ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE 
 
 GETTYSBURG 
 
 NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION 
 
 TO THE SECRETARY OF 
 
 1893-1904 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 
 1905
 
 SECRETARIES OF WAR 
 
 HON. DANIEL 8. LAMONT 
 HON. RUSSELL A. ALGER 
 HON. ELIHU ROOT 
 HON. WILLIAM H. TAFT 
 
 Hon. ROBERT SHAW OLIVER 
 
 Assistant Secretary of War 
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION 
 
 Lieut. Col. JOHN P. NICHOLSON, Chairman. 
 
 Appointed May 25, 1893. 
 Major WILLIAM M. ROBBINS. 
 
 Appointed March 13, 1894. 
 Major CHARLES A. RICHARDSON. 
 
 Appointed April 25, 1895. 
 JOHN B. BACHELDER, Esq. 
 
 Appointed May 25, 1893. 
 
 Died December 22, 1894. 
 Brig. Gen. W. H. FORNEY. 
 
 Appointed May 25, 1893. 
 
 Died January 16, 1894. 
 Bvt. Lieut. Col. E. B. COPE, Engineer. 
 Mr. S. AUGUSTINE HAMMOND, Assistant Engineer. 
 Mr. H. W. MATTERN, Assistant Engineer and Draftsman. 
 
 Resigned, October 1, 1903.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1893, 
 
 GETTYSBURG, PA. , November 16, 1893. 
 
 SiR: The commission was appointed May 1*5, 1893, by Secretary of 
 War Daniel S. Lamont, and consisted of Lieut. Col. John P. Nichol- 
 son, John B. Bachelder, esq., and Brig. Gen. W. II. Forney. 
 
 The letter of instruction for the guidance of the commission was 
 dated May 29, 1893, and the board assembled for organization May 
 31, 1S93. Present, Colonel Nicholson and Mr. Bachelder. General' 
 Forney absent, detained by sickness at his home. 
 
 Upon organization the commission found important lines of battle 
 occupied by an electric railway, the construction of which had begun 
 early in April, 1893. After inspecting the road and the land over 
 which it was constructed, on July 1 the full board assembled and 
 selected Col. E. B. Cope as topographical engineer. He was appointed 
 and the assistants selected, a room for the commission rented at Get- 
 tysburg, and the survey of the field was at once commenced and has 
 been daily continued. 
 
 The first work was to establish a meridian, which in all the surveys 
 since the war had never been done. The datum point of reference 
 was the center of the square i n the town of Gettysburg, and a meridian 
 line was established on the high ground of the Gettysburg Battlefield 
 Memorial Association, near Hancock avenue. 
 
 The north point of this line is near the monument of the One. hun- 
 dred and twenty-sixth New York Infantry, and the south point near 
 the line of the Benner property. The line was subsequent^ extended 
 south to the Tenth New York Infantry Monument. 
 
 The location of the town of Gettysburg, geographically, has been 
 determined to be latitude 39 49' 15" and longitude from Washington 
 QO j_j_, Q// west . tne altitude above tide water at the Center Square, 
 550 feet. 
 
 Using this meridian as a base of operations, there has been run 
 many miles of back-sight transit lines on various parts of the field. 
 
 The commissioners completed the examination of the Seminary 
 Ridge line on August 3, from the Blocher property, on the Hagers- 
 lown road; south to and be} r ond the McMillan Woods, and decided to 
 survey a preliminary line at once. The line begins at the Blocher 
 Building and runs south to the Emmitsburg road at the James Felix 
 property and traverses the line that was taken up and occupied by the 
 Confederate army during the greater part of the second and third 
 days' battle and affords a view of the entire line from the cemetery to 
 Round Top. It has since been surveyed and extended to the Ridge 
 road, 4,500 feet south. 
 
 Upon this avenue, and in rear of it, there remain many traces of 
 the Confederate breastworks, and in all cases where stone walls were 
 
 7
 
 > GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 remaining that were known to have been used for defensive purposes, 
 they were included within the avenue. 
 
 At the north side of this avenue is a piece of timber containing 
 about 4 acres, where the Confederate artillery was posted, which is 
 included in the survey; also the Spangler Woods, in which are remains 
 of breastworks, containing about 25 acres, situated near the middle 
 of the avenue, was surveyed and computed. All the work was con- 
 nected with the meridian by the Emraitsburg road. 
 
 On August 14 a Confederate avenue was surveyed, which was tem- 
 porarily named the "Outside Wheatfield avenue," beginning at the 
 Emmitaburg road, 800 feet southwest of the crossroads at the Peach 
 Orchard, running easterly to the lands of the Memorial Association, 
 thence in a southeasterly direction by the lands of the Memorial Asso- 
 ciation, and terminating on a west line of the Crawford tract, near 
 Devil's Den. 
 
 On August 16 and 17 the Crawford tract was surveyed and found 
 to contain about 47 acres, which was mapped in connection with the 
 Tipton property and lands of the Memorial Association. 
 
 On August 18 a transit line was run from the Emmitfibnrg road on 
 the crossroad to II. Spangler's woods, and thence to the Seminary 
 Ridge line. 
 
 On August 22 and 23 the survey was made on the line of the Memo- 
 rial Association on Little Round Top, and also on the boundary lines 
 of the Tipton property, included between the said association prop- 
 erty and the Crawford tract. 
 
 On August 24 the lines of the Pfeffer, Benner, and Codori proper- 
 ties were surveyed. This survey was completed September 10. 
 
 On September 11 survey was made of a lot of ground belonging to 
 Charles Starner on the Seminary Ridge avenue line, with a view to 
 purchase the property. 
 
 On the 12th and 13th the properties of James Felix, at the end of 
 the avenue on the Emmitsburg road, was surveyed and also the lines 
 on the properties of Mr. Wolf and Mrs. Plank. These properties 
 are connecting on the avenue line and reach from the Wheatfield 
 road to the Emmitsburg road. 
 
 On September 20 a transit line was made at the intersection of Rey- 
 nolds avenue and Chambersburg street in Gettysburg, which was con- 
 tinued out the Chambersburg pike to Willoughby Run, and from near 
 this point two avenues were run on the east side of the stream, ending 
 at the Springs Hotel bridge. The other one, beginning on the west 
 side of the bridge and following the right bank of Willoughby Run, 
 terminates in a public road that leads in a northwesterly direction to 
 the llerr Tavern road. 
 
 On Septeml)er 21 to 23 the preliminary line for another avenue was 
 surveyed. It begins at a point, on the Chambersburg pike 880 feet 
 west of Willoughby Run bridge, crossing the Springs Hotel property 
 in a southerly direction, and ends at the Hagerstown road. This line 
 was prolonged several miles to a previously located connecting point 
 on the Seminary Ridge line. 
 
 On Septeml>er 25 commenced a transit line upon Reynolds and 
 Buford avenues to the line of timber beyond the Mummasburg road 
 on the property of John Forney. Here we began a line for another 
 avenue in an easterly general direction to the Carlisle road; thence 
 continuing through property of the Blocher heirs and across Rock 
 Creek; then in a southeasterly general direction to the Harrisburg 
 road at the J. Benner House, continuing the line in the same general
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 9 
 
 direction across the Western Maryland Railroad and York pike to 
 the summit of Benners Ridge. From this point there was run a straight 
 line to Benners Hill, and there the survey was temporarily suspended. 
 
 On September 28 began a careful survey of the field in the vicinity 
 of the Springs Hotel, the object of which was to map that territory to 
 the minutest detail, showing also all the projected Confederate ave- 
 nues. The survey embraces an area of about ]^ square miles. It has 
 been carefully mapped, traced, and blue printed. This survey and 
 the office work necessary to complete the map occupied the attention 
 of the engineer corps until October 10. 
 
 On October 11 there was run a line from the point in the center of 
 the square of the town by the Hanover road to a point connecting 
 our line on Benners Hill, and also triangulated to the same point from 
 East Cemetery Hill. 
 
 The engineer corps is now at work on a detailed survey of East 
 Cemetery and Gulps Hill and the ground to the east and other adjoin- 
 ing lands. 
 
 On August 28 the commissioners addressed a proposition to the 
 attorneys representing heirs of the estate of General Crawford to 
 purchase the land known as the Crawford tract for $700. The prop- 
 osition was accepted after approval by the Secretary of War, and the 
 deeds are now being executed. 
 
 On September 18 the commissioners purchased from Mr. Charles 
 Starner 5.26 acres of land, at $50 per acre. The purchase was ratified 
 by the Secretary of War, and the deed is now being executed. 
 
 On August 23 an excursion party from Winchester, Va., many of 
 whom (veterans of the Stonewall Brigade) had been at the battle, 
 visited Gettysburg. They went over the field in company with the 
 commissioners (Mr. Bachelder and General Forney having gone to 
 Hagerstown, Md., to meet them) and marked a number of positions 
 of the respective commands of the Confederate army on Gulp's Hill 
 and elsewhere, and returned to their homes in the evening. They 
 seemed deeply impressed with the importance of this work and enthu- 
 siastic in their assurance of cooperation from the Confederate veterans. 
 
 A summary of the field work of the engineer corps under the 
 direction of the commission shows the following : 
 
 Twenty-seven miles of public roads have been run and a preliminary 
 survey of 20 miles of avenues and proposed avenues was made, and 
 24 miles of property lines. As the work of constructing the avenues 
 progresses other surveys will be necessary. The work has been 
 plotted on a scale of 1 inch to 500 feet and reduced to one-half that 
 size. Part of the work has been enlarged to 1 inch to 400 feet, and 
 also 1 inch to 200 feet, which is the scale of the large Warren map, 12 
 feet square. 
 
 A large portion of the work has been traced and blue printed. 
 
 The commission has not thought it wise to open avenues until such 
 limes as land can be purchased at reasonable prices. This, it is 
 believed, may be accomplished by watching the opportunity to buy 
 odd lots which will be needed in open market at popular rates, by 
 which plan the commission will not only secure lands desired, but a 
 precedent will be established for the use of the court should the 
 necessity for condemnation proceedings arise. 
 
 By the opening of spring the commission will be in condition to 
 commence the construction of avenues and the locating on them of 
 tablets marking the positions of troops. 
 
 Various communications, copies of which were promptly trans-
 
 10 GP:TTYSBURO NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 mitted to the Secretary of War, passed between the commissioners 
 and the president of the electric railway, Mr. Hoffer. The position 
 assumed by the commission, under the guidance of the Secretary 
 of War, resulted in a suspension of the work upon the electric road 
 at the parts the occupation of which had been objected to by the 
 representatives of the Secretary of War. While all has not been 
 accomplished that the commissioners desired in this connection, they 
 feel justified in expressing the opinion that the road will eventually 
 be removed from historic localities,' at a small expense to the Govern- 
 ment. 
 
 The hearty sympathy and cooperation of the Secretary of War in the 
 efforts of the commission to remove the electric road from the occu- 
 pation of the prominent parts of the battlefield has been a source of 
 great satisfaction, and the board can not refrain from the mention of 
 this fact. 
 
 The work of the commission has been hampered by the expecta- 
 tions of numerous people representing various interests, in their 
 demands for high prices for land. Thus far their efforts have been 
 unsuccessful, as shown by this report. 
 
 RECOMMENDATIONS. 
 
