
accommodate twelve men, it has been
planned to assign only eight veterans
to each so as to make them as com
Portable as possible. Each veteran will
have a separate cot, blankets and
mess kit, which will contain a plate,
cup, knife, fork and spoon and VIII be-
come his personal property when he
breaks camp. Each tent also Will nave
two hand basins, a water bucket. can
dies and two lanterns. With the prep
aration of meals the veterans viii nave
nothing to do. These will be whole
some and substantial and will be serV-
ed at the ends of the company streets.
"OnIy veterans of the Civil War may
be provided food, shelter and enter
tainment within the great camp
around the battlefield" reads the an
nouncement of the commission.
Therefore, no woman or child or any
man not a veteran will be given food,
shelter or entertainment. No veteran
should bring to Gettysburg any mem
Der of his family or other person for
whom he will have to obtain food and
quarters outside the camp unless all
arrangements therefor have first been
made for them before he or they come
to Gettysburg"
No veteran will be permitted to
bring a trunk into camp, his baggage
being restricted to that which he can
easily carry himself. The care of it
will rest with him.
The principal events Of the celebra-
ton will be held on July 1, ?, and a,
but in order to avoid congestion OF
traffic on the railroads and confusion
at Gettysburg, the camp will be open
ed on Sunday evening, June 20, the
first meal to be served at supper time.
Twenty meals will be served to each
veteran during the week If he is in
camp that long and the camp will
come to an end after breakfast on
Sunday July 6.
Veterans have planned to visit his
toric places in and about the great
area where the battle was fought and
where skirmfshes occurred that led up
to 1t, and to hold reunions. The great
celebration will be in full swing on the
morning of July I, exactly fifty years
to the day from the time the battle
opened to the west o fthe town.
The program for the four big days is
briefly AZ follows:
July Veterans Day. Appropriate
exercises under the joint direction of
the Pennsylvania Commission and
the COMMUNICATIVE chief Of the Grand !
Army Of the Republic and the United
Confederate Veterans.
July military Day. Under the d. |
rection of the Chief of Staff Of the |
United States Army.
July 3-Civic Day. Under the di- |
rection of the Governor of Pennsyl- |
vania, presiding and participated in |
by the governors of the states, if they |
so desire. Addresses and Music.
July National Day. Patriotic ex-
ercises, orations, with fireworks IN |
the evening.
The exercises will be held in great |
tent, one of the largest in the United |
States, capable of accommodating
about $4,000 persons. This tent is at
the southern end Of the camp, beside
the Emmittsburg road, down which
Lees army went after the close of
the tree days battle.
Except for the time the main exer-
cises are being held, the big tent will
De given over to the veterans to hold
such reunions as they may arrange.
The tent is so constructed that it can |
be sub divided into many sections for
these reunions. For the Identification
of old soldiers, who may not be east
Iy recognized by former comrades be- i
cause of the changes wrought by the
hand of Time, each veteran is expect
ed to wear his army corps, division,
brigade, regimental and society badges.
After the principal exercises on July |
4. there is no schedule of events ex-
cept such as may be arranged by the