NATIONAL MILITARY PARK • Pennsylvania Fred A
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Notes on the Battle Documents, Washington 25, D. C, at 25 cents a copy. At Gettysburg, 18 States were represented Battlefield guides, licensed by the National in the Union Army and 12 in the Confeder Park Service, operate under the supervision ate. Maryland contributed military units to of the park superintendent. A complete, both armies. In the battle, 75,000 Confeder guided tour of the park, visiting the battle ates were pitted against 97,000 Union troops. grounds of July 1, north and west of Gettys Lee lost 28,000 killed, wounded, and cap burg, and of July 2 and 3, south of the town, tured as against a Union loss of 23,000. The requires about 2 hours, and the guide fee bodies of about 7,000 of both armies, given is $4. A special tour, covering the main temporary burial on the battlefield, were points of interest and requiring about 1 hour, later removed. Of these, 3,706 Federals is available at $3. The guide fee for a bus were interred in Gettysburg National Ceme tour is $8. tery and 3,320 Confederates were transferred The Cyclorama, a painting of the battle to Southern cemeteries. An unknown addi field showing Pickett's Charge, is on Balti tional number—possibly 3,000—were re- more Street near the national cemetery. This buried in home cemeteries. painting by Philippoteaux is 370 feet in cir cumference and 30 feet high. The admission The Park fee for adults is 25 cents. Children under 12 years old and school groups 12 to 18 years of In 1895, the battlefield of Gettysburg was age are admitted free when accompanied by made a national military park by act of Con adults assuming responsibility for their safety gress. In that year the Gettysburg Battlefield and orderly conduct. Memorial Association, which was founded a Field exhibits are located at important few months after the battle, transferred its points in the park. holdings of 600 acres of land, 17 miles of avenues, and 320 monuments and markers How to Reach the Park to the Federal Government. Today the park extends over more than 5 square miles, has Gettysburg National Military Park and 29 miles of paved avenues, and 2,390 monu National Cemetery are accessible by way of ments and markers. The area of the national U. S. 30 from the east and west; U. S. 15 cemetery is 20 acres. from the north and south; U. S. 140 from Baltimore, Md.; State Route 34 from Carlisle, Pa.; and State Route 116 from Hagerstown, About Your Visit Md., and Hanover, Pa. Eastern Greyhound Lines operate over U. S. 30, 140, and 15; and You may obtain information about this and the Gettysburg-Harrisburg Bus Line over other areas of the National Park System at U. S. 15 from Harrisburg, Pa. the National Park Service museum in the Post Office Building, at the national cemetery office, at park entrance stations and, during Administration the summer, at Little Round Top, where a ranger historian is stationed. The services Gettysburg National Military Park and of park historians are also available for tours Cemetery are administered by the National with educational groups. You can obtain a Park Service of the United States Department 5 6-page handbook relating to Gettysburg of the Interior. A superintendent, whose National Military Park from the park super address is Gettysburg, Pa., is in immediate intendent or from the Superintendent of charge. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL MILITARY PARK • Pennsylvania Fred A. Seaton, Secretary Cover: Field of Pickett's Charge, with his attack on the Union position at the Angle, in the foreground. From the Philippoteaux painting in the NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Gettysburg Cyclorama. Conrad L. Wirth, Director Reprint 1957 U S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1957— 0-425114 the Confederate cavalry, during a long, cir flank of the Union line on McPherson Ridge. on the crest of the ridge. Four hours of des Spring, comparative quiet followed, except cuitous tour around the rear of the Union The opportune arrival of Early's Confederate perate struggle had broken the Peach Orchard for casual skirmishing, the intermittent snip Army, had deprived Lee of information con division on the Harrisburg Road broke the salient, left the Wheatfield strewn with dead ing of sharpshooters, and a brisk cavalry ac cerning the movements of the enemy. The Union line north of Gettysburg, forcing the and wounded, and turned the base of Little tion in the rear of the Union lines. At 1 Union Army, moving due northward from Union troops to retreat southward through Round Top into a shambles. o'clock, 138 Confederate guns in line from Fredericksburg, had thus reached Frederick, the streets of the town. The Union flank on At the same time, Ewell, on the Confed the Peach Orchard to the