 For the purpose of purchasing lands for avenues and marking the 
 positions of troops embraced by the recent surveys, for the construc- 
 t ion and fencing of the avenues, and for the manufacture of tablets 
 and other markers to mark the positions of troops it is recommended 
 that a sum not less than $50,000 be appropriated. 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 JOHN B. BACHELDER, 
 W. H. FORNEY, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 BLUE PRINTS ACCOMPANYING RKPORt. 
 
 1. Crawford property. 
 
 2. Pf offer, Codori, Benner, and adjoining properties'. 
 8. Starner property. 
 4. Felix property. 
 5. Plank property. 
 H. Hancock avenue, etc. 
 7. Springs Hotel property, etc. 
 8. Codori property (part of). 
 9. Pfeffer property. 
 10.- -Benner property. 
 
 1 1. Memorial Association property (part of). 
 12. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company (part of). 
 
 13. A map of the vicinity of Gettysburg, snowing the work of the engineer 
 corps of the United States Gettysburg Battlefield Commission from July 20 to 
 November 1, 1893. 
 
 14. Map showing the avenues secured, upon which are located the brigades of 
 infantry and battalions of artillery engaged in the battle of Gettysburg.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1894 
 
 11
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1894, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG BATTLEFIELD COMMISSION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa. , November 12, 1894. 
 
 SIR: The commission have the honor to submit their second an- 
 nual report from October, 1893, to November 12, 1894. The blue 
 prints taken from maps of original work projected by this commis- 
 sion, surveyed and completed and which are*numerous, will be bound 
 together and transmitted to the Secretary of War. 
 
 It is the policy of the commission to make the report one of prog- 
 ress. 
 
 From the date of the last report field work was continued until the 
 beginning of snow, and also at intervals through the winter. Active 
 operations in-the field were resumed in March and have been con- 
 tinued to this date. 
 
 The work of the engineer department of the commission has been 
 pel-formed with great fidelity under the guidance of Bvt. Lieut. 
 Col. E. B. Cope and Mr. S. A. Hammond, his able assistant, and in- 
 cludes a large amount of surveying and mapping of tracts of land 
 for avenues, laying out, leveling, cross-sectioning, preparing maps 
 and specifications of the avenues proposed and projected and sections 
 of avenues for the use of contractors. 
 
 Attention has been given to surveys to harmonize conflicting prop- 
 erty lines where the property bounded by one or more of such lines 
 was about to be purchased for the United States; also careful sur- 
 veys and maps of the present loop of the Gettysburg Electric Rail- 
 road have been prepared for the use of the Government. 
 
 A scheme for the complete and exhaustive topographical study of 
 the field was begun last year and has been kept in view and con- 
 tinued whenever time and opportunity afforded, as follows: To make 
 an accurate and complete instrumental survey of the entire battle- 
 field, and to make it on a scale of 200 feet to the inch, consisting of 
 25 sheets, 27 by 28 inches, each representing a square of the field 
 5,400 feet wide east and west and 5,660 feet north and south. 
 
 This map is intended to show the streams, roads, buildings of every 
 description, monuments and markers, avenues, timber, earthworks, 
 stone walls, fence lines, and rocks; all the undulations will be shown 
 by contour lines for every 4 feet difference of level. Much of this work 
 actually done will appear by implication. Surveys have already been 
 finished for three sheets. The proper mapping of the balance of the 
 field work will engage the attention of the corps during the inclement 
 winter weather. The office has also included besides original work 
 1617505 2 13
 
 14 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 copies of the large Warren map. During the past year a number of 
 positions of troops have been marked by visitors to the field who were 
 soldiers and took part in the battle, and where these positions were 
 reliable they were located upon our base map. 
 
 On August 11 General Lewis, Colonel Tate, and Colonel Keenan, of 
 North Carolina, visited the battlefield and located the position of 
 many of the North Carolina troops. Gen. H. Heth, late of the Con- 
 federate States Army and of the Antietam Battlefield Commission, 
 visited the field and located the position of the two batteries of his 
 command from which the first shots were fired and that opened the 
 battle upon the Confederate line. 
 
 On October 30 a committee of the Seventh West Virginia Infantry 
 located their battle line on the Pfeffer property, near Ziegler's Grove. 
 
 It is the intention of the board of commissioners to address a com 
 munication to the governor of all the States, requesting them to name 
 representatives of the organizations that were present, for the pur- 
 pose of locating every movement made by troops during the battle. 
 
 One principal Confederate avenue has been decided upon. It reaches 
 from the Ilagerstown road to a point 2,470 feet beyond the Emmits- 
 burg road, upon the ridge occupied by the main line of the Confeder- 
 ate army during the 2d and 3d of July, 1863. It has been divided 
 into five sections. Section 4 is under contract and will be completed 
 this early winter. Section 5 is also under contract. 
 
 It was found from the surveys made that an avenue 500 feet wide 
 would include all the Confederate earthworks from the Ilagerslown 
 road to the Codori line, a distance of 3,500 feet. From this line south 
 to the Wheatfield road an avenue 150 feet wide would embrace the 
 principal works, except those that were located in Spanglers Woods. 
 This part of '<Jie avenue would be 9,931 feet long, and the avenue 
 between the extreme points named would contain 74 acres of ground. 
 A calculation of the area of the avenue for different widths hei ween 
 the extreme points is as follows: 
 
 Acres. 
 
 fiOfeet wide, 13,341 feet long... . 18 
 
 100 feet wide, 13,:J41 feet long... ...31 
 
 150 feet wide, i:3.:Ml feet long 4fri 
 
 The principal avenue has been divided into five sections: 
 
 Section 1, from Blocher's house to the Codori line, 3,700 feet. 
 
 Section 2, from Codori line to Spanglers Run, 3,700 feet. 
 
 Section 3, from Spanglers Run to Wheutfield road, 4,800 feet. 
 
 Section 4, from Wheatfield road to Emmitsburg road, 3,700 feet. 
 
 Section 5, from Emmitsburg road to present end of avenue, 2,470 
 feet. 
 
 On April 1 1 drawings and specifications for bids on section 4 of 
 aveniu- were furnished to the following contractors: L. E. Miller, 
 (ape Ma\. N. .} . ; R. W. Johnson, Wayne, Pa.; M. & T. E. Farrell, 
 Westchester, Pa.; Pa-tricinus McManus, Philadelphia, Pa.; James 
 P. Mangen, Gettysburg, Pa.; B. B. Gonder, Strausburg, Pa.; Pollard, 
 
 Murtagh A- .M -e, Philadelphia, Pa.; Ward & Strieker, Ilarrislmrg, 
 
 Pa.; Hafer Brothers, Chambereburg, Pa,; Owen Patterson, Baltimore, 
 Md.: Slayer & Boyer, Ilarrisburg, Pa. 
 
 From the 13th to the 21st of April a majority of those having 
 received specifications for section 4 of the avenue visited Gettysburg 
 for the purpose of viewing the locality, and were taken over the 
 ground, and on the 21st five bids were handed in, namely, Slayer &
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 15 
 
 Boyer, Harrisburg, Pa. ; B. B. Gonder, Strausburg, Pa. ; Farrell & 
 Bro., Westchester. Pa.; Richard W. Johnson, Wayne, Pa., and P. 
 McManus, Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 On October 1 two bids were received for the construction of section 
 5 of avenue. These were opened on the 3d instant and considered by 
 the commission. 
 
 During the year the following properties have been purchased by 
 direction of the Secretarj r of War: The Bushman tract or farm, the 
 Crawford tract, the Charles Starner tract, the Felix tract, the Mrs. 
 Plank tract. 
 
 The Secretary of War has authorized the purchase of the McMillan 
 tract and the Blocher tract. 
 
 All efforts to induce the Gettysburg Electric Railroad to vacate the 
 lines of battle in what is known as the Loop, the Devil's Den, and 
 through the Valley of Death having failed, the commissioners 
 requested the Secretary of War to proceed to condemn. Proceed- 
 ings were commenced in the United States circuit court at Philadel- 
 phia. After various delays, on June 8, 1894, the Attorney-General 
 of the United States directed proceedings to be commenced against 
 the electric railway at Gettysburg, under the joint resolution of 
 Congress. 
 
 August 1, 1894, the first hearing before the jury in the trolley case 
 was postponed at the request of the electric railroad until September 
 11, 1894. On September 11, 1894, there was a second hearing before 
 the jury at Gettysburg, and which was continued until September 15, 
 1894, when thej 7 adjourned for argument in Philadelphia. The jury 
 awarded the sum of $30,000 damages to the electric company. Upon 
 November 12 the company appealed from this award as being inade- 
 quate, and the commission will appeal, with the approval of the Sec- 
 retary of War, upon the ground that the damages are excessive and 
 detrimental to the best interests of the United States. 
 
 On January 16, 1894, General Forney died at his home, Jackson- 
 ville, Ala. March, 1894, Ma j . William M. Robbins, of Statesville, N. C. , 
 whose service upon the field was with the Fourth Alabama Infantry, 
 was appointed by the Secretary of War to fill the vacancy occasioned 
 by the death of General Forney. 
 
 At the annual meeting of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Asso- 
 ciation a resolution was unanimously adopted, authorizing the exec- 
 utive committee to take the necessary measures to transfer the prop- 
 erty of the association to the United States. 
 
 The commission respectfully request that the following may be sub- 
 mitted, with the approval of the Secretary of War, for the guidance 
 of the Congress: 
 
 For continuing the work of surveying, locating, and preserving the 
 lines of battle at Gettysburg, Pa., and for purchasing, opening, con- 
 structing, and improving avenues along the portions occupied by the 
 various commands of the armies of the Potomac and Northern Vir- 
 ginia on that field, and for fencing the same; and for the purchase, 
 at private sale or by condemnation,. of such parcels of land as the Sec- 
 retary of War may deem necessary for the sites of tablets, and for 
 the construction of the said avenues; for determining the leading 
 tactical positions and properly marking the same with tablets of bat- 
 teries, regiments, brigades, divisions, corps, and other organizations 
 with reference to the study and correct understanding of the battle, 
 each tablet bearing a brief historical legend, compiled without praise
 
 16 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 ami without eensure, $50,000, to In- expended under the direction of 
 the Secretary of War. 
 
 And the Secretary of War is hereby authorized to accept, on behalf 
 of the Tuited Stale*. . donations of land for road or oilier purposes. 
 
 On XovenilxM- :J, 18!3, the field was visited by the Secretary of War 
 and Mrs. Lainont. On July 14 and 15, 1894, and apt in on August 14, 
 I.'), and 16, the Assistant Secretary of War, Joseph B. Doe, visited 
 the field. The great interest always manifested by the War Depart- 
 ment in t lie work of preserving the great battlefield of the war is 
 extremely gratifying to the board. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 .loiix P. NICHOLSON, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 LIST OF BLUE 1'RINTS ACCOMPANYING THIS REPORT. 
 
 15. The Crawford property. 
 
 16. The Crawford property. 
 
 22. New map of the field, central sheet. 
 
 24. Confederate avenue. 
 
 25. Confederate avenue, section 4. 
 
 26. John L. Sherfy tract. 
 
 27. William Martin tract. 
 
 28. Electric railroad tract. 
 
 2. J. O. Blocher tract. 
 
 30. IsraeUGrenoble tract. 
 
 31. Land company tract, No. 1. 
 
 32, S. J. Drum tract. 
 
