The Gettysburg National Military Park lies entirely within the limits of
Adams County, Pennsylvania. Gettysburg, the county-seat, is situated
about 8 miles from the Mason and Dixon’s line, the southern boundary of
the State. It was founded in 1780, and named for its founder, James
Gettys.
At the time of the battle the town had a population of about 2,000.
Little did the quiet inhabitants expect that its peaceful environs—Oak
Hill, Seminary Ridge, Culp’s Hill, Cemetery Hill, the Round Tops, and
Devil’s Den—would witness the most sanguinary struggle of the Civil War,
and that Gettysburg would gain a lasting fame, unequaled by the most
noted battlefields of the Old World. Not even the commanders, Meade and
Lee, knew where they would meet in battle array. Like two giant
stormclouds, the two armies neared each other for days, neither
foreseeing where they would mingle their lightnings in the storm of
battle. Advance forces met and clashed while making reconnaissances—and
Gettysburg and its vicinity was selected by accident rather than by
design.
What fame Gettysburg enjoyed was due chiefly to its College, then called
Pennsylvania, now Gettysburg, and to its Lutheran Theological Seminary.
The town had been the home for some years of Thaddeus Stevens, the
“Great Commoner,” life-long champion of human rights, savior of the free
school system of Pennsylvania, and after his removal to Lancaster, in
1842, a brilliant leader in the House of Representatives during the war.
The vicinity furnished its full quota of soldiers, though none of its
companies except one, Company K, First Pennsylvania Reserves,
participated in the battle, the rest being on duty elsewhere.
The population of Gettysburg has increased to 5,500. The College and
Seminary are still flourishing. The College has an enrollment of over
600 students. A Reserve Officers Training Corps has been added to the
course, and students are being instructed in military tactics by United
States Army officers.
The area of Gettysburg National Military Park, including East Cavalry
Field 15 miles east of the town, and South Cavalry Field 3 miles south,
is nearly 40 square miles. The part surrounding Gettysburg covers about
24 square miles, and was the scene of the principal engagements on July
1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1863. The Government owns a total of 2,441 acres; the
remainder is held by private owners.
The first organization in charge of the battlefield was the Gettysburg
Battlefield Memorial Association, upon which the Legislature of
Pennsylvania, on April 30th, 1864, conferred the rights of a
corporation. In 1867-68 the Legislature appropriated $6,000 to be
applied to the purchase of portions of the battlegrounds and the general
purposes for which the Association was incorporated. The money was used
to secure the portion of Culp’s Hill upon which the breastworks were
still standing; the section of East Cemetery Hill where Stewart’s,
Reynolds’, Ricketts’, Cooper’s and Weidrick’s batteries were posted,
where the lunettes still remain; and also a small piece of ground on the
slope and summit of Little Round Top. This purchase was the nucleus of
what became, by additional purchases of the Association and later of the
Gettysburg National Park Commission, the present Gettysburg National
Military Park.
[Illustration: View from Culp’s Hill.—Gettysburg’s fine trees. In
the distance is the Phillipoteaux Cyclorama with its vivid
representation of Pickett’s Charge]
The Legislatures of the Northern States represented in the battle
contributed various sums for the prosecution of the work, and from time
to time new members of the Association were appointed. As the
appropriations were received, additional land was acquired and avenues
were laid out. The erection of monuments to the different regiments was
begun by the State of Massachusetts in 1879. In 1894, the whole
property, about 600 acres of land, with 17 miles of avenues, giving
access to 320 monuments, was transferred to the United States
Government. The Gettysburg National Military Park was established by Act
of Congress, approved February 11th, 1895, and the Secretary of War
appointed the Gettysburg National Park Commission: Colonel John P.
Nicholson, Pennsylvania, Chairman, John B. Bachelder, Massachusetts, and
Brigadier General William H. Forney, Alabama. Colonel E. B. Cope was
selected as topographical engineer.
Upon the death of General Forney, Major William M. Robbins, of North
Carolina, was appointed to fill the vacancy. John B. Bachelder was
succeeded by Major Charles A. Richardson, of New York. On the death of
Major Robbins, General L. L. Lomax, of Virginia, was appointed. General
Lomax died May 28th, 1913, and Major Richardson on January 24th, 1917.
Colonel Nicholson, the last surviving member of the Commission, died on
March 8th, 1922. All Commissioners, with the exception of John B.
