Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-07-05
BLUE AND GRAY
VETERANS MEET
Survivors Of Great Struggle Meet In
Friendly Reunion On Old Bat
tiefieid of Gettysburg

tween the North and south are en-
camped on the field here, the scene
OF the greatest battle of the Civil
War. The old men are survivors OF
the armies that opposed each other
fifty years ago In that bloody strug-
gle, but they meet as friends and
comrades, now, not as foes, OF the
fiftieth anniversary OF that engage
ment. They have lived long enough
to forget past bitterness, and to re-
member only the courage and the
soldierly qualities that made Gettys-
burg one Of the greatest battles OF
the worlds history.
The reunion will last throughout
next Friday. Today Is known as
Veterans Day, tomorrow will be Mil
litary Day, Thursday as Civic Day
and Friday of course as National
Day. The outskirts OF the great bat
tlefield look like a tented village.
Under the regulations being enforc-
ed, the State of Pennsylvania and the
government are furnishing entertain
ment to veterans only, and no sol
dier Is permitted to quarter any
member Of his family in the camps.
Immediately adjoining the camp Is
a great tent for reunions and herein
will occur all the exercises, except
ing the military parade and fireworks
The reunion has drawn hundreds OF
thousands of people from every
state in the Union to Gettysburg and
among the visitors during the next
four days will be President Wilson
and all Of the members of his cab
met.
The president and Mrs. Wilson and
Governor Tener and Mrs. Tener will
be the guests of President and Mrs.
William Anthony Granville OF the
Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg.
Several Of the buildings of this in
stitution Were used as hospitals dur
ing the great battle. Leases Of
land covering 249 acres have been
closed.
In tents on the campus are hous-
ed the governors Of the various
states with their staffs.
One of the most interesting OF the
veterans present on the battlefield
is Colonel Charles Burrows, Of New
Jersey, who is completely blind.
The tented villages In which the
veterans of the armies of Lee and
Meade will live are ON the govern
ment reservation, but ON contiguous
tracts of private land rented for the
period Of the reunion. These camps
comprise an area of 1913 acres, on
which, besides the tents that house
the veterans, there are 81 field hos
pital and infirmary tents, 30 bakery
tents, and numerous kitchen and
storage tents. The camps alone re-
present a monetary outlay exclusive
of ground rental, Of about $253,425.
The equipment Of the sleeping tents
for veterans includes 41,640 cots, 49,.
900 blankets, 10000 wash basins, H..
$50 candle-burning lanterns, 10000
wax candles, 5000 galvanized Iron
drinking water buckets. The tota
weight of this equipment is 1,S42, ,607
pounds, and the total value about
$226,O00. The hauling of the tentage
| and equipment, together with the bag
gage Of the veterans to the camp
will entail an additional expenditure
Of about $4,000.
The commissary department Of the
camp consists Of one chief commits
sary, ten commissary sergeants, fou1
commissary clerks, 1000 cooks and
cooks helpers, and 1870 bakers. Gen
Sharpe, commissary general OF the
army, has figured that the cost Of the
four days rations will be $51,663;
the wages Of cooks, helpers, and bak
ers, $27, $50, while the mess kits will
add to this total about $4,000. Add
to this $534 for one field bakery, ST.,
OS4 for 400 army ranges, and the rail
road fare Of the commissary force
and the total cost Of the commissary
department and services amounts te
$112,169.
In order to provide an adequate
water supply, the government has
expended at the Gettysburg carnI
about $4,000. The lighting Of the
streets OF the tented camps will cos'
about $1,000, while the rakes, spades
garbage cans, and other utensik
needed in the proper sanitation O
the camp will add still another item
Of about $1.50o.
In charge Of this great work ol