 33. O. D. McMillan tract. 
 
 34. Land company tract, No. 2. 
 
 35. Barrett, heirs, tract. _ 
 
 36. Electric railroad tract. 
 
 37. R. E. Wible tract. 
 
 38. George Wolf tract. 
 
 39. John L. Sherfy tract. 
 
 40. N. Flaharty tract. 
 
 41. W. Martin tract. 
 
 42. G. Spangler tract, No. 1. 
 
 43. Land company tract. No. 4. 
 
 44. G. Spangler tract, No. 2. 
 
 45. S. J. Codori tract. 
 
 46. Land company tract, No. :;. 
 
 47. Confederate avenue, section 5. 
 
 48. Plank and other properties. 
 
 50. Positions of Confederate artillery. 
 
 51- Positions of Confederate artillery. 
 
 53, Electric railroad tract. 
 
 52A. Electric railroad tract. 
 
 52B. Electric railroad tract. 
 
 53. Electric; railroad loop. 
 
 53 A. Electric railroad loop. 
 
 54. A tract of land for the Buford statue. 
 
 ")"). The site for the Reynolds monument. 
 
 56. Property lines between Starner, Plank, and Wible, 
 
 57. Mrs. J. E. Plank tract. 
 
 58. Detail drawings of gun carriages. 
 
 59. Drawings of mounted gun. 
 
 60. John L. Sherfy tract. 
 
 61. Survey of the Wible farm.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 17 
 
 62. James Felix tract. 
 
 63. George Wolf tract. 
 
 64. O. D. McMillan tract. 
 
 65. S. J. Drum tract. 
 
 66. New map of the field, Peach Orchard sheet. 
 
 67. New map of the field, Round Top sheet. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 
 
 Laying foundation stone on section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 Cross section foundation pavement, section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 Putting H-inch stone on section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 Section 4, Confederate avenue, from Etnmitsburg road. 
 Grading section 5, Confederate avenue, Emmitsburg road. 
 Grading on section 5, Confederate avenue.
 
 19
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1895, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK, 
 
 ' Gettysburg, Pa., October 25, 1895. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Park Commission respectfully sub- 
 mit the following statement of the progress and present condition of 
 the work: 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 At the date when our report as the Battlefield Commission was 
 made last year the only roadway in process of construction was sec- 
 tion 4 of the Confederate avenue, from the Wheatfield road to the 
 Emmitsburg road along Seminary Ridge. During the present year 
 there have been constructed sections 5, 6, and 7 of Confederate ave- 
 nue extending south from the Emmitsburg road to the southern limits 
 of the battlefield, thence eastward crossing Plum Run, and up along 
 the west slope of Round Top to Kilpatrick avenue; also an avenue 
 known as United States avenue from the Emmitsburg road eastward 
 via the Trostle House to Hancock avenue. There is now being con- 
 structed what is known as Seminary avenue, running south from the 
 Chambersburg pike along Seminary Ridge to some distance beyond 
 the Hagerstown road, and as soon as the right of way can be secured 
 this avenue will be extended along said ridge to the Wheatfield road 
 and connect with section 4 of Confederate avenue, long since com- 
 pleted. Hancock avenue, which runs from the national cemetery 
 gate southward along the main Union line of battle to the end of 
 United States avenue, is now being converted into a Telford road 25 
 feet wide, with two side loops 20 feet wide reaching out to interesting 
 localities. 
 
 An avenue is also under contract running from the Wheatfield road 
 south on the border of the Valley of Death to the Devil's Den, and 
 thence around and following the line of battle of the Third Corps to 
 the Crawford land line. 
 
 All these avenues have been and are being constructed on the Tel- 
 ford system, which was adopted after full consideration and study of 
 the subject as promising the best results in solidity and durability. 
 The stone used is syenitic granite and ironstone, very hard and of excel- 
 lent quality. A foundation pavement is laid of 8-inch wedgelike stones 
 set on edge and well knapped and chinked; on this 4 inches of stone 
 1 inches in size; then a slight layer of clay as a binder, and finally a 
 top dressing of 1 or 2 inches of quarter-inch stone screenings; the 
 whole rolled thoroughly with a steam roller weighing 14 tons; side and 
 under drains are placed where needed. The results of the above 
 method and process are roadways smooth and solid and which will 
 last for generations. 
 
 21
 
 22 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 BRIDGES. 
 
 Two bridges have been built over Plum Run, one on United States 
 avenue, the other on section 7, Confederate avenue. They arc mas- 
 sively built of Gettysburg granite, the foundations deep, the super- 
 structure of steel 0-inch I bars weighing 15 pounds per foot, the road- 
 way 22 feet wide" of 3-inch oak plank, cap stones on the abutments, 
 and railings of iron. 
 
 STEEL TOWERS. 
 
 Four steel towers, to be constructed upon a design prepared by i li<- 
 engineer, Col. E. B. Cope, and approved by the commission, have been 
 contracted for and are now being erected by the Variety Iron Works, 
 of Cleveland, Ohio. No. 1 is 60 feet high and stands on the summit 
 of Big Round Top; No. 2 is 75 feet high, on Seminary Ridge, near the 
 Wheatfield road; No. 3, 75 feet high, is on Seminary Ridge, near the 
 Mummasburg road, and overlooks specially the scene of the first day's 
 fight ; No. 4, GO feet high, is on the summit of Culp's Hill. Nos. 1 and 2 
 are nearly finished, and all four will be completed within a month. 
 
 FENCING. 
 
 Besides a large amount of stone fencing repaired and rebuilt along 
 battle lines of both armies as it stood at the time of the battle, the 
 commission are having constructed a fence along the completed ave- 
 nues wherever needed, with gates at proper locations. This fence is 
 composed of round locust posts, iron capped, with four galvanized 
 1-inch gas pipes for the railings, with two No. 8 galvanized wires in 1 he 
 lower intervals. The whole is over 4^ feet high, very strong ami 
 handsome. 
 
 GUN CARRIAGES. 
 
 The volunteer batteries of the Union Army on the grounds of the 
 Memorial Association are generally represented by one gun and 
 mounted upon inferior carriages. This commission resolved to sub- 
 stitute an improved iron gun carriage. Sixty-two new carriages have 
 been contracted for. Of these about 3G have been furnished by the 
 contractor and placed on the field and mounted with the kind of gun 
 used by each battery, respectively, in the battle. The others will be 
 put in position as soon as supplied by the contractor. Excellent 
 granite foundation stones support each carriage. The following ha vr 
 already been placed on the Union lines, vix: 
 
 One carriage and 10-pound Parrott (Knap's Battery), Culp's Hill. 
 
 One carriage, Napoleon gun. on Barlow Knoll. 
 
 Three carriages and 10-pound Parrotts on Little Round Top. 
 
 Six carriages and 3-inch rifles (Ricketts's Battery), on East Cemetery Hill. 
 
 Three carriages and Napoleon guns (Stewart's Battery) , on East Cemetery Hill. 
 
 Three carriages and 3-inch rifles (right of Ricketts's Battery), on East Cemetery 
 Hill. 
 
 Three carriages and 3-inch rifles (Wiedrich's New York Battery), on East Ceme- 
 tery Hill. 
 
 All of these guns on East Cemetery Hill occupy redoubts used by 
 said batteries in the battle. 
 
 On the Confederate lines the following have been placed to mark 
 positions of batteries, viz: 
 
 One carriage and Confederate Napoleon gun (Taylor's Battery), section 4, Con- 
 federate avenue. 
 One carriage and 3-inch rifle (Parker's Battery), section 4, Confederate avenue.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 23 
 
 One carriage and 3-inch rifle (Jordan's Battery), section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 
 Two carriages and 20-pound Parrotts (Woolfolk's Battery), section 4, Confed 
 erate avenue. 
 
 (The above belonged to Alexander's Battalion.) 
 
 One carriage and howitzer (section Carlton's Battery), section 4, Confederate 
 avenue. 
 
 One carriage and 3-inch rifle ( Manly 's North Carolina Battery), section 4, Con- 
 federate avenue. 
 
 One carriage and 10-pound Parrott (section Carlton's Battery), section 4, Con- 
 federate avenue. 
 
 One carriage and 10-pound Parrott (McCarthy's Battery), section 4, Confederate 
 avenue. 
 
 One carriage and 3-inch rifle (Eraser's Battery), section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 
 (These belonged to Cabell's Battalion.) 
 
 One carriage and Napoleon gun (Latham's North Carolina Battery), section 5, 
 Confederate avenue. 
 
 One carriage and Napoleon gun (Garden's South Carolina Battery), section 5, 
 Confederate avenue. 
 
 One carriage and 10-pound Parrott (Bachman's South Carolina Battery ), section 
 5, Confederate avenue. 
 
 One carriage and Napoleon gun (section Reilly's North Carolina Battery), sec- 
 tion 5, Confederate avenue. 
 
 Two carriages and 3-inch rifles (section Reilly's North Carolina Battery), sec- 
 tion 6, Confederate avenue. 
 
 (These belonged to Henry's Battalion.) 
 
 POSITIONS AND MOVEMENTS OF TROOPS. 
 
 The position and evolutions of the various commands of the Union 
 Army were mostly determined and marked by the Memorial Associa- 
 tion. But those of the Confederate army remained for the commis- 
 sion to ascertain and locate. Much attention has been given to this. 
 Surviving Confederate officers and soldiers have been invited to visit 
 the field ; also the authorities of the Southern States have been re- 
 quested to send commissioners representing Confederate commands to 
 point out positions. The responses from the South to these invitations 
 and requests have been very encouraging, and the commission have had 
 the aid of many Confederate soldiers of intelligence, some of high rank, 
 in fixing positions and movements of Confederate troops. Additions 
 to our information on these points are being constantly made. All 
 positions ascertained are, of course, carefully noted on our topograph- 
 ical maps, as well as upon the field, so that they can not be lost. With- 
 out going into particulars, the commission feel sure that they will be 
 able within a reasonable period to determine and mark with very great 
 accuracy the positions and evolutions of all the various commands of 
 the Confederate army on this field. 
 
 THE COMMISSION'S NEW MAP OF THE BATTLEFIELD. 
 
 Owing to numerous and important engineering operations for the 
 construction of avenues, bridges, towers, etc., for determining the 
 boundaries of properties and office work for the immediate use of 
 the commission, the engineer corps have been unable to complete 
 their battlefield survey and map projected to show every detail of the 
 field, for which a large amount of data has already been collected. 
 They hope to be able ere long to bring this work to completion. The 
 sheets already completed have been found to be of much value for 
 reference and are in constant requisition. The commission will not 
 now attempt to specify in detail all the work of the engineer, Col.
 
 J 1 UKTTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY ]>ARK COMMISSION. 
 
 E. B. Cope, and his assistants, but the same lia> IHM-M very extensive 
 and varied and in tin- liiirhesl drinvr satisfactory. 
 Respectfully suliinitted. 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 WM. M. BOBBINS, 
 C. A. RICHARDSON, 
 SECRETARY OF WAR. Coiitinixx/<i/ ,-*. 
 
 BLUE-I'KIXT MAIN .\< vo.M I'ANYINU THE HEI'OUT. 
 