Bachelder, served in the Battle of Gettysburg, and he reached the field
immediately after the battle, continuing his interest and his historical
researches until his death. On the death of Colonel Nicholson, Colonel
E. B. Cope was appointed Superintendent.
The Park is a monument to the devotion of this Commission, in active
operation for thirty years. Colonel Cope was succeeded (1931) by Colonel
E. E. Davis, a native of Iowa, commissioned Major Quartermaster Reserve
Corps, March 6th, 1917, who served overseas in the World War. Colonel
Davis retired on July 16th, 1932. James R. McConaghie, native of Iowa, a
graduate of Harvard College, 1st Lieutenant, 4th Infantry, 3rd Division
in the World War, was appointed Superintendent February 8th, 1933.
The development begun by the Association included laying out of avenues
and erecting of regimental monuments, but nothing was done toward
converting the avenues into permanent roads. The different lines of
battle were not accurately marked, and important sections of land
remained in private hands. By the end of the year the new Commission had
made preliminary survey of 20 miles of avenues and proposed avenues,
and, the following year, began construction. Gradually the whole field
was made accessible by almost 35 miles of telford and macadam avenues.
These avenues show the important positions occupied by the contending
forces. Stone bridges were built across the streams. Miles of
pipe-fencing and post-and-rail fencing were constructed, the former
along the avenues indicating the battle-lines and the latter to enclose
the Government land. Five steel observation towers were erected on
prominent points, affording views in all directions.
[Illustration: Jennie Wade House.—Here Jennie Wade was killed while
baking bread. The house is practically unchanged: bullet-marks and
other injuries have been preserved]
An important task of the Commission was the accurate marking of the
lines of battle of the opposing forces. Prominent commanders of both
armies visited the field and assisted in locating the positions of the
corps, divisions, and brigades. Suitable monuments and markers were then
erected, with bronze tablets inscribed with an account of the operations
of each corps, division, and brigade.
Markers also show the locations of the headquarters of the
Commander-in-Chief, as well as of the corps commanders of both armies.
Six equestrian statues have been erected by States; also, imposing State
monuments by New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and
Alabama. There are many smaller markers, placed by States and other
organizations. Bronze statues of division and brigade commanders have
been erected. There are a number of National Monuments; one in the
National Cemetery, where Lincoln stood when making his immortal address
at the dedication of the cemetery, November 19th, 1863; also one in the
south end of the cemetery bearing a bust of Lincoln, and another on
Hancock Avenue in memory of the troops of the Regular Army. All the
positions held by the Regulars have been marked. The total number of
monuments to date is 845. Four hundred and fifteen guns indicate the
positions of the artillery brigades and battalions.
The relief maps of the Gettysburg National Military Park, on exhibition
at the office in the Federal Building, in Gettysburg, were designed by
the Engineer of the Commission, Colonel E. B. Cope, and built under his
supervision. The largest reproduces 24 square miles and correctly
delineates all the topographical features of the Park. Many of the
monuments and markers erected by the Commission were also designed by
Colonel Cope. The imposing stone gateway at the entrance to Hancock
Avenue was proposed by the Chairman, Colonel Nicholson, and designed by
the Engineer. This gateway is built of native granite taken from the
battlefield.
Celebrations, reunions, dedications, and campfires almost without number
have been held at Gettysburg, bringing to the field those who
participated in the battle, their families and friends, and many other
visitors. For many years, until a permanent camp was established at Mt.
Gretna, the National Guard of Pennsylvania encamped on the field. The
two greatest occasions were the Twenty-fifth Anniversary in 1888, and
the Fiftieth Anniversary in 1913. The latter was attended by almost
55,000 survivors of the two armies. Ample accommodations were provided
for their comfort and enjoyment. The time extended over a period of
eight days, June 29th to July 6th, and every State in the Union was
represented. The men who had met as mortal enemies fifty years before
now met as brothers. The American soldier is not only a good fighter but
also a good friend. Many donned their uniforms of ’63, some of Blue and
some of Gray, but in the wearers great changes had been wrought. The
sturdy veterans who in the vigor of their youth met fifty years before
in battle, returned grizzled with age and the ravages of war, many
bearing scars. With keen interest, in pairs and groups, they moved from
place to place relating to each other their experiences. In startling
contrast to the 45,000 casualties of ’63 there were only seven deaths,
and these from the infirmities of age and natural causes. The President
of the United States and many able speakers from all sections of the
country made addresses to large audiences. It was an event never to be
forgotten and did much finally to heal the animosities engendered by the
war.
