Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1913-07-03

ON THE FAMOUS BATTLE FIELD.
Fully 10000 Grizzled Veterans En-
eamped where they Struggled Half
Century Ago.
Blue and Gray In Harmony and Hap
piHeSS.

AT this particular period of tim'
July l-2-3-D the attention of all patri
otto Americans is eentered in the Get
tysburg battle field, where fifty years
ago took place the fiercest and bloodi
est struggle, the turning point in fact
of the greatest civil conflict known tC
history.
In observance of this world-stirring
event the hands of time have been
turned back by the forty thousand OF
more grizzled veterans who participate
ed therein, and this week they have
camped again on the famous field.
Aged men, some CARRIED in blue, others
clad in gray, shook hands across the
years There dress was in many I'M
stances that of the by-gone period.
Time had dwelt heavily with many of
them, yet their enthusiasm was eonta-
gious and appealed especially to those
of younger generations.
The central figure in a wonderful pic
ture. These veterans of 'the greatest
fighting force the sun ever shown on, >
shook off the weight of age and fought
over again the battles that marked the
thigh tide Of the Confederacy. Some
of the men have empty sleeves pinned
across their chests. Others hobbe
about on crutches with a leg gone.
Still others, the majority move pain
! fully here and there with stout canes.
Few are under rs, but neither weight
Of years nor terrific heat has depressed
their spirits. They gathered to honor
the men who fought and died on both
sides of the three days conflict of half
century ago; to commemorate deeds
of heroism unparalleled and unequalled.
The heat has been intense. There
were a score of prostratlons Saturday.
Most of them were not serious. II is
feared the heat may take terrific toll of
these old warriors, enfeebled with years
and the diseases Incidental to the later
years Of war.
Two large general hospitals with ca
pacity of | 800 persons; three regiment
al hospitals; fourteen Red Cross emer-
gency stations and twenty first aid sta
lions were established about the big
camp. Seventeen amhulances and an
entire battalion Of hospital corps men
from the regular army, with scores of
physicians have been on duty.
The memories Of Longstreet and Lee;
Meade and Reynolds; Hancock, Howard,
Warden, aud the score Of others who
made history here are too real to these
men to permit anything to check their
enthusiasm A unique flag lies in the
big camp, which has been an object al
most Of alteration to all who saw 1t. I'll
accurately represents the sentiment Of
all. On one side are the stars and
stripes, on the reverse a replica of the
Confederate battle flag. Beneath, in
white letters are these historic declara-
tons:
Let us have peace Grant. =
"Duty is the sublimest word in any
language-Lee. "
The present celebration viii add an
other chapter to the history Of Gettys-
burg, the little village where the decld-
ing battle of the civil war occurred,
the place where the beloved Abraham
Lincoln delivered that masterpiece of
English oratory, his Gettysburg ad-
dress, and the meeting ground of 8
huge peace conclaye at which those
ties Of friendship, broken by the four
years war and united shortly after
wards, viii be further cemented.
Major George Jeuck and Mr.. J. J.
Heathcock are the Mineral Point repre-
sentatiyes at the anniversary Of this
momentous and freedom-loying event.
There are others Of this city still living
who participated in the great battle,
being Of the famous Iron Brigade
which was in the thickest Of the fight !?
Why they didn't attend is not known.