 68. Unite<l States corner stone. 
 
 69. Regimental tablets. 
 
 70. Tract of Henry Spangler. 
 
 71. Tract of J. L. Sherfy. 
 
 72. Tract of W. H. Martin. 
 
 73. Section 6, Confederate avenue. 
 
 74. Section 7, Confederate avenue. 
 
 75. Codori Grove. 
 
 76. College lane. 
 
 77. Tract No. 3. J. L. Sherfy. 
 
 78. Sections 1, 2, and 3, Confederate avenue. 
 
 79. A public road. 
 
 80. United States Regular avenue. 
 
 81. Tract of Maria Shultz. 
 
 82. Plan of bridge* 
 
 83. Plan of 75-foot tower. 
 
 84. Tract of S. J. Drum. 
 
 85. Drawing of <iO-foot tower. 
 
 86. 14/3 miles of public roads. 
 
 87. Tract of William H. Tipton. 
 
 88. Tract No. 5, land company. 
 
 89. Tract No. 1 , land company. 
 
 90. Tract No. "2, land company. 
 
 91. Tract No. :i, J. L. Sherfy. 
 
 92. Tract of Martin Winter. 
 
 93. Tract of H. C. Parsons. 
 
 94. Tract of Robert Sheads. 
 
 95. Tract of C. F. Starner. 
 
 96. Perspective view of tower. 
 
 97. Tract of the Twenty-first Cavalry. 
 
 98. Seminary lane. 
 
 99. Drawing of 75-foot tower. 
 100. Seminary lane. 
 101. Plan of gate. 
 102. Plan of fence. 
 103. Centerpiece of gate. 
 1(4. Plan of gate. 
 105. Plan of gate. 
 
 106. Tract of land of Fifth New Jersey. 
 107. Tract of land of Twenty sixth Pennsylvania. 
 108. Tract of land of Sixth Pennsylvania. 
 109. Tract of land of Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania 
 110. Tract of land of Knap's Battery. 
 Hi. Tract of land of Tenth Maine. 
 
 12. Tract of land of One hundred and thirty-sixth New York. 
 
 13.-Tract of land of First New York Artillery 
 
 14. Tract of land of Seventy-seventh New York. 
 1.15. Tract of land of Fifty- fifth New York 
 116. Tract of land of Fourth Ohio. 
 
 !!I'~m ract ot land of One h "ndred ;ind twenty-fifth New York. 
 
 118. Tract of land of Third New York. 
 
 U9. Tract of land of First New Jersey Cavalry 
 
 120. Tract of land of Third Pennsylvania Battery. 
 
 M. Tract of land of Tenth New York Cavalry. 
 
 22. Tract of land of Fourth Xew Jersey, marker. 
 
 23. Tract of land of One hundred and fifty-third Pennsylvania.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 25 
 
 124. Tract of land of Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. 
 
 123. Tract of land of Eighth Ohio. 
 
 126. Tract of land of United States avenue. 
 
 127. Tract of land of United States avenue. 
 
 128. United States corner stone. 
 
 121). Sickles and Crawiord avenues. 
 
 130. Hancock and Sedgwick avenues. 
 
 131. Foundation stones. 
 
 132. Seminary Lane avenue. 
 
 133. Fence No. 2, Gilbert. 
 
 134. Barn at headquarters. 
 
 135. Wire fence. 
 
 136. Wire fence. 
 
 137. Tract of C. Gilbert. 
 
 138. Tract of Maria Shultz. 
 
 139. Tract of Jacob Benner. 
 
 140. Tract of Seminary lane. 
 
 141. Drawing of gate and fence. 
 
 142. Drawing of shells used in the battle. 
 
 143. Drawing of 13- inch shells. 
 
 144. Tract of United States property. 
 
 145. Tract of James Felix. 
 
 146. Tract of United States property. 
 
 147. Wilkeson's Battery. 
 
 148. Train schedule. 
 
 141). Hancock avenue. 
 
 150. Tract of Bair and Gilbert. 
 
 151. Tract of Pfeffer. 
 
 152. Tract of Basil Biggs. 
 
 153. Tract of F. Pfeffer. 
 
 154. Tract of D. J. Benner. 
 
 155. Tract of L. Leister. 
 
 loG. Tract of B. Biggs. 
 
 157. Tract of L. Hummelbaugh. 
 
 158. Tract of S. Codori. 
 
 159. Tract of W. Patterson. 
 
 160. Tract of G. Weikert. 
 
 161. Tract of P. D. Swisher. 
 
 162. Tract of J. Felix. 
 
 163. Boundary lines borough of Gettysburg. \ 
 
 164. Tract of the Memorial Association. 
 
 165. Site of General Meade's statue. 
 
 166. Tract of the Memorial Association. 
 
 167. Tract of the Memorial Association. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 
 
 View on section 7. Confederate avenue the Devil's Slipper. 
 
 Section 7, looking east, Round Top in the distance. 
 
 Grading roadbed, section 1 , Confederate avenue. 
 
 Rolling subgrade, section 1, Confederate avenue. 
 
 Foundation work of roadway on Seminary avenue, looking north. 
 
 A view of Ricketts's Battery, F and G, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, East 
 
 Cemetery Hill. 
 
 First New York Light Battery I, East Cemetery Hill. 
 Side view, Bridge No. 1. 
 
 Perspective view of Bridge No. 1 on United States avenue. 
 Stewart's battery. Fourth United States, East Cemetery Hill. 
 A view of Cooper's Battery, B, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery, East Cemetery 
 
 Sill. 
 A section of Reilly's Battery, C. S. A., on section 6, looking toward Little Round 
 
 Top. 
 
 View on section 6, looking east, Round Top in the distance. 
 Old cast-iron gim carriage, formerly used to mark the field. 
 A view of avenue, section 5, looking north. 
 A view of section 5, looking south. 
 A view of Confederate avenue, section 7, looking south from near the entrance of 
 
 Kilpatrick avenue. 
 
 A view of Confederate avenue, section 7, looking north. 
 A view of avenue, section 4, looking north, showing the fence constructed by the 
 
 commission on one side and the stone wall rebuilt on the other.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1896 
 
 27
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1896, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., October 21, 1896. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Park Commission respectfully sub- 
 mit the following report of the progress and present condition of the 
 work : 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Since our report of 1895 the Telford road, known as Seminary ave- 
 nue, and section 1 of Confederate avenue, running from the Chambers- 
 burg pike southward along Seminary Ridge as far as the Government 
 at present owns the right of way there, has been completed; like- 
 .wise Hancock avenue, which runs from the national cemetery gate 
 southward along the main Union line of battle to the east end of 
 United States avenue, and also Sickles avenue, which runs from the 
 Emmitsburg road near the Rogers house southeastward, via the Loop 
 and the Wheatfield, to the Devil's Den. Slocum avenue, which fol- 
 lows the battle lines over Gulp's Hill, is in course of construction and 
 nearly completed. The whole length of Telford avenues which have 
 been constructed by our commission is 7 miles. The United States 
 avenue crosses the field perpendicularly from east to west between the 
 Union and Confederate lines. All the others follow closely the 
 respective lines of battle. Of the Confederate avenue which follows 
 the Confederate line of battle along Seminary Ridge and thence to 
 Round Top, sections 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7, aggregating a distance of nearly 
 3 miles, have been completed. Sections 2 and 3 of this Confederate 
 avenue remain still unconstructed, solely because we have been unable 
 to secure the right of way by purchase from the land owners. Pro- 
 ceedings to condemn the needed lands were delayed on account of a 
 question having been raised in a similar case of ours as to the right 
 of the Government to condemn land for such purposes, which neces- 
 sitated an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. That 
 court having adjudged such right to be constitutional, condemnation 
 proceedings were at once instituted and are now pending in the cir- 
 cuit court of the United States for the eastern district of Pennsyl- 
 vania, and as soon as the right of way shall be thereby secured, sec- 
 tions 2 and 3 of the Confederate avenue will be promptly constructed. 
 
 
 MARKING THE POSITIONS OF TROOPS. 
 
 As the purpose of the National Government in taking charge of this 
 field was not only to preserve its features as they existed at the time 
 of battle and to make its many interesting points accessible by good 
 1617505 3 29
 
 30 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 roads, but also to have the positions and evolutions of both the con- 
 tending armies carefully ascertained and suitably marked, and as 
 the positions of most of the Union troops had been previously marked 
 by monuments erected by different States at their own expense, under 
 the supervision of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, 
 our attention has been largely directed to what had been left mainly 
 undone, to wit, fixing and marking the positions and movements of 
 the Confederate troops and the United States Regulars. Since out- 
 last report we have marked the positions of the four batteries of Mcln- 
 tosh's Artillery Battalion on Seminary Ridge along section 1 of the 
 Confederate avenue, and we have placed an additional gun, making 
 two, to each of twelve batteries belonging to Alexander's, Cabcll's, 
 and Henry's Artillery Battalions along sections 4, 5, and G, Confeder- 
 ate avenue. Our plan is to mark the position of each battery by at 
 least two guns like those which composed it and mounted on gun car- 
 riages admirably resembling the usual wooden ones, but made of iron. 
 Handsome tablets of iron, not only for each battery, but also for each 
 command of infantry and cavalry, will stand along the main lines of 
 battle, with brief inscriptions specifying the name of each command, 
 its service in the battle, and referring to auxiliary and subordinate 
 tablets so placed as to indicate successive movements during the con- 
 flict. Much thought has been given to the preparation of these tab- 
 lets and their inscriptions for the Confederate commands, so as to 
 arrive at the utmost possible historic accuracy with regard to eaeli 
 one as well as perfect consistency and fairness among them as a whole. 
 This is a work requiring great deliberation and painstaking, but we 
 hope to accomplish it satisfactorily. 
 
 The placing of the Confederate tablets along the main lines can 
 only be completed when we shall have acquired the needed lands and 
 completed the construction of the Confederate avenues along those 
 lines, which we are doing as fast as practicable. During the past 
 year we have also replaced all of the old inferior gun carriages which 
 were formerly used for the Union batteries with our new iron ones, 
 constructed as aforesaid, and we have mounted many additional guna 
 to mark the positions of Union batteries, among the more notable of 
 which are six 20-pounder Parrotts placed in the Citizen's Cemetery 
 by leave of the proper authorities, to mark the positions of Taft's 
 Battery. 
 
 FENCING, ETC. 
 
 In appropriate and needful places we have caused the avenues 
 which have been made to be inclosed with the neat style of fence 
 descrilK'd in our last annual report, which, being made of iron-capped 
 locust posts and four galvanized iron railings, is not only durable but 
 is inconspicuous to the sight, and therefore does not 'mar the view of 
 the field. All stone fences and walls which existed at the time of the 
 battle and which are upon ground owned by the United States we 
 have caused to be restored and put in proper condition, as also such 
 breastworks and other defenses as were erected by either army, >Ye 
 have also caused great numbers of trees to be planted, so as to restore 
 the forest on grounds which have been denuded of trees since the 
 battle. The hurricane of last month destroyed many hundreds of 
 trees on the battlefield, which we shall take measures to replace. 
 
 OBSERVATORIES. 
 
 The four steel towers which were in course of construction at the 
 date of our last report were completed soon thereafter. We have
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 31 
 
 since caused another to be erected near the center of the field in 
 Ziegler's Grove and not far from the point where the battle ended 
 with the final grand but unsuccessful Confederate assault of the third 
 day. These are all solid and well-built structures, and, located as they 
 are, thej r afford the observer a complete and satisfactory view of the 
 entire scene of the great battle and enable him to get a consistent 
 and accurate idea of it as a whole. 
 
