Year: 1870




The great three days conflict that was
vaged at Gettysburg was the elimination Of
Abe war for the preservation of the Union,
and it practically decided the fate Of the Re
lslion. From the time that the baffied and
broken army of Lee commenced its retreat to
the Potomac the fortunes of the Southern
COME ieracy declined, and the total collapse
that occurred when Lee surrendered at Appo-
matto1 was only q question of time. The
battle of Gettysburg was a splendid display of
valor ON both sides. The Rebels were deter
mined if possible to make Pennsylvania the
battle field instead of Virginia and to obtain
possession of the rich cities of Philadelphia
and New York. The rank and file, as we'll
as the leaders, knew what q rich prize was
at stake, and with the remembrances of i'm
pOverished and war-trodden Virginia in their
minds, and the almost unlimited wealth of
Pennsylvania and New York before them,
they met the Union army at Gettysburg with
y determination to stake everything upon
abe issues of the battle. The consequences
Of victory for the Rebels we're fully appre-
slated by the Union army and it's leaders,
and they were inspired to make mighty
effort to make this invasion of loyal Penn
sylvania the last, and to strike a blow that
would have decisive effect in determining
the fortunes of the war. For three long July
days the battle ragged, and then the broken
fragments of Lees army fed towards
the Potomac, leaving the field strew wn
with the wounded, dead, and dying who had
fallen in the furious charges made upon the
Union ranks. From first to last this was one
of the most fercely contested combats Of the
war, and it is no disparagement to the Off
GERS In command to say that the victory was
achieved even more 10y the hard fighting of
the men in the ranks than by good general
ship.


1t was eminently proper that the Legisla-
ture of the State within whose borders such
battle as that of Gettysburg was fought
should desire to possess a memorial of it in
the shape of great historical picture, that
Hpon q single canvas would epitomise the
conflict and hand down to future generations
the counterfeit presentments of the officers
and men who specially distinguished them
selves. BY fortunate coincidence, the only
American painter who was capable of doing
full justice to such a subject was also a Penn
sylvanian, and there was general feeling of
eongratulation when the commission for the
picture was given to Mr.. Peter F. Rotherme
Of this city.


Mr.. Rothermel is tie American colorist,
and in his colering, as in the other characteris-
ties of his style, he is original and distinc-
lively American. None of the European
color masters can approach hfsn in the peea-
liar qualities that giveshis pictures their
greatest value, and there are few if any artists
on either side of the Atlantic who are in other
respects as highly qualified to appropriately
treat such subject as "The Battle of Gettys-
burg It was o fortunate chance that gave
Mr.. Rothermel such theme for his nsGgaaus
epus, and he has produced picture that is
an admirable representation Of the great
battle it commentaries, that is not only o
credit TO American art, butts without exagge-
ration the greatest pictorial work of art ever
executed on this side of the Atlantic, and
that does honor to the State of Pennsylvania
that ordered it as we'll as to the artist who
produced it.


The commission for this picture was given
to Mr.. Rothermel four years ago, the price
being fixed at 1875, 600. This sum, large as
it is, k small when the time, talent, and labor
necessarily expended upon the work are taken
into consideration. His acceptance of the
commission required Mr.. Rothermel to de-
cline all other commissions, and for nearly a
year he was busily employed in studying out
his subject and in deciding what particular
points in the battle should be represented.
He made repeated visits to the e-feld
and carefully studied the ground, taking nu-
merous sketches, and consulting with the
prominent officers who had participated in
the combat and all others who could give him
advice and information.


The main difficulty was to choose the par
ticular point of view that was most advan-
ssgeous for pictorial effect, and the particular
point in the battle that would epitomise it
most sffectually and at the same time admit
Of the best treatment from an artistic point
of view. There were certain things that
must be represented and certain persons to
be introduced without whose presence any
picture Of the Battle of Gettysburg would of
necessity be incomplete. 1t was found to be
impossible to reconcile all the conflicting
elements with literal accuracy, and the artist
was obliged to some extent to fall back upon
the license of his art, and while making his
composition as literal as possible repre-
sentation of particular episode at the same
time to include in it features that would
make it record of the battle as q whole
The restrictions imposed upon Mr.. Rothermel
have somewhat impaired the excellence of his
picture as q mere composition, but its def
ciencies in this respect are not very marked,