Seminary let loose Md., before Lee, across the mountains at the northwest and west was left exposed. It erate left, was expected to attack the Union a terrific cannonade. Eighty Union guns on Chambersburg, Pa., learned on June 28 of its soon collapsed, and its fragments fell back position on Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill. Cemetery Ridge responded in a duel which near presence. through Gettysburg to Cemetery Hill. The plan did not work perfectly, however, lasted nearly 2 hours. CreHyshur^ Lee at once altered his plans. He aban The unexpected encounter of July 1 pre and the attack came a little late. Seldom, if Then, with Pickett's division as a spear doned his proposed movement on Harris sented to Lee unforeseen advantages. The ever, surpassed in its dash and desperation, head, more than 15,000 Confederates ad burg, and directed a concentration of his greater part of the Confederate Army was at this assault lacked the culminating fury of vanced in magnificent array. On nearing the entire force at the eastern base of the South hand. While the Union line was forming in concerted action. Some of the Confederates Union line at the stone wall on Cemetery NATIONAL MILITARY PARK Mountains, 8 miles from Gettysburg. the shape of a great hook, extending from stopped on the slopes of Culp's Hill, near Ridge, the Confederates charged into the Meade needed information. Buford's cav Spangler's Spring to Cemetery Hill and Spangler's Spring. Early's men reached the withering fire of double canister and infan alry division, with the infantry corps of southward toward Little Round Top, Lee was crest of East Cemetery Hill, only to be forced try volleys. From the front and flank fire, Scene of the decisive Battle of Gettysburg, marking the turning point of the American preparing his battleline on Seminary Ridge Civil War, and place where Abraham Lincoln made his celebrated Gettysburg Address Reynolds and Howard following close at back. Rodes' troops did not attack. Darkness the advancing lines crumbled, re-formed, and hand, reached Gettysburg on June 30 to make and eastward through the streets of Gettys brought an intermission to the bloody combat. again pressed ahead. Only a hundred men burg. a reconnaissance. On the morning of July 1 Lee, encouraged by partial success, deter crossed the stone wall at The Angle on Ceme GETTYSBURG is the field of one of the great the preceding months, the military spirit of Buford moved to the ridge west of the town. The forenoon of July 2 wore away. Then mined to attack the Union center. The dawn tery Ridge. The remnants of the division est battles ever fought on American soil. The the Confederacy was at "high noon." By a Here, at 8 o'clock, he encountered Heth's at 3:30 o'clock in the afternoon Longstreet's of July 3, however, broke with the thunder of of Pickett, Heth, and Pender staggered back outcome affected the destiny of a nation. We daring thrust into Northern territory and a Confederate division which was approaching batteries on the Confederate right broke the Union guns on the Union right in the area toward Seminary Ridge. The repulse of now know that those who perished there on defeat of the Union Army on its own soil, Gettysburg from the west. Reynolds directed silence. A Confederate division struck at of Spangler's Spring and Culp's Hill. Seven the attack became known as the High Water the field of battle did not die in vain. The Southern leaders felt that the strained bonds his troops into the struggle and also ordered Little Round Top. Failing there, the attack hours of furious fighting found the Union mark where the tide of the Confederacy had field of Gettysburg ever will remain a place holding the North to the task of preserving forward those of General Howard. At this spread to Devil's Den and the Wheatfield. troops again in possession of their earthworks "swept to its crest, paused, and receded." of pilgrimage for Americans. On it their the Union could be severed, the war ended, juncture Reynolds was killed. Heth's divi In the meantime, other Confederate troops at Spangler's Spring. The spring, whose Lee's final great effort at Gettysburg had Nation was tested. The Nation has endured. and peace established on the basis of South sion, momentarily forced back, received rein swept through the Peach Orchard and drove waters had for a time served Confederate spent itself. Late on the afternoon of July 4, The name of Gettysburg is immortalized ern independence. forcements, but the Confederates were losing Sickles' Union line from its advance position wounded and thirsty, had again become a he began an orderly retreat southwestwardly not only by the heroic feats of arms which At Gettysburg on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, ground when Rodes' division, hastening back to the foot of Cemetery Ridge.