 We are happy to report that visitors in great numbers from all sec- 
 tions of our own country, as well as some from abroad, are constantly 
 thronging these historic grounds and tracing out the complicated 
 phases of the titanic struggle, with many expressions of their satis- 
 faction at the wise plans of the National Government for making it 
 plain and easily comprehended, and for preserving this field for the 
 study of those who are to come after us. 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 C. A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 The SECRETARY OF -WAR. 
 
 LIST OF BLUE PRINTS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 
 
 168. A map showing the scene of Longstreet's final assault on the Union lines at 
 Gettysburg July 3, 1863. 
 
 109. Plot of land for the Seventy-third New York monument. 
 
 170. Trail of gun carriage for 20-pounder Parrott rifle. 
 
 171. Guns used in marking positions of batteries on the Gettysburg battlefield. 
 
 172. Property of the United States formerly belonging to M. Bushman estate. 
 
 173. Map showing location of trees, etc., in Ziegler's grove. 
 
 174. Plot of land belonging to the Gettysburg Water Company on which is 
 erected the Twenty-fifth and Seventy-fifth Ohio monuments. 
 
 175. Plot of ground belonging to the estate of Samuel A. Whitney on which is 
 erected Hall's Second Maine Battery monument. 
 
 176. Plot of ground belonging to the estate of Samuel A. Whitney on which is 
 erected the One hundred and forty -ninth Pennsylvania monument. 
 
 177. Tract of land belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Associa- 
 tion. Conveyed by Henry and Annie Gulp. 
 
 178. Tract of land belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Associa- 
 tion. Conveyed by Samuel Bushman. 
 
 179. Plot of monument sites in Peach Orchard on the battlefield of Gettysburg. 
 
 180. Tract of land belonging to the United States Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial 
 Association. Conveyed by Hart Gilbert. 
 
 181. Tract belonging to the United States Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Asso- 
 ciation. Conveyed by Levi Weikert. 
 
 182. Tract belonging to the United States Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Asso- 
 ciation. Conveyed by Emanuel Weikert. 
 
 183. Tract belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Con- 
 veyed by Henry Welty. 
 
 184. Tract belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Con- 
 veyed by Levi Plank. 
 
 185. Tract. belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Con- 
 veyed by Emanuel Weikert. 
 
 186. Tract belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Con- 
 veyed by Francis A. Althoff. 
 
 187. Gate of inch pipe. 
 
 188. Tract belonging to the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Con- 
 veyed by John S. Forney. 
 
 189. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 by George F. Basehoar. 
 
 190. A mounted Whitworth gun. 
 
 191. Tract belonging to John L. Sherfy on which is erected the First Vermont 
 United States Sharpshooters monument.
 
 32 
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 192. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by J. S. Forney. 
 193. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. ( 'onveyed 
 
 by Jeremiah Bender. 
 194. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by J. S. Forney. 
 195. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by J. A. Livers. 
 196. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by David Wills. 
 197. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by M. W. & J. W. Eicholtz. 
 
 198. Tract in Howard avenue taken from property of Alex. Spangler. 
 199. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Taken by 
 
 condemnation proceedings from the poor directors of Adams County. 
 200. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by Leander Hummelbangh. 
 201. Tract of land conveyed by A. Spangler to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial 
 
 Association. 
 202. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by Jacob Baker. 
 203. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by Alice Forney. 
 
 204. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by John Bender. 
 205. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by David Blocher. 
 20(5. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by David Wills. 
 207. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by E. Hanaway. 
 20*. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by Hugh Scott. 
 20'J. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by E. Menchy. 
 210. Tracts belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by Samuel A. Whitney. 
 21 1. Tract belonging to Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. Conveyed 
 
 by E. McPherson and John Kuhn. 
 212. Plan and elevation of harness house. 
 213. Proposed flagstaff. 
 
 214. Round Top tracts conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Associa- 
 tion to United States of America. 
 215. Howard avenue tracts. 
 210. Neill avenue, conveyed by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association 
 
 to United States. 
 217. CHIP'S Hill tract, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association 
 
 to United States of America. 
 Plan of Sickles avenue. 
 
 Oak Ridge property, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Associa- 
 tion to United States of America. 
 Reynolds Woods and part of Reynolds avenue, conveyed by Gettysburg 
 
 Battlefield Memorial Association to United States of America. 
 Reynolds avenue property No. 2, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield 
 
 Memorial Association to the United States of America. 
 The Wheatfield and portion of Sickles avenue, conveyed by Gettysburg 
 
 Battlefield Memorial Association to United States of America. 
 Buford avenue and a portion of Reynolds avenue, conveyed by the Gettys- 
 burg Battlefield Memorial Association to the United States of America. 
 Hancock avenue, including George Weikert, L. Hummelbaugh, and L. 
 
 Leister properties, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Asso- 
 ciation to United States of America. 
 Althoff property, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association 
 
 to United States of America. 
 Property in borough of Gettysburg, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield 
 
 Memorial Association to United States of America. 
 Smith property, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association 
 
 to United States of America. 
 
 218, 
 219, 
 
 220 
 221 
 222 
 223, 
 224. 
 
 225 
 226, 
 227,
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 33 
 
 228. Rose Grove, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association to 
 
 United States of America. 
 229. East Cemetery Hill property, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial 
 
 Association to United States of America. 
 230. Cavalry avenue property, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial 
 
 Association to United States of America. 
 231. Plot of First New Jersey Battery A, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield 
 
 Memorial Association to United States of America. 
 232. Plot of First Wisconsin monument. 
 
 233. Plot of One hundred and fourteenth and Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania. 
 234. One hundred and thirty-sixth New York monument plot. 
 235. Sixth Pennsylvania monument plot. 
 236. First Maine Cavalry plot. 
 237. Randolph's Battery E plot. 
 
 238. Guns used for marking positions of batteries, No. 2. 
 289. Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania monument plot. 
 240. Twenty- sixth Emergency Regiment monument plot. 
 241. Fifteenth Massachusetts monument plot. 
 242. First United States Sharpshooter monument plot. 
 243. Seventy-third New York mpnument plot. 
 244. One hundred and sixth Pennsylvania monument plot. 
 245. Sixty- third Pennsylvania monument plot. 
 246. Fifth New York Cavalry monument plot. 
 247. Eighteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry monument plot. 
 248. First Massachusetts monument plot. 
 249. Twenty-seventh Indiana monument plot. 
 250. Tablet plot first shot fired. 
 
 251. A general map of all the lands of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Asso- 
 ciation which have been conveyed to the United States of America. 
 252. Round Top Park property of Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad. 
 253. Plot of tract of land belonging to John L. Sherfy, known as the Peach 
 
 Orchard. 
 
 254. Property of W. H. Tipton. 
 255. Tract of land from property of George F. Basehoar forming part of Buford 
 
 avenue. 
 
 256. United States property on the Gettysburg battlefield. 
 257. Plan of Observation Tower No. 5. 
 258. Plot of tract of land belonging to Amos Leister. 
 259. Entrance to Slocum avenue, conveyed by Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial 
 
 Association to United States of America. 
 260. Plan of dedication stand. 
 261. Map showing the connections of the Gettysburg Electric Railroad on the 
 
 Emmitsburg road. 
 
 262. Tract belonging to Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad Company. 
 263. Tracts of land belonging to William Patterson. 
 264. Tract of land belonging to Land and Improvement Company. 
 265. Tract of land belonging to Henry Spangler. 
 266. Tract belonging to John L. Sherfy. 
 267. Tract belonging to Warren W. Ilafer. 
 
 268. Tract belonging to Land and Improvement Company on Seminary Ridge. 
 269. Map showing tracts of land required on Seminary Ridge for the continued 
 
 construction of Confederate avenue from Hagerstown road to Wheatfield 
 
 road. 
 
 270. Plan of Slocum avenue. 
 271. Plan of Sedgwick avenue. 
 
 272. Cross section of Western Maryland Railroad cut. 
 273. Plan of barn on United States property (formerly Bushman). 
 274. Plan of Meade avenue. 
 275. Design for girder bridge. 
 
 276. Tract of land belonging to Florence and Georgianna Cunningham. 
 277. Tracings of the 200-foot scale Warren map, accompanying the report of 1896. 
 278. Title page. 
 279. Northwest corner, A-l. 
 280. Herr Tavern, A-2. 
 281. North Middle, A-3. 
 282. North Rock Creek, A-4. 
 288. Northeast corner, A-5. 
 284. South of northwest corner, B-l.
 
 34 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 285. Medicinal Spring, B-2. 
 
 286. West Gettysburg, B-3. 
 
 287. East Gettysburg, B-4. 
 
 288. Hanover road, 13-5. 
 
 289. Black Horse Tavern, C-l. 
 
 290. Middle Willoughby Run, C-2. 
 
 291. Field of Longstreet's assault, C-3. 
 
 292. Gulp's Hill,C-4. 
 
 293. Wolf Hill, C-5. 
 
 294. Marsh Creek, D-l. 
 
 295. Pitzer's Schoolhonse, D-2. 
 
 296. Peach Orchard and Wheatfield, D-3. 
 
 297. Power's Hill, D-4. 
 
 298. East Baltimore pike, D-5. 
 
 299. Southwest corner, E-l. 
 
 300. South Eminitsburg road, E-2. 
 
 301. The Round Tops and Devil's Den, E-3. 
 
 302. South Taneytown road, E-4. 
 
 300. South Rock Creek, E-5. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOORAPHS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 
 
 Confederate avenue, section 7, tower. Big Round Top. 
 
 Entrance to Hancock avenue, Ziegler's Grove. 
 
 Hancock avenue, south, toward Bryan House. 
 
 Hancock avenue, tower, Bryan House. 
 
 Hancock avenue. Eleventh New York Independent Battery. 
 
 Hancock avenue, loop at the angle. 
 
 Hancock avenue, north to high-water mark. 
 
 Hancock avenue at intersection of Pleasonton avenue. 
 
 Intersection United States avenue and Hancock avenue. 
 
 United States avenue, from Trostle House. 
 
 Entrance to Sickles avenue, Emmitsburg road. 
 
 Crossing of United States and Sickles avenues. 
 
 Sickles avenue, woods west of Wheatfield. 
 
 Sickles avenue, across Wheatfield. 
 
 Sickles avenue at Smith's Battery, Fourth New York. 
 
 Sickles avenue west of Devil's Den. 
 
 Tower, Confederate avenue, section 4. 
 
 Entrance to Slocum avenue. 
 
 Slocum avenue, Stevens Knoll. 
 
 Stevens's Fifth Maine Battery, E, Slocum avenue. 
 
 Slocum avenue section of Stevens's Fifth Maine Battery. 
 
 Slocnm avenue at entrance to woods, Gulp's Hill. 
 
 Tower and K::ap's Battery. E. Pennsylvania Light Artillery, summit of Gulp's Hill. 
 
 Slocum avenue, graded roadbed. 
 
 Slocum avenue, graded roadbed. 
 
 Terminus of Slocum avenue, near Spanglers Spring. 
 
 Reynolds Grove after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Reynolds Grove after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Reynolds Grove after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Big Round Top near tower, after storm of September 30, 1806. 
 
