Milford chronicle., 1915-07-16
ON GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD.
Written BY John H. Grifith, ,RuxtOn, Md.

Civil War days, for from time to time
have read much of the great struggle at
Gettysburg between the Union and Con-
federate armies, July 1st to Sd, 1868, and
just recently took advantage of cheap
excursion from Baltimore over the West
ern Maryland Railroad.
A ride of two and a-half hours, through
the beautiful hill country of Western
Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania,
brought us to historic Gettysburg, and a
walk of about ten minutes through the
town brings us to East Cemetery Hill,
where the Louisiana Tigers charged the
Union works on the evening of the sec
ond days battle. life size figure of
General w. S. Hancock, on a stone base,
stands on the highest point, while in a
semi-circle the artillery occupies the same
positions of battle line, with piles of shot
and shell at each cannon.
Looking from there towards Culp's |
Hill, scores of monuments and memorials |
are seen. The tall steel tower on Culp's
Hill affords a fine view of the east end of
the Union lines.
Passing into the National Cemetery,
the life sized statue of General Reynolds,
who was killed in the first days battle,
is seen, and close by stands an imposing
and magnificent monument that the state
of New York erected to the memory of
its dead. At the western entrance is a
handsome memorial and figure of Abra-
ham Lincoln, and the inscription tells
that on this spot President Lincoln made
his famous Gettysburg speech at the ded- :
ication of the National Cemetery on No
vember 18th, 1865
A fine road has been built along Gem
etery Ridge, and on each side the road :
way is lined with mounted cannon and
handsome memorials and markers. Along
here the Confederate artillery fire was so
awful that it swept every living thing
from the ridge.
Passing on l came to the most noted
spot on the battlefield bloody Angle, " G
or "High Water Mark. Here batteries IL
of artillery, and fine markers and monu- ii
ments are very numerous. A huge mon st
ument, with an open book of bronze some fe
four or five feet high and as wide, tells b,
us that here on this spot the Civil War it
reached its highest point. It was to this lii
part of the Union lines that Pickett made in
bis famous charge on the last day of the Bi
battle. pr
This was the last hope that General te
Lee had of carrying the Union positions. FL
4ongstreet, Lees most able general pro- of
ested, and said that IS, 600 men could We
lot do it. However, Pickett was ordered wi
o charge the Union lines. After $50 in,
leavy guns on Seminary Ridge, which tn
s said to have been the heaviest cannon he
ding ever heard, tried in vain to cut the
Union lines, artillery having an effective kir
ange of two miles, was double shotted loc
With grape and canister, and fired at ito
'ickett's brave men at less than FIVE hum the
red yards. the
It was a dreadful scene at this point, !
vhen Pickett's charge was ended and pri
he battle of Gettysburg was over. When are
he sun set on July Sd, 1868, fifty thous- trv
nd men had fallen in the three days of is q
attle. At the historic stone wall stands vor
tall stone shaft, upon which is mounted its
ne life size figure of soldier with drawn vey
iusket, in the act of striking, which nor
the awful struggle at this last
Dot. rul,
Battlefield data tells us that seven mill actl
on dollars has been spent to make the aloi
a memorial park. 1t COM and
rises "a, $50 acres. There are 81 miles the
road, including trolley lines to var star
us parts. There are 3S5 mounted can rule
)ns, 1875 monuments, and hve steel this
'servation towers. pennsylvania has that
emorlal llO feet high, 50 feet square at exa,
Sc, and on us tour sides, on bronze to
ates, IS the names OF 3Z,o6O officers coui
d men who fought there. Twenty rese
ne states had troops on this battlefield the
All along the road to the Round Tops the
nuon and memorials line the way. road
lie artillery occupies the same position til v
ey did in the battle. A deep thought of a
feeling Of solemnity comes over one serv
he walks over places once covered with on V
ndreds and thousands of the slain. ton
re and there one sees scores of mark and
and beautiful memorials, mountains, ton
lfts, etc, which tell that on that spot lin
a certain noted officer, or noted sol terse
r, of the Army of the Potomac. thev
rhe old farm house, General Meade's of tn
idquarter' on Cemetery Ridge, is still is ca
be seen, and just north of it is bat depe
= OF guns. A marker tells us that off al
S battery fired $50 rounds of ammuni- that
!. IT IS estimated that oI9 tons of point
was used by both armies iect
ing the three days battle. rema
paused for a rest and ate my lunch WI
Round Top. Here are still seen the and S
le wall breastworks the soldiers built the n
lie Round Top was a valuable posi- your
!; from its rocky heights plunging then
could be directed to a greater part of tions
battlefield. 1t was twice stormed in will [
! by Longstreet' soldiers. sectio
bout FIVE hundred yards due west in nj
Il Little Round Top is Devil Den, " vour
cry rocky place with deep crevices and left is
lders as large as a small house. 1t direct
here that the Confederate sharp these
,ters were posted, until driven out by map.
i6c shot and shell fire from the bat on th,
IS on Little Round Top. Nearby is then /
lley of Death, so called because so the 81
y were slain here. and !
-oceeding on to Seminary Ridge, l with
ed the historic wheat field, and on to draw
site of the peach orchard, where Gen ruler
Daniel +. Sickles made his great in the
against the Confederate forces. tower
where thousands of brave men fell. will CT
Z lines of cannon on Seminary Ridge, crossii
markers, gives one the positions of the mi
Confederate army, while beautiful iects
ed driveways, fine roads through the now r,
Is, and among the rocky hills near repres
Round Top, well kept lawns and is vert
plots, have. made the battlefield very not su
tiful. of hi
hen the 4th of July dawned in 1868, We