Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-07-10
Great Reunion Over.
Last of Veterans in Camp at
Gettysburg Gone Home.

the remaining veterans who were at Get
tysburg during the celebration of the
Fiftieth Anniversary of the battle which
was fought at that place. 1t is STATED
that SIS. 900 men who took part in the
Civil War were present during the week
and of this great number all had depart.
ed to their homes before Sunday except
about 800.
All day Saturday weary veterans walk.
ed over the roads and streets to the rail-
road stations in the big camp and in the
town of Gettysburg and stood or sat
around under the rays of a scorching sun
while the trains to take them home were
being prepared.
There were no flying banners, blarng
bands or marching columns. The veter-
ans went to tie stations and waited pa
tiently for the announcer with his big
megaphone to tell them their trains were
made up. Usually about IL coaches con-
stituted a train, and the railroad people
faced the biggest problem of the week
in getting loaded trains away.
II was the sultriest and most uncom-
| Portable day of the week. One old soldier
in gray from North Carolina dropped
dead in the crowd at the town station of
one of the railroads. He was Ii. H.
Hodges, of Union Hill, Surry county, N.
c. His was the ninth death.
Considering the ages of the veterans,
averaging II years, and the extreme
heat, the camp was very healthy. Fig
ures given out by Lieut-Col. Alfred E.
Bradley, of the medical corps, show that
only TAG veterans were sick enough from
exhaustion and other causes to be treat
ed in the field hospital or in the II first
aid stations scattered over the camp,
while 2, 500 were provided with medicine,
ice water and resting places. The IA Red
Cross stations outside the camp, but To-
Gated on the battle field road, took care
of S45 veterans and others from July to
4, inclusive. OF these only II were trans
ferred to the field hospitals.
Rest and minor treatment was given
to TO- 695 in other tirst-aid places. The
Pennsylvania State Hospital maintained
emergency stations in the town of Get
tysburg and took care of several thous-
and who needed attention outside of the
camp.
1t is estimated that the total number
of veterans thus cared for was between
$1,000 and 1000.
The sick and injured were looked after
by 40 medical officers, 26 being from the
regular army and % from the medical
reserve corps. Stationed at the different
hospitals were also 2l9 members of the
regular army field hospital corps.
That the reunion was a great success
no one will deny; both the Battle Field
Commission and the Army Officers being
highly pleased and satisfied with the re-
suits. 1t took 1880 cooks to provide
meals for the veterans and none went
empty. The cost per day to feed the
fifty or more thousand is estimated at
atons, entertainment, feeding and caring
for the veterans is put at one million
dollars.
President Woodrow Wilson spent
short time at Gettysburg on Friday. On
his arrival at camp there was thunder
of the guns as the salute to the President
was fired, the scream Of fife and drum,
the bare of horns. Veterans crowded
one another for point of vantage that
they might obtain sight of the chief eX-
ecutive. At II O'Clock the President
witnessed one of the most unique cere-
monies ever ordered by the United States
Army.
The bugles sounded and the flags were
placed at half mast. Instantly every
officer and soldier in the camp stood at
attention until the flags were again raised
to position at LOS o'clock.
This tribute to the men who died on
this field so years ago was one of the
most touching and inspiring scenes ever
witnessed on battle field.
The generals in headquarters, officers
at work in the camps and privates on
duty halted in their tasks and stood
facing the flag with heads uncovered.
There was ominous silence all over the
field. The hardy veterans emulated the
regulars and this mute testimonial to de-
parted comrades moved many to tears.
When the weeks program for the Gel
ebration was tentatively laid out some
time ago, it was arranged that the final
feature of the reunion should be the lay
ing of a cornerstone of great peace
memorial on the battle field, but the plan
for the monument fell through. Col.
Andrew Cowan, of Louisville, KY, who
was a captain of the First New York
Battery in the battle of Gettysburg, re-
viyed the plan and as result of meet
ing, over which he presided, committee
went to Washington with view to Sc
curing the introduction in Congress of a
bill appropriating 81, 10000 for the cree
ton of peace monument, one which
will be higher, larger and more beautiful
than any now on the battlefield.
! Lows Letter.
Mrs. Mary Shaffer and daughter Elsie
J nd Nil. pa.,r,1 Trocclar E MLact