 Big Round Top after storm of September 30, 1S96. 
 
 Big Round Top after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Little Round Top after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Little Round Top after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Grove south of Wheatfield after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Grove south of Wheatfield after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Gulp's Hill near Seventieth and One hundred and second New York monument 
 
 after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 
 Gulp's Hill, Sixty-sixth Ohio monument after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 Gulp's H 11 near Knap's Battery after storm of September 30, 1896. 
 Gulp's Hill after storm of September 30, 1896.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1897
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1897, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., October 25, 1897. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Park Commission respectfully sub- 
 mit the following report of the progress and present condition of their 
 work, with some suggestions of their plans for the future : 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Since the last report Slocum avenue, then under construction, has 
 been completed. It leads from the Baltimore pike at the base of East 
 Cemetery Hill over the summit of Gulp's Hill to its southeastern base 
 at Spanglers Spring, closely following and marking the main battle 
 line of the right wing of the Union Army. 
 
 Sedgwick, Sykes, and Meade avenues have been surveyed, con- 
 tracted for, and completed. Sedgwick avenue leads from the southern 
 end of Hancock avenue to the northern base of Little Round Top, 
 following the Sixth Corps line on that part of the field ; and Sykes 
 avenue leads over the summit of Little Round Top, following the 
 Fifth Corps line there, and continues on until it connects with the 
 Confederate avenue, section 7, on the western slope of Big Round 
 Topi Meade avenue leads from General Meade's headquarters on the 
 Taneytown road to Hancock avenue, at the point where the Confed- 
 erate assault of the third day culminated. 
 
 That section of Crawford avenue which leads from Devil's Den north- 
 ward through the Valley of Death to the Wheatfield road, including 
 a bridge over Plum Run, is being rapidly pushed and will be com- 
 pleted before December 31, 1897. 
 
 All these avenues, like those previously built by the commission on 
 this field, are constructed on the Telford system and are substantial 
 and durable. Wherever along their sides there are sloping banks, 
 these are turfed or set with grass ; the gutters are well paved with 
 stones, and, wherever needful at short curves, low granite pillars, 
 topped with 13-inch shells, have been set on the edge of the avenues 
 to prevent careless driving off the roadway. 
 
 Hancock avenue has been widened to 100 feet by purchasing the nec- 
 essary ground on each side and erecting along its borders an excellent 
 standard fence. 
 
 Much yet remains to be done here in the construction of avenues 
 and roadways. Two miles of the Confederate avenue on Seminary 
 Ridge, along the battle line of Hill's Corps on second and third days, 
 have not yet been constructed because the Government did not possess 
 
 37
 
 38 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 the right of way. After diligent efforts to secure this by purchase at 
 reasonable figures from the land owners, but without success, proceed- 
 ings for condemning the needed lands were begun in the circuit court 
 of the United States for the eastern district of Pennsylvania and are 
 still pending there. A jury of view was appointed, inspected the lands, 
 heard testimony, and made report fixing prices for the lands; but the 
 proprietors appealed, and the case stands for trial. It will doubtless 
 be decided at the spring term, and we hope then to push that avenue 
 to completion. It will connect the two parts of Confederate avenue 
 already built at the northern and southern ends of Seminary Ridge 
 and make a complete and splendid avenue along the whole front <!' 
 Hill's and Longst reefs corps from the Chamberslwrg pike southward 
 and eastward to the slopes of Round Top, a distance of over f> miles. 
 One or more bridges must be built along it over the si reams which cut 
 through the ridge. 
 
 There is need for important improvements upon the avenues on the 
 cavalry field 3 miles east of the town and for more substantial fencing 
 about those avenues and grounds. Moreover, the Confederate posi- 
 tions on that field are as yet entirely unmarked, and the commission 
 is anxious to have sufficient provision made to enable them at an early 
 day to secure the needed lands, erect tablets, and mount batteries, so 
 as to show the lines and evolutions of the Confederate forces there. 
 Among the other avenues which are now but rough, narrow, and 
 unsightly ways, scarcely passable, and need to be converted into Tel- 
 ford roads, we may mention Wright avenue, leading from the gap 
 between the Round Tops southeasterly across the Taneytown road 
 along the line of the left division of the Sixth Corps; Pleasonton ave- 
 nue, from Hancock avenue eastward by the cavalry headquarters to 
 the Taneytown road; and the return avenue on Gulp's Hill, from 
 Spangler's spring westward along the southern base of that hill, mark- 
 ing the battle line where the Union forces formed in the early morning 
 of July ,'J and advanced for the recovery of their position captured by 
 the Confederates the evening before. 
 
 The Reynolds, liuford, and Howard avenues on the first day's field 
 are dirt roads, located by the Memorial Association, and often in bad 
 condition. They mark the lines of the First and Eleventh corps and 
 of the Union cavalry, and greatly need to be improved, either on the 
 Macadam or Telford plan, and a substantial bridge upon Reynolds 
 avenue across the railroad cut, made historic by the conflict there, 
 must be built soon, the old one constructed by the Memorial Associ- 
 ation having become dangerous. 
 
 There is urgent need for a new avenue leading from the southeastern 
 base of Culp's Hill, across Rock Creek, to the extreme right flank of 
 the Union and left flank of the Confederate forces, respectively, and 
 this should be laid out with a view to its extension to the cavalry 
 field, whither a good road is much needed. 
 
 The public roads within the bounds of the park, radiating in every 
 direction from the town, the substantial center of the battlefield, 
 would serve as convenient routes by which to reach many interesting 
 parts of it if they were kept in good condition ; but they are gener- 
 ally in a very unsatisfactory state and often well-nigh impassable. 
 
 MARKING POSITIONS OF TROOPS. 
 
 Under the supervision of the commission, the engineer, Lieut. Col. 
 E. B. Copo, has noted on the field and marked upon the maps the
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 39 
 
 positions of every command of both armies which has been authentic- 
 ally fixed, and this embraces nearly all of them. The indication of 
 all these positions by tablets and markers 011 the ground will proceed 
 as rapidly as practicable, having in some cases to await the acquisi- 
 tion of title to the land. 
 
 During the year iron gun carriages have been procured, of the 
 excellent pattern adopted by the commission, and guns have been 
 mounted upon them, marking the positions of 19 Union batteries in 
 various parts of the j^eld. Additional gun carriages are needed soon, 
 to be used for mounting guns marking the positions of 42 Confederate 
 batteries in addition to those of the Confederates which have already 
 been marked and heretofore reported. 
 
 A monument to the Seventy-third New York Infantry, known as the 
 "Fire Zouaves," was erected near Sickles avenue and the Peach 
 Orchard, and dedicated with appropriate ceremonies in September. 
 
 The monument of the First Minnesota Regiment, erected some years 
 since, was dedicated, by the survivors of the regiment from that State, 
 on July 2, 18 ( .)7. 
 
 The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Vermont regiments of Stannard's 
 Brigade have recently sent committees here to fix the locations for 
 the monuments which are to be erected to these commands. 
 
 A commission from the State of Maine has recently verified the 
 sites for tablets *.o be erected near Hancock avenue, showing the 
 respective positions of the Third and Fourth Maine Regiments on the 
 third day of the battle. 
 
 We are glad to report that quite a number of Confederate veterans 
 have visited here during the year for the purpose of viewing the 
 battlefield and of locating and verifying the lines and positions of 
 their commands. We interpret this as a favorable indication of grow- 
 ing interest on the part of the Southern States and people in this field. 
 
 In addition to the before-mentioned proceedings for condemning 
 lands for the Confederate avenue on Seminary Ridge, there is also 
 yet pending in the circuit court of the United States for the eastern 
 district of Pennsylvania the proceeding begun some time since for 
 condemning part of the Gettysburg Electric Railroad line and remov- 
 ing it from the military positions which it defaces on the battlefield. 
 This case will probably be concluded ere long, and the amount of com- 
 pensation which may be adjudged to said railroad company will then 
 be payable. The amount awarded by the jury of view was $30,000. 
 This was appealed from by both sides. We trust the court's final 
 judgment may reduce it. 
 
 We Avill not encumber the report by attempting to specify the details 
 of our work, nor the many minor expenses, aggregating a very con- 
 siderable sum, which are necessarily incident to the prosecution of so 
 great a design as the establishment of the Gettysburg National Mili- 
 tary Park. 
 
 Feeling sure that it would be wise to appropriate $150,000 for this 
 work for the next fiscal year, we respectfully recommend that amount. 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 C. A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 
 The SECRETARY OP WAR.
 
 40 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 BLUE FEINTS SUBMITTED WITH THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION. 
 
 304. Plan for piking the Taneytown road from borough line to Meade headquar 
 ters property. 
 
 305. Tract of land belonging to Basil Biggs and wife. 
 
 306. Tract of land belonging to William Patterson and wife. 
 
 307. Tract of land, No. 3, belonging to William Patterson and wife. 
 
 308. Tract of land belonging to Calvin P. Krise. 
 
 309. Cross-section of avenue of Antietam battlefield. 
 
 310. Plan of Sedgwick and Sykes avenues and portion of Kilpatrick avenue. 
 
 311. Map of United States national ceinetry, showing the positions of batteries. 
 
 312. Gate, of inch pipe. 
 
 313. Fence, of inch pipe. 
 
 314. Plan of retaining wall along Sykes avenue. 
 
 315. Fence of steel tubing and steel wire cables. 
 
 316. Positions of the Thirteenth Vermont Regiment on the Gettysburg battlefield. 
 
 317. Plot of land belonging to Gettysburg Water Company, surrounding Twenty- 
 fifth and Seventy-fifth Ohio monument. 
 
 318. Blocks in .Hancock statne pedestal damaged by lightning July 7, 1897. 
 
 319. Map showing site of Seventy- third New York monument. 
 
 320. Plan to connect equestrian statue of General Hancock with the ground, to 
 prevent injury from lightning. 
 
 321. Plan to connect equestrian statues with the ground, to prevent injury from 
 lightning. 
 
 322. Culp's Hill, C-4. 
 
 323. Medicinal Springs, B-2. 
 
 PHOTOGRAPHS SUBMITTED WITH REPORT OF THE COMMISSION. 
 
 Entrance to East Cemetery Hill, showing General Hancock statue and walk. 
 
 Paving in front of East Cemetery Hill. 
 
 Entrance to Slocum avenue. 
 
 Slocum avenue at Sixty-sixth Ohio monument. 
 
 Retaining wall along Slocum avenue. 
 
 Retaining wall along Slocum avenue from One hundred and fiftieth New York 
 
 monument. 
 
 Slocum avenue from Second Maryland C. S. A. 
 
 Slocum avenue north from One hundred and twenty-third New York monument. 
 Slocum avenue south from One hundred and twenty- third New York monument. 
 The walk through Ziegler's Grove, looking north. 
 
 The walk through Ziegler's Grove, showing Butler's Second United States Battery. 
 Sedgwick avenue from intersection of United States avenue. 
 Sedgwick avenue north. 
 
 Sedgwick avenue north from Wheatfield road. 
 Sykes avenue, north side Little Round Top. 
 
 Retaining wall along Sykes avenue, north side Little Round Top. 
 Sykes avenue, summit Little Round Top. 
 Sykes avenue, summit Little Round Top. 
 Building retaining wall, south side Little Round Top. 
 Sykes avenue south along retaining wall. 
 Rolling Sykes avenue between the Round Tops. 
 Graded roadway, foot of Big Round Top. 
 Laying foundation pavement, foot of Big Round Top. 
 Hitching rail at Devil's Den. 
 