On July 3, 1922, Marines from Quantico, Va., under the command of
Brigadier-General Smedley D. Butler, repeated Pickett’s Charge as it was
made in 1863, and on July 4th conducted it as such a charge would be
made under present warfare conditions with modern equipment and
maneuvers. President Harding, General Pershing, and many others
prominent in the State and Nation enjoyed the display.
[Illustration: Culp’s Hill.—Here the Union troops held their line
late in the afternoon of the second day.]
For many years the West Point Military Academy seniors visited the
field, usually in the month of May, remaining several days in order to
study the strategical and tactical features of the battle in preparation
for a required thesis. These visits have been discontinued since the
World War.
In May, 1917, a training-camp for World War soldiers was established
within the limits of the Park. The 4th, 7th and 58th Regiments of U. S.
Infantry were transferred from El Paso, Texas, augmented by recruits,
and divided into six United States Regular Regiments, viz.: 4th, 7th,
58th, 59th, 60th, and 61st. After being trained they were sent either to
other camps or to the battlefields of France. During the year 1918 a
unit of Tank Service was trained on the battlefield.
The fortifications remaining within the park include a line of
earthworks on Culp’s Hill, which was thrown up by the Union troops of
the 12th Corps. On East Cemetery Hill there are a number of lunettes at
the position held by the Union batteries. The stone wall along the west
side of Hancock Avenue, extending from the Taneytown Road to some
distance south of the Angle, where Armistead crossed it in Pickett’s
Charge, is well preserved, and practically the same as at the time of
the battle. There are some stone walls on the south side of Little Round
Top that were erected and used by the Union forces. At the base of Big
Round Top and along Seminary Ridge are long stone walls, erected and
used by the Confederates. The boulders in the vicinity of Devil’s Den
and the Round Tops afforded natural defences for both armies. A line of
earthworks on South Hancock Avenue is still in good condition.
[Illustration: The Virginia Memorial.—The bronze group represents
the various arms of the Confederate service. Above is a portrait
statue of General Lee. The Memorial is the work of F. W. Sievers.]
The physical features of the Park are both varied and interesting.
Standing in bold relief in the background at a distance of about 8 miles
is a continuation of the Blue Ridge, designated locally as the South
Mountain. This range, bounding the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the
Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, screened the advance of the
Confederate Army, and it was at the Cashtown Gap that General Lee
ordered a concentration of his forces before his advance on Gettysburg.
The entire surface of the Park consists of low ridges and intervening
valleys, beginning on the north in Herr’s Ridge, upon which Heth’s
Division was deployed at the opening of the battle on July 1st. Opposite
this ridge, and extending in the same direction, is McPherson Ridge,
where the Union cavalry forces under Buford were deployed. Along
Willoughby Run, which flows between these ridges, the battle opened on
July 1, 1863. The next elevation, immediately north and west of the
town, is known as Oak Ridge at its northern extremity and as far south
as the Chambersburg Pike; from this point to its southern extremity it
is called Seminary Ridge, taking its name from the yet existing Lutheran
Theological Seminary. It was held by the Union Army on the first day of
the battle and formed its principal line of defence. On the second and
third days it was the principal Confederate line.
Seminary Ridge at its southern extremity drops off to a small ravine
beyond which is Warfield Ridge, which extends in a southerly direction
opposite Big Round Top; this formed the right of the Confederate line of
battle on the second and third days.
South and southwest of the town is Cemetery Ridge, of which Big Round
Top and Little Round Top are spurs, named from the Evergreen Cemetery
and the site of the National Cemetery after the battle.
