River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-07-03
GETTYSBURG STEPS
BACK Fifty YEARS
SEES BLUE AND GRAY ARMIES
MEETING ONCE MORE AT
HER DOORSTEP.
WILSON WILL SPEAK JULY a
News Causes a Stir in City of 5000
Tents on Scene of
Great Battle
Wreck.
WILSON WILL SPEAK JULY 4

GGLIySDurS, d., June 0U.-G0LIyS-
burg has stepped SO years backward
into the halo of history and is look
ing again upon an army of blue and
an army of gray. This time the cir
cumstances are far different, however,
for they are meeting at her doorstep
to join in the semi-centennial celebra-
ton of the greatest battle of the war
between the states, and to show the
world that scars are net to deep as
the feeling of American brotherhood.
From early morning until long after
shutdown the veterans in blue and gray
trooped into the little town which has
slept so peacefully among its hills
since Lee and Mead turned their le-
gions southwark SO long ago.
Came Somewhat Differently.
More than 80 special trains came in
to the village and thousands of vet
Grams who tramped up from the
Shenandoah on their last visit rode in
the. luxury of coaches from Harris
burg, Baltimore and Washington. In
thunder of charging cavalry that
greeted them in the other days, they
walked or rode through the quiet calm
of country town. Only the flags
flying from every window, the city of
tents in the distance and the crowds
told that Gettysburg had come out Of
the usual into the extraordinary once
more.
From the station of the two rail-
roads that come into the village is
long mile to the camp of 5000 tents
where the veterans are housed.
Thousands Forced to Walk.
Many of them made the trip by
automobile or by carriage, but thou
sands shouldered their suit cases and
walked. The sun was scorching under
a cloudless sky aAd many succumbed
before they found their tents. There
was no complaining, however, and the
veterans seemed ashamed to acknowl-
edge that a thing like heat could stop
them.
Its hot" said one. old soldier, "but
1t is not as hot as it was SO years
ago." e.r
Although the regular army and the
Gettysburg commission of the state
could not cope with the heat, every
possible arrangement for the comfort
of the united armies was made. The
camp of brown army tents is under
the direction Of officers of the regu-
lar army. The streets of Gettysburg
are under the scrutiny of the Penn
sylvania constabulary, and for the
care of the sick, the army, the state
and the Red Cross have all made ex-
tensive preparations
*EI Utmost Care Observed.
The camp lies on ground that has
been baked as hard as brick, and it's
sanitation, it's water supply and its
plans for comfort and for the feed
ing of thousands of men have been
made with the utmost care.
The tents fall westward with the
slope of the ground from the Emmits-
burg road to the point on Seminary
Ridge, where the immortal charge of
Pickett started on the third day of the
fight. They cover the Peach Orchard
and the Wheat Field, where thou
sands of men were lost and part of
the ground over which Pickett charg-
ed, but they do not reach to the
Bloody Angle or the base of Gene
terry Ridge, from whose heights
Mead's artillery poured out it's merci-
less rain of grape and canister and
cut to pieces the legions of Pickett.
The formal exercises will be held
in a big tent near the Emmitsburg
road, but they will last only two hours
each day and the rest of the time the
veterans will spend as they please.
Every Room Taken.
Every room that is available was
taken days ago and the veteran with
out credentials and the civilian who
had not enough foresight to make ar
rangements slept in any bed that they
could find. The news that President
Wilson is coming to make asspeech
July caused a stir.
The first serious accident of the
celebration came yesterday when two
trolley cars met in head-on collision
near the DEVILS Den, one of the his
toric spots. Six passengers were
slightly injured.
PugiIist Takes White Wife Abroad,
Montreal July Lack Johnson