 Hitching rail near Devil's Den, looking toward Little Round Top. 
 Turnbull's F and K Third United States Battery, Emmitsburg road
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1898 
 
 41
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1898, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL, MILITARY PARK, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., October 1, 1898. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Park Commission respectfulty sub- 
 mit the following report of the progress and condition of their work, 
 with some suggestions on what they think necessary for its successful 
 prosecution in the future: 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Since the last report Crawford avenue has been completed, leading 
 northward from Devil's Den through the Valley of Death and across 
 Plum Run to the Wheatfield road. The bridge over Plum Run was 
 constructed in the same substantial style as the others which have 
 been built on this field. 
 
 The commission, having heretofore given attention to the roads and 
 avenues of the park of the second and third days' battlefield, have 
 thought it wise this year to look after those on the first day's field, 
 and have entered into contracts for the construction of Reynolds and 
 Howard avenues, which mark the lines, respectively, of the First and 
 Eleventh Corps of the Union Army and are together nearly 3 miles 
 long. Howard avenue is finished. It leads from the Harrisburg road, 
 near Rock Creek, westward by Barlow's Knoll to the Mummasburg 
 road ; is 20 feet wide, and constructed on the Telford plan in the best 
 manner, like all the avenues on this field. Reynolds avenue, which 
 is in two sections, will be completed, it is hoped, early next spring. 
 
 A number of other roads and avenues have been mentioned in 
 previous reports as urgently needed to render accessible important 
 and interesting sections of this great battlefield. The commissioners 
 would have pushed them this year but for the lack of adequate means, 
 and they will do so as soon as practicable. Among them are the 
 avenues on the cavalry field and the road leading thither. 
 
 The commission long since constructed Telford avenues along the 
 Confederate battle line of the second and third days' fight on Semi- 
 nary Ridge, on each extremity of said line, the left of Hill's Corps 
 and the right of Longstreet's, aggregating over 3 miles in length. 
 Between these two parts of Confederate avenue there is a gap of 2. 
 miles (long) along the left of Longstreet's Corps and the right of 
 Hill's, across which the commission have been very anxious to con- 
 struct a link needed to connect the two extremities aforesaid and thus 
 complete the Confederate avenue from the Chambersburg pike north- 
 west of the town southward and eastward to Round Top, a distance 
 of over 5 miles, 
 
 43
 
 44 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 No part of this battlefield is more interesting than the part covered 
 by that gap in the Confederate avenue. Not only did important 
 movements of the second day's battle originate there, but it was there 
 the Confederate column of the third day under Longstreet was formed 
 and began its advance on that final charge led by Pickett, so sublime 
 in its daring and so tragic in its fate. 
 
 There is no part of this battlefield so inaccessible as this. Encum- 
 bered by bushes and briers and cross fences, with not even an open 
 footpath over it, visitors here never see this ground because they can 
 not reach it. 
 
 The only reason the commission have not constructed the avenue 
 over it is because the Government does not own the land, not having 
 the right of way, and the owners of the land ask such exorbitant 
 prices for it that the Secretary of War and the commission do not feel 
 justified in paying them. More than two years ago the Secretary of 
 War authorized and instructed the commission to begin a proceeding 
 in the circuit court of the United States to condemn the lands needed 
 for said avenue, together with some adjacent woodlands, which it was 
 important to preserve, the whole area being 105 acres, and the said 
 proceeding was begun at once and is still pending. A jury of view 
 was appointed, inspected the lands, heard the testimony offered on 
 both sides, and made an aw r ard that was liberal to the respondents, 
 ranging from $46 to $200 per acre, but they appealed to the court in 
 term at Philadelphia and have since resorted to vexatious delays and 
 continuances, so that the case is still pending and undetermined. Thus 
 this important part of the Confederate lines is prevented from being 
 opened and the military positions on it fixed and marked as intended 
 by the Government. 
 
 The commission wish to emphasize the fact that the main hindrance 
 to marking Confederate lines and positions, not only on the grounds 
 just above spoken of, but on almost all of this field, as was the inten- 
 tion of Congress in establishing the Gettysburg National Park, is 
 that the lands whereon said lines and positions are situated are not 
 yet owned by the United States. Prompt action by the courts in 
 condemning the needed lands when held at exorbitant prices, and 
 liberal appropriations by Congress for the purchase of lands which 
 can be bought at reasonable rates, are the two main requisites for the 
 realization of the patriotic purposes of the Government with reference 
 to this battlefield. 
 
 MARKING POSITIONS OF UNION TROOPS. 
 
 The West Virginia commission have recently erected the following: 
 A granite monument to the Seventh West Virginia Infantry on East 
 Cemetery Hill, and three granite tablets marking temporary positions 
 of this regiment on the field at different stages of the battle; a 
 granite monument to the First West Virginia Artillery in the 
 National Cemetery; a granite monument to the First West Virginia 
 Cavalry on the Taneytown road south of General Meade's headquar- 
 ters; a granite monument to the Third West Virginia Cavalry on 
 Buford avenue. All these monuments were dedicated by appro- 
 priate ceremonies on the 28th of September ultimo, attended by the 
 governor of that State and his staff with many other citizens, and by 
 ili'- S.M-.md i:.giinrnt West Virginia Infantry Volunteers, which 
 marched here from Camp George G. Meade for that purpose. 
 
 The Maine commission have also, since last report, erected stoue
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 45 
 
 tablets on Hancock avenue, near the high- water mark, to show the 
 position of the Third and Fourth Maine Infantry Regiments on the 
 third da}- of the battle. 
 
 The positions of the United States regular troops in this battle, 
 consisting of 11 regiments of infantry, 4 regiments of cavalry, and 22 
 batteries of artillery, have been accurately located and are carefully 
 noted on our maps, and also on the ground by markers, so that when 
 the Government shall take steps to erect monuments to these troops, 
 which their gallant services here certainly entitle them to, there will 
 be no difficulty in placing them. 
 
 MARKING POSITIONS OF CONFEDERATE TROOPS. 
 
 Handsome and durable iron tablets with appropriate inscriptions 
 are now being erected on substantial iron pillars, designating and 
 briefly describing the services rendered by each of the following Con- 
 federate batteries, the respective positions of which have been marked 
 for some time by mounted guns of like class and caliber as those of 
 which each battery was composed, viz: 
 
 Taylor's Virginia Battery, Woolfolk's Ashland (Va.) Artillery, Par- 
 ker's Virginia Battery, and Jordan's Bedford (Va.) Artillery, of Alex- 
 ander's Battalion. 
 
 Manly's North Carolina Artillery, Eraser's Pulaski (Ga.) Artillery, 
 McCarthy's First Richmond Howitzers, and Carlton's Troop (Ga.) 
 Artiller3 r , of Cabell's Battalion. 
 
 Bachman's German (S. C.) Artillery, Garden's Palmetto (S. C.) 
 Light Artillery, Latham's Branch (N. C.) Artillery, and Reilly's Rowan 
 (N. C.) Artillery, of Henry's Battalion. 
 
 Johnson's Virginia Battery, Rice's Danville (Va.) Artillery, Hurt's 
 Hard away (Ala.) Artillery, and Wallace's Second Rockbridge (Va.) 
 Artillery, of Melntosh's Battalion. 
 
 Cunningham's Powhataii (Va.) Artillery, Watson's Second Rich- 
 mond Howitzers, and Smith's Third Richmond Howitzers, of Dance's 
 Battalion. 
 
 The above are all the Confederate batteries which occupied posi- 
 tions on ground of which the title has yet been acquired by the United 
 States. 
 
 Inscriptions are being prepared and tablets of iron similar to those 
 mentioned above will shortly be erected to designate the positions and 
 briefly describe the evolutions and achievements of the following Con- 
 federate infantry commands, viz: 
 
 Kershaw's Brigade of McLaws's Division, and each of its component 
 regiments, the Second, Third, Seventh, Eighth, and Fifteenth South 
 Carolina, and Third South Carolina Battalion. 
 
 Semmes's Brigade of McLaws's Division, with its Tenth, Fiftieth, 
 Fifty-first, and Fifty-third Georgia Regiments. 
 
 Anderson's Brigade of Hood's Division, with its Seventh, Eighth, 
 Ninth, Eleventh, and Fifty-ninth Georgia Regiments. 
 
 Benning's Brigade of Hood's Division, with its Second, Fifteenth, 
 Seventeenth, and Twentieth Georgia Regiments. 
 
 Robertson's Brigade of Hood's Division, with its First, Fourth, and 
 Fifth Texas and Third Arkansas Regiments. 
 
 Law's Brigade of Hood's Division, with its Fourth, Fifteenth, Forty- 
 fourth, Forty-seventh, and Forty-eighth Alabama Regiments. 
 
 The method of marking the positions of troops on this field, as 
 approved by the War Department, is to place the principal tablet or 
 
 1617505 4
 
 46 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 monument of each command at the position occupied by the command 
 in the main line of battle, and to mark the several important posi- 
 tions subsequently reached by each command in the course of the 
 battle by subordinate and ancillary tablets, with appropriate brief 
 inscriptions giving interesting details and occurrences and noting the 
 day and hour as nearly as possible. 
 
 The Confederate commands above mentioned are the only ones 
 whose chief positions were upon ground now owned by the United 
 States, and are, therefore, the only ones which can be marked until the 
 Government shall acquire the lands on which they formed and fought. 
 
 The commission are much gratified to notice an awakening of inter- 
 est in influential quarters among the people of the Southern States 
 concerning this battlefield and the importance of erecting monuments 
 to commemorate the heroism of their soldiers here, as the people and 
 States of the North have done, and it is hoped that Congress will rec- 
 ognize and foster this praiseworthy sentiment springing up in the 
 South by liberal appropriations of the moneys needed to purchase and 
 acquire title to the lands on which the Confederate troops operated 
 and where their monuments must be placed. 
 
 The commission will not encumber this report by going into the 
 details of their work or attempting to specify the many minor expenses, 
 amounting in the aggregate to a considerable sum, which are neces- 
 sarily incident to the accomplishment of so great a design as the estab- 
 lishment of the Gettysburg National Park. They feel warranted in 
 declaring that, though yet incomplete, this is already the best marked 
 battlefield in the world, and to all those who desire to understand the 
 character and the extent of the work done, they say, "Come and see." 
 
 While the commission are satisfied that they could judiciously and 
 economically use in pushing this work during the next year a much 
 larger sum, they hereby earnestly request and recommend that not 
 less than $75,000 be appropriated. 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 C. A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 
 
 Howard avenue, from Barlow Knoll. 
 
 Howard avenue, east from Carlisle road. 
 
 Howard avenue, west from Carlisle road, showing shoulder stones. 
 
 Howard avenue, east from Mummasburg road, ready for paving. 
 
 Gen. John F. Reynolds statue, from the southwest. 
 
 Spangler's Spring, foot of Culps Hill. 
 
 Hitching rail, Slocum uvenue, near Spangler's Spring. 
 
 Guard rail on retaining wall, Slocum avenue. 
 
 Hitching rail, Slocum avenue, summit of Gulp's Hill. 
 
 Style of stone wall rebuilt by the commission on Hancock avenue. 
 
