The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1913-08-14
Gettysburg Reunion

ers to hear OF our trip to tho
great reunion at the famous
battlefield of Gettysburg.
On Saturday afternoon al
seven O'Clock, June 3Oth, we
boarded the north bound train
at Greenyille, S. G.. and the
next time we put foot on the
ground we were at Gettysburg.
1t was night when we rolled in
but it did not take long to find
the row Of tents marked for
South Carolina, and were soon
assigned to our tent where
everything was arranged for
our comfort during our stay.
The next morning we were
up and dined on a most bounti-
full breakfast at seven o'clock,
and then came to my tent with
my old time friend and comrade,
l.. II. Williams, of Spartanburg
county, the only one Of my
company that l saw while there.
He was a true-blue soldier and
was in the awful fight at Get
tysburg, getting severely
wounded there and had to lie in
that condition a day and a half
on the battlefield. AS we were
walking over the grounds, he
was pointing out the place
where he was when shot. A
tall, stern looking Yankee was
listening to Mr.. Williams tell of
his being SO nearly killed there,
when he interrupted him by
saying: We'll, Sir, l am the
man who was doing the shoot
ing that day" when Mr.. Will
liams answered, Yes, and
you're the very man that shot
me, Sir"
We got a hack for one dollar
each, with a guide who drove
us all over the battle-ground and
showed us many famous points.
We went to Big Round Top
and Little Round Top, the
Devils Den, and the spring
where after the fight. the sol
diers of the North and South
mingled together and drank of
the water there, it being the
only water available. The
spring and surroundings are
well kept and beautiful.
There / many handsome
and beautiful monuments erect
ed in memory Of the heroes of
that dav. The house where
Jennie Wade was killed, the
only woman killed during the
ba tie, is still preserved. She
was in the house making bread
when a bullet came through
and killed her while at work
Among the many monuments
there is one to be seen to hen
memory. There is also a hand
some monument, the figure cast
in bronze standing on a pedes-
tai of native rock, called the
Hero of Gett. sburg," in mem
Dry of John Burns. who at the
advanced age Of seventy years.
shouldered his muskct and en-
tered the fray on the very open
ing day Of this most awful con
hict.
We went to a point called the
Bloody Angle where in the
midst Of the fight ammunition
gave out, and the battle con
tinued, the men Of both sides
fighting with gun-rods, sticks,
rocks and anything that could
be had. The blood flowed free
ly there, and this noted spot is
marked by a big slab to tell the
passers-by of the awful conflict
held there.
The graveyard is one vast
space where all the slain there
were afterwards taken up and
buried with a marker and flag
at each grave. The govern
ment bought the land, said to
comprise about 5000 acres, and
keeps up the battle grounds,
graveyard etc, by men paid to
attend to this famous spot.
AS to our treatment while
there, it WIS royal, fit for a
king. | never saw as much to
eat, and it was prepared to the
queens taste. There was i'm
mense rock-wallcd pits built in
the ground, where the rem
nants from every meal were
thrown in and burned up
enough to have fed an army
thus keeping down flies and
filth. Everything was kept
clean and sanitary and Uncle
Sam is to be congratulated upon
being host othe largest number
OF persons ever rcuritcd at one
time, and IN the most bountiful
and kingly treatment. The
Quarter-mastcr, who was a
young man from Walhalla, S.
G., and who issued all the pro-