The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-08-11
TAR HEELS MAKE AUTO TRIP
TO GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD
Mai. H. A. London, Capt. W. L. London, Mr.. h. NJ. Lon
don and Lieut.. J. J. London in the Party-Capt- Lon
don's First Trip Since Occasion of Famous Battle.

army drove the eneny back through |
and beyond Gettysburg in that frst
days fight. and if that success had
been followed the Union army WON'T
have met a disastrous defeat
Scene Of Heavy Fighting. |
After visiting this part Of the battle |
field our party next visited that part
south Of town. CulpS Hill. Devils Den
and Little Round Top. where there
was such heavy lighting en- the second
day Of the battle. From the summit
of Little Round Top (which is quite a
/ mountain there is a magnificent ana
extended view over the battlefield and
s~urroundin. country. From there
could be easily seen the noted peach
orchard and wheattieid in which there
was such desperate lighting on the
| second day. and from which part OF
the Union army under Gen. Daniel II.
Sick!es was driven with heavy loss.
Devils Den" is well named, for 1t IS
a high hill covered with huge rock
bouiderS over which IL seemed almost
impossible for any man to climb when
not uncumbered or opposed, and yet
over which our soldiers fought their
way most desperately.
The Bloody Angle"
The most notable spot, or rather
that which is most talked and written
about. is the bloody angie" where our
troops We're repuiSeG after a most
desperate but unsuccessful assault.
Many monuments are erected all along
the Union line of battle at and near
that point and an iron fence incioses
ne Clump or small OAK trees to which
Gen. Lee pointed when directing that
unfortunate charge as the central spot
for our assault. After viewing the
ground over which that charge was
made we wondered why il was ever
undertaken. The distance traversed
by our men i'll that charge Was about
one mile through an open country
with fences to cross. with nothing to
protect them from a most murderOuS
fire of small arms and artillery from
their front and flank. while the enemy
were comparatively safe behind a
stone wall. Frequent mention is made
of StOrming the "heightS of GettyS-
burg but the truth is that great
charge WAS made through and over
level ground until within a short dis
lance of the Union line there was q
gradual and gentle slope easily within
range of the artillery. which could no
} have been depressed and fired with
t accuracy il the ascent had been steep
That part of the rock wall attacked
by P~ettigrew'S command was (by act
: ual measurement seventy yards far
Their for them to charge than was tina
. part of the wall charged by Pickett
men.
q The government has expended
e large amount Of money in improvin,
h the battlefield which embraces $500
h acres of land, and over which nun
e miles OF macadamized roads hav
e been constructed. Many Norther
Is States have erected costly monument
d in memory of their soldiers, but Their
lr are none erected in memory of on
is fallen heroes. Adjoining the battle
g field is a national cemetery in whic
e, are buried several thousand Unto
l. soldiers while our soldiers were burie
N in trenches and their names an
De graves are unkonwn.
as The town of Gettysburg contain
n only about 5000 inhabitants. and it
rs said that the chief source Of revenu
le Tor the town is the money expende
Sc there by the thousands Of visitors WI
r annually visit the battlefield. The a
IS, ternOOn of our visit there was a vel
exciting game of baseball played b.
s. tween the local team and one fro
of some other rival town, and this co
n test seemed to excite the peacef
town almost as much as when Lee
a army approached
c. This was the first visit to GettySbu'
us that had been made by Capt. w.
e. London since the battle (fifty-ol
a years befere). in which he had cor
ed manded the sharpshooters t300
NUMBER. of Daniels brigade and w
.ry highly cornplimented in the official r
port of hat officer.
ng The scene witnessed by him on TT
ter visit was so very different from tn
,b- IN which he participated over half
lly century before. Then the air resOun
he ed within the roar OF cannon, the f
ing of muSketS. the bursting Of Shel
in the cries of the dying and the Shol
ar or men battling for their lives. Nc
the on this visit. the fields that once r
Ids with human blood and were sire
ere with the dead and dying were gre
ace with growing corn and yellow W
the wheat Stubble or which cattle W.
'Si- quietly browsing. What a contrast
We In our next issue We Will give SO
account of the visit TO Sh~arpsbuTg a
agi- the ~Shenandoh valley