[Illustration: Ricketts’ Battery.—Ricketts’ Battery on East Cemetery
Hill was remanned four times. Owing to the slope, the guns could not
be sufficiently depressed, and the defenders fought with sticks and
stones]
Cemetery Ridge formed the main line of battle of the Union Army during
the battles of the 2nd and 3rd. A short distance east of the cemetery it
bends sharply to the right, forming two rocky and wooded prominences,
Culp’s Hill and Spangler’s Hill. Between Seminary Ridge on the west and
Cemetery Ridge on the east, a low ridge along the line of the Emmitsburg
Road is designated Emmitsburg Road Ridge. This extends to the Peach
Orchard. It was crossed on the afternoon of the 3rd by the assaulting
column of Pickett’s Charge, and is one of the interesting points of the
battle. Another ridge on the west front of Little Round Top contains
Devil’s Den, a mass of enormous granite rocks, apparently tossed in
confusion by some giant hand. In this picturesque spot Longstreet made
his famous assault against the Union left on the afternoon of July 2nd.
The trend of these various ridges conforms generally to that of the Blue
Ridge.
[Illustration: Guns Supporting Pickett’s Charge.—These guns took
part in the great artillery duel which preceded Pickett’s Charge]
There are no large streams on the battlefield. The largest is Marsh
Creek, only a small part of which is within the Park area. On the east
is Rock Creek, extending the whole length of the Park, so named on
account of the immense boulders within the channel and along the
borders. On the north and west of Gettysburg is Willoughby Run, also
extending the entire length of the Park and flowing south to Marsh
Creek. Another small stream is Plum Run, near the center, beginning on
the Codori farm and running south through the gorge at the Round Tops;
this was crossed and recrossed by both armies during the second and
third days. Lying wholly within the Potomac basin, all the streams flow
south.
The highest point within the Park is Big Round Top on the south, which
rises to an elevation of 786 feet, and is visible for miles in all
directions. From Big Round Top, Little Round Top, Culp’s Hill, Cemetery
Hill, and Oak Hill there are extensive panoramic views. Aside from the
historic association there is much in the magnificent and beautiful
scenery to interest the visitor. In the woods and meadows, in the glens
and vales of the battlefield there are romantic and charming bits of
landscape. The prospect from the National Cemetery as the sun disappears
behind the South Mountain is one of great beauty and impressiveness.
A large portion of the Park is covered with timber, chiefly the
different varieties of oak, hickory, ash, poplar, elm, gum, cedar, and
pine. Many of the groves are forests primeval, and in the fall the lofty
pines of Big Round Top, contrasting with the crimson of the gigantic
oaks covering it from base to summit and the gray-lichened surface of
the massive boulders, form a striking and beautiful picture. Much care
is given to the protection of the groves, in order to preserve the
original condition of the field. Tree-surgery has prolonged the lives of
trees of special historic interest. Visitors return year after year in
spring to see the glorious masses of dogwood and redbud.
[Illustration: Center of Union Line.—The center of the Union line,
showing the Angle and the rounded clump of trees toward which
Pickett directed his charge]
[Illustration: High-Water Mark.—This monument, erected close to the
rounded clump of trees toward which Pickett directed his charge,
marks the turning-point of the conflict]
East Cavalry Field, 3 miles east of Gettysburg, is the point from which
Stuart’s Cavalry started to move round the right wing of the Union Army
in order to reach the rear of Meade’s line at the time of Pickett’s
Charge. South Cavalry Field, 3 miles south of Gettysburg, was held by
Farnsworth’s Brigade of Kilpatrick’s Division, and Merritt’s Brigade of
Buford’s Division. All these positions have been marked with suitable
tablets. The Cavalry Fields, though not contiguous to the main field,
are important parts of the National Military Park.
Gettysburg has two railroads: the Philadelphia & Reading, and the
Western Maryland, affording service from all points. Ten roads radiate
from the town like the spokes of a wheel, and these provide ample
approaches. The Lincoln Highway, entering via the Chambersburg Pike and
continuing on the York Pike, gives a through route from west to east,
and the Harrisburg Road leads directly to the State Capital. The
Emmitsburg Road runs southwest to Emmitsburg, and thence to Frederick
and Washington. The Baltimore Pike is a through route to Baltimore and
the South. The Hanover Road runs to Hanover on the east. There are also
the Taneytown and Hagerstown roads, the latter the line of General Lee’s
retreat.
A uniformed guide service with an established schedule of rates was
authorized by the Secretary of War in 1916. No person is allowed to act
as guide for pay without being examined and licensed by the
Superintendent of the Park. There are interesting collections of Civil
War relics at the Jennie Wade House, the Lee Museum, and other places. A
single year has brought 800,000 visitors to the field. The average
yearly number is 700,000.