The Republican journal., 1914-04-02
Gettysburg.
Our Third Days Tramp Over the Battlefield

Round Tops. As we passed over Han
cock avenue, leaving High Water Mark
on the right, passing the monuments OF the
End Div. End Corps, we came to the Sol
diers' National Monument. 1t is most
beautiful work of art and is sixty feet
high. The base is crowned by colossal
statue representing the Genius OF Lib
erty. The corner stone was laid Nov. l,
1868 and the monument was unveiled
July. 1869. The Pennsylvania State Mon
ument, said by those who have travelled
abroad to be one of the most beautiful of
its kind in the world, is situated on Han
cock avenue, between the Angle and lit
tie Round Top. Towering up from the
knoll on which it is placed it can be seen
from almost every point on the Is square
miles of the battlefield. From the level
roadway on Hancock avenue the point of
the Goddess of Victory and Peace is of
height of ITO feet. The base is 25 feet
square. This memorial represents all
armies of the service and was dedicated
Sept. 1910. 1t must be seen to realize
its beauty.
The DEVILS Den, natural fortifica-
ton, is an outlying bastion of both Little
and Big Round Tops and became part OF
the first line of battle in the second days
fighting. 1t was held by the 4th Maine
when Longstreet attempted to turn the
Federal left flank. His soldiers with
reckless daring carried the position.
Many of the 4th Maine were taken prls-
oners, killed and wounded. They then
advanced ON Little Round Top, which
was held by the goth Maine, Col. Cham
berlaln's famous regiment. This position
was so holly contested by the Maine boys
that the base and left slope were known
as the slaughter pen from the number of
men killed on both sides. Many marks
of bullets and shells are yet to be seen
on the rocks.
Next we visited Round Top. Lives
there man or woman who has not read
of the heroic stand of the Goth Maine,
led by Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain, when
1853 men from Maine drove back a whole
Confederate brigade, losing IS killed and
80 wounded, nearly half their number!
Standing there by their monument came
the thought of what might have been
the fate of this Nation had the Confed-
crate forces turned the extreme left of
Meade's army on that End day of July,
1868. At one time Gen'l Chamberlain
in his lecture was giving his boys praise
for saving the day at Gettysburg. A
member of the 18th Maine took him to
do, saying, II thought it was the 10Th
that saved the day." Gen. Chamberlain
replied: ''You are right. Don't you
know that the picket that sticks to the
fence can claim the honor of keeping the
pigs out of the garden?" And that was
right.
Next we visited Big Round Top. This
is a rough rocky hill some six hundred
feet above Hancock Avenue. There is a
steel tower on the top, where nearly all
the battlefield can be seen. 1t is also
the extreme left Of the Union line and
the right of the Confederate line.
Now we must tramp back to camp for
dinner; took short cut for camp, which
is not far from High Water Mark. Ice
cream was served to some so, OOOUnion and
10000 Confederate Veterans, and it was
good on that hot midsummer day. Your
humble servant is a dear lover of cream
and called for the second and third dish.
''By golly," the old darby said, ''you
shall have it as long as there is any,"
After two hours rest we started on a
tramp along Hancock Avenue, passing
the many beautiful monuments and
markers of the different regiments to
High Water Mark and the Corps of Trees.
Nearly all the stone walls have been re-
laid except the old wall over which came
those brave Virginians led by Gen. Arm
istead. Standing near the High Water
Monument, and near the monument
where Armistead fell, and but few
rods from the 10Th Maine monument, we
looked across the field nearly mile to
where Pickett's and Heath's divisions
formed for one of the most desperate
charges ever made in the world. About
noon began terrific artillery duel. The
Confederates along Seminary Ridge took
as objective the clump of trees at the
Union left center, near the headquarters
of Gen. Hancock. For more than two
hours 300 guns were hurting their deadly
hail of iron across the level country be-
tween Cemetery and Seminary Ridges.
Shortly after 3 o'clock the heavy firing
ceased. Then at the wooded cover of
the western ridge appeared one of the
most imposing, warlike displays of the
whole Civil War, when 1000 men Of
Pickett's and Heath's divisions emerged,
and in two columns, orderly and steadily
as though on parade, began their march
for the clump of trees on Cemetery
Ridge near the center of the Union line
to tear victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Union guns opened fire on these de-
voted men. Their front rank fell. Their