The Washington herald., 1922-06-30
HARDING ALTERS
PLANS FOR VISIT
TOGETTYSBURG
Coal Conference May
Cause Early Departure
From Battlefield.
PLAN SPECIAL FIGHT
Demonstration of Picketts
Charge Immediately on
His Arrival Tomorrow.

CAMP HARDING. Gettysburg,
Pa. June 29.-President Harding is
expected to arrive here about 9
o'clock Saturday. He will be re-
ceived by Gen. Butler; Gov. Sproul,
of Pennsylvania. and Senator
George Wharton Pepper. and Ma
rines and Pennsylvania State police
will act as his guard of honor.
A special demonstration of Picketts
charge will be given in honor of
President Harding by the Marines,
Immediately after his arrival.
This will not affect the original
plan to reproduce Pickett's charge
on Monday and the. charge under
modern conditions on Tuesday,
which will be given as originally
scheduled. The President will prob
ably leave Gettysburg Sunday
morning on his way to Marion.
Ohio. On account of the confer
ence on the coal situation and other
urgent public business. IL may not
be possible for the President to
carry out his visit on exactly the
schedule indicated. President Hard
ing will be accompanied by Mrs.
Harding, Gen. and Mrs. Sawyer,
Gen Pershing and other distin-
guished guests.
Rehearse Battle.
This morning was spent by the
Marines in camp here rehearsiug
in preparation for the historic dem
onstrations planned. The afternoon
was spent in a tactical exercise
based on the second days battle OF
Gettysburg, in which Gen. Sickles'
Third Corps of the Army of the
Potomac was caught in a salient
position and overwhelmed by the
Confederate army in the bloody
fighting of the Peach Orchard.
Sickles' corps was represented
by Marines posted along the En-
mitsburg road. and the attacking
waves of the Confederates of Long
street and Wood came over the
ground covered in 1853 from Con-
federate avenue across the battle
field.
An amusing feature Of the prep
arations for the demonstrations
was furnished when Gen. Butler
turned a battalion OF Marines 90
cutting wheat on the battlefield. A
considerable portion OF the ground
over which Picketts men charged
in 1853 is covered with a fine crop
of ripe wheat, ready for harvesting.
Old residents say that the sans
fields were covered with wheat in
1853. and that the wheat was to-
tally ruined.
Marines Turn Farmers.
As the Marines feel that destroy
ing wheat at S1.1o a bushel might
prove a costly pastime. Gen. Butler
went into conference with the
farmer owning the wheat with the
result that several reapinE ma
chimes and a number of Marines
went to work on the fields yester-
day morning. BY afternoon they
were reaped clean and the wheat
shocked and safe from possible
damage
Preparations are complete for re-
ceiving a host OF guests who will
attend the demonstration. Ar
ranEements have been made with
rangements, and huge parking
have been arranged. Tenting ar
rangements have also been made for
more than a hundred distinguished
guests, including members Of Con-
gress and newspaper correspond
ents. A special excursion 20 the
battlefield is being run from Balti-
more early Monday morning. and
railroads converging on Baltimore
are arranging their schedules so
that 1t will be possible for guests
from other points to make connec-
tions promptly.