Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-06-05
Civil WAR VETERANS TO MEET
ON GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD
Huge Reunion of Blue and Gray to Be Held July On
Fiftieth Anniversary of Conflict 10000 Are
Expected to Be Entertained by the
State of Pennsylvania.

perfected in detail, but the tentative
/ suggestions are:
July VETERANS Day: Appropri-
ate exercises under the Joint direc-
Iion OF the Pennsylvania commission,
ana the commanders-in-chief OF the
Grand Arms of the Republic and the
united Confederate Veterans.
July military Day: Under the
direction of the chief of staff of the
/ United States army. Special detach-
ments of each arm of the regular
service to participate as directed.
July 3-Civic Day: Under the dt-
rection of the governor of the COM
monWeaith of Pennsylvania, presid-
ing, and participated in by the COVER
nors of the several states. Orations,
sermon and music.
July National Day: The chief
justice of the United States presid-
Ing. Forenoon, Grafton by the presi-
| dent of the United States. High
noon, he to lay the cornerstone of q
great peace memorial. Evening, fire.
works.
10000 Veterans Expected.
1t is expected that 10000 veterans
OF the war not all of them. however,
survivors of the Gettysburg battle, will
be found encamped upon the field
when reveille sounds on the morning
Of July l. 1t will be a different re-
veille than that which the fife and
drum corps of the two great armies
sounded fifty years ago. The call to
awakening will be a call to a peaceful
celebration while the call to the awak-
ening in July, 1868. was a call of
armies to conflict and, to thousands of
men, call to death.
For years the veterans have been
looking forward to this reunion 1t is
probable. that there will be present
many thousands of survivors of the
battle.
Many of the states of the Union,
north as we'll as south, have made ap-
preparations to send their veterans to
the Gettysburg reunion and to pay all
other expenses. The battle of Gettys-
burg Is recognized as the turning point
of the war between the states. 1t has
been called time and again one of the
decisive battles of the world. Gener-
ally it is recognized that Gettysburg
decided the great conflict, helped in
the decision probably by the fall of
Vicksburg on the Mississippi, which
took place virtually at the moment
that the conflict on the Pennsylvania
field was decided in favor of the north
ern armies.
Large Sum for Entertainment.
The Battle of Gettysburg commits
sion of the state of Pennsylvania has
large sum of money at its disposal
for the entertainment of the visiting
veterans, and the thousands of persons
who will accompany them. Hospital
ity is to mark the days Fifty years
ago Pennsylvania aided in the work Of
repelling the visitors from the south
In early July next the same state will
have its arms wide open in welcome
to the men wearing the gray. Enter
tainments of various kinds will be Of
fered the visiting veterans, but 1t is
pretty we'll understood that their deep
interest In revisiting the scenes where
they fought, Little Round Top, Oak
Ridge, Cemetery Hill, Culp's Hill,
Rock Creek, the Stone Wall and other
places will hold them largely to the
pleasures and to the sadnesses Of per
sonal renS niscences. Arm in arm with
the Union soldiers the Confederate sol
diers will retramp the battle-ground
1lo,v he RnJ 20
ett's desperate charge. They will re-
trace the marching steps of Long
streets corps They will go to the
place where Meade had his Leadquar-
tiers and to the place from which Lee
directed his southern forces in battle.
1t is said that this contemplated re-
union has induced more interest
among the old soldiers of the north
and the south than any event which
has happened since the day that the
war closed. There is today at Gettys-
burg a great national park. in which
is included a cemetery where thou
sands of soldier dead are buried. The
United States government and the leg
islature of Pennsylvania worked to-
geLneT 10 make d park VI tHe DdCLIe-
field and to mark accurately every
point in it which has historic interest.
1t is expected that much good will
come from the reunion Of the Blue and
the Gray on the battlefield of Gettys-
burg. Time has healed many wounds.
The old soldiers have forgotten their
animosities more readily than have
49, oiriI;opc II ic Thought that fhia
great coming together in peace Of two
once conflicting hosts will mark the
passing of the last trace of the bitter
ness of the war between the states Of
this great UriOn.