 Meade avenue, from Taneytown road. 
 
 Style of gate adopted by the commission. 
 
 Meade avenue, from near Hancock avenue, showing paved gutter. 
 
 Sodded bank on Sedgwick avenue. 
 
 Sodded bank on Sedgwick avenue near Wheatfield road. 
 
 Guard rail on retaining wall. Little Bound Top. 
 
 Sodded bank, section 6, Confederate avenue. 
 
 Crawford avenue, from Wheatfield road.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 47 
 
 Bridge on Crawford avenue over Plum Run. 
 
 Crawford avenue, from Devil's Den. 
 
 Guard chain and balls and paths at Devil's Den. 
 
 LIST OF BLUE PRINTS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 
 
 324. Cross sections of the different avenues built on the Gettysburg battlefield. 
 
 325. Design for Spanerler's Spring. 
 
 326. Plot of land conveyed to the United States by George Spangler, on which is 
 erected First Maryland, Battery A, monument. 
 
 327. Perspective and detail drawing of Spangler's Spring. 
 
 328. Plot of land conveyed by Nathaniel Lightner to the United States of America, 
 on which is erected First New York, Battery M. monument. 
 
 329. Guard rail on retaining wall along south slope of Sykes avenue. 
 
 330. Guard rail for retaining wall, north slope of Little Round Top. 
 
 331. Property of Jacob Masonheimer. 
 
 332. Seat of observation tower. 
 
 333. Map showing where Gen. Daniel E. Sickles was wounded July 2, 1863. 
 
 334. Plot of land conveyed by Samuel Bushman to the United States of America. 
 
 335. Bridge over Crawford avenue on Plum Run. 
 
 336. Plot of property conveyed by Samuel O. Robinson to the United States. 
 
 337. Plot of property of Jacob Masonheimer conveyed, through Samuel O. Rob- 
 inson, to the United States of America. 
 
 338. Field of Longstreet's assault, C-3. 
 
 339. Plan of cellar drain at Dougherty's house. 
 
 340. Width of tires on wagons used for tourists within the Gettysburg National 
 Military Park. 
 
 341. United States property and land included within the Sickles bill. 
 
 342. Property of heirs of Abraham Trostle on the Gettysburg battlefield. 
 
 34o. Hitching rail and posts. 
 
 344. Drainpipe on avenue. 
 
 345. Pipe wall, catch- basin, and gutter paving. 
 
 346. Gate to be used in the Gettysburg National Park. 
 
 347. Plan of water cart. 
 
 348. Land company's land. 
 
 349. Tract of land belonging to Calvin Gilbert on Barlow's Knoll. 
 
 350. Plot of land belonging to land and improvement company on which to erect 
 Reynolds statue. 
 
 351. Plot of tracts of land belonging to heirs of J.' Bender. 
 
 352. Plan of Howard avenue. 
 
 353. Plan of Reynolds avenue, section 1. 
 
 354. Plan of Reynolds avenue, section 2. 
 
 355. Map showing obstruction placed in Brooke avenue, Gettysburg battlefield, 
 by the Gettysburg Transit Company. 
 
 356. Plot of land betonging to heirs of J. Bender on Barlow's Knoll. 
 
 357. Plan of path to summit of Big Round Top. 
 
 358. West Gettysburg, B-3.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1899 
 
 49
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1899, 
 
 GETTYSBURG, PA., October 2, 1899. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Park Commission respectfully sub- 
 mit the following report of the progress and condition of their work, 
 with suggestions as to what they think needful for its successful 
 prosecution : 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Since the last report an avenue along the battle lines of the First 
 Army Corps on the field of the first day's battle has been constructed. 
 It is about a mile and two-thirds long, 20 feet wide, and made on the 
 Telford plan, in the most substantial manner. The main section is 
 called Reynolds avenue, but, with the approval of the Secretary of 
 War, three minor sections have been named, respectively, Wadsworth, 
 Doubleday, and Robinson avenues. 
 
 The two parts of Sickles avenue, which were previously discon- 
 nected, have been united by constructing an avenue, 1,100 feet in 
 length, along what is known as the Wheatfield road, which, being a 
 public highway at the time when Sickles avenue was made, could not 
 then be occupied and improved as a battlefield avenue, as was like- 
 wise the case with all the public roads within the park. This diffi- 
 culty has since been obviated by an act of the Pennsylvania legislature 
 ceding jurisdiction of all such roads to the United States, and the act 
 of Congress authorizing the Secretary of War to improve such of them 
 as in his discretion might be deemed needful. Sickles avenue is now 
 continuous and follows, as nearly as the contour of the ground will 
 permit, the entire line of the Third Army Corps from the Emmitsburg 
 road near the Rogers House to the Devil's Den. 
 
 There is also being constructed, and now nearly completed, an ave- 
 nue one-half mile in length, from Spangler's spring around the south- 
 western slope and base of Gulp's Hill, along the line on which the 
 Union forces formed on the morning of July 3 for the struggle to 
 recover their works occupied by the Confederates the previous evening. 
 
 The proceedings begun by us three years ago, by direction of the 
 Secretary of War, in the circuit court of the United States for the 
 eastern district of Pennsylvania to acquire, by condemnation, five 
 tracts of land on Seminary Ridge, and embracing 2 miles of the Con- 
 federate battle lines of the second and third days, is not yet con- 
 cluded. The jury of view made their award two and a half years ago. 
 The respondents appealed to court in term, where, after much delay 
 caused by them, it was tried, and a verdict rendered last December 
 very liberal for them. They availed themselves of the six months 
 allowed for appeal and then carried the case to the United States 
 circuit court of appeals. This court is now sitting in Philadelphia, 
 
 51
 
 52 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 and respondents' counsel seek further delay by continuance to next 
 term. 
 
 One of the five respondents has withdrawn from the contest, 
 accepted the liberal sum ($3,420) awarded by the jury, and conveyed 
 to the United States the tract of land in controversy belonging to him. 
 We trust the case will soon be concluded, and that we may be enabled 
 to complete the avenue along the Confederate line on Seminary Ridge. 
 Both ends of it have long been built, and the completion of the 2-iui It- 
 gap in the center will open up one of the most interesting parts of this 
 field, now almost inaccessible, that part from which the Confederate 
 column of the third day moved out on its brilliant, though unsuc- 
 cessful, charge. 
 
 A number of other avenues should be constructed, among them <me 
 along the Confederate battle line on the northeast side of Gulp's Hill; 
 another from between the Round Tops to Plum Run Valley and 
 Devil's Den; another along the linoof Wright's division, from bet ween 
 the Round Tops southeastwardly across the Tarieyl own road ; anol her 
 along the line of the Twentieth Maine, on Vincent's spur of Little 
 Round Top; another along Buford's cavalry line; and others con- 
 necting the cavalry fields, both south and east of Gettysburg, with 
 the infantry battlefield. In some of these cases it will be necessary 
 to acquire land at reasonable prices, the owners being private citizens 
 and not speculating corporations. The land purchased this year in 
 different parcels is 194.89 acres, costing $11,747. 
 
 A striking proof of the great and general interest felt by the people 
 with reference to this battlefield, and of the importance of making all 
 parts of it easily accessible by good avenues, appears in this fad, 
 stated by our engineer that having caused a record to be kept by the 
 guards it was found that about 9,000 vehicles, carrying 3(i,000 tourists, 
 passed over the Hancock avenue in a single month. 
 
 MARKING POSITIONS OF TROOPS AND BATTERIES. 
 
 The positions of batteries belonging to the regular Union and Con- 
 federate armies are marked usually by two guns to each battery of the 
 same class and caliber as those which constituted the battery, and also 
 by iron tablets, supported by iron pillars deeply planted in the ground 
 and bearing appropriate inscriptions, the letters of which are cast with 
 the tablet. The guns are mounted upon substantial iron gun car- 
 riages set upon granite blocks. A number of these have been put in 
 position this year and mounted with guns to mark both Union and 
 Confederate batteries. The commission have, up to this date, mounted 
 in this manner 207 guns. 
 
 The positions of the United States Regulars and of the Confederate 
 troops are and will be marked by iron tablets similar to those above 
 described and with suitable inscriptions. Such tablets have already 
 been erected to all Confederate brigades whose lines are on the ground 
 to which the United States has title, and as soon as the Government 
 shall acquire the necessary lands all the other brigades will be simi- 
 larly marked. We propose also putting up appropriate tablets to eacli 
 Confederate regiment, and are taking steps to do this as rapidly as 
 practicable; likewise memorials of suitable dignity to the Confederate 
 divisions and army corps. 
 
 The positions of the Union Regulars have all been accurately deter- 
 mined, suitable inscriptions prepared for each command, and the 
 tablets have been contracted for and will soon be completed and 
 erected.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 53 
 
 The number of tablets erected this year to batteries and to infantry 
 and cavalry commands, Union and Confederate, is 65, and the whole 
 number of such erected by the commission to date is 91. The fore- 
 going method of marking positions on this field has been adopted, and 
 is being carried out with the approval of the Secretary of War. 
 
 MONUMENTS. 
 
 The equestrian statue of General Reynolds was unveiled on the 1st 
 day of July with appropriate ceremonies. 
 
 A monument to the Fourteenth Vermont Regiment was recently 
 erected by the -veterans of the .regiment on Hancock avenue, south of 
 the Vermont Brigade monument. 
 
 A monument to the Thirteenth Vermont Regiment is now being 
 erected just north of the brigade monument. 
 
 SENTIMENTS OF THE VETERANS. 
 ANNUAL REUNION OF THE UNITED CONFEDERATE VETERANS, CHARLESTON, S. C., 
 
 MAY 10-13. 1899. 
 
 The following preamble and resolutions were unanimously reported by the com- 
 mittee and unanimously adopted by the veterans: 
 
 "Whereas the Government of the United States has undertaken and is pushing 
 forward the work of permanently marking the lines and positions of the troops of 
 both the contending armies on several great battlefields of the civil war, among 
 them Gettysburg, Chickatnauga, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and others, with the design 
 of making these battlefields permanent memorials of the prowess of American 
 soldiers without respect of section: 
 
 ".Re.soZm/, That we, as Confederate veterans, sympathize with and commend this 
 patriotic purpose of the Government, and will lend our influence and aid toward 
 its full realization. 
 
 "Resolved, That we trust the people of the Southern States will take early and 
 effective steps to erect upon these battlefields suitable monuments in honor of our 
 glorious heroes in gray who fought and died for what they believed to be right." 
 
 I certify that the above and foregoing resolutions were unanimously passed at 
 the Charleston, S. C., reunion on May 12, 1899, and the above is a true copy from 
 the minutes of the same. j B GoRDON> 
 
 General Commanding. 
 GEO. MOORMAN, 
 Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff. 
 
 PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED AT THE THIRTY-THIRD NA- 
 TIONAL ENCAMPMENT OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC, HELD IN THE 
 CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, SEPTEMBER 6 AND 7, 1899. 
 
 Whereas the first efforts ever made to preserve and ftilly mark a battlefield were 
 begtin in 1863, immediately after the battle of Gettysburg, to preserve the features 
 of that field and to mark the positions and movements of the troops engaged; this 
 was done by loyal hearts and willing hands at a cost of over $2,000,000. and with- 
 out any help from Congress; and 
 
 Whereas all this property was transferred to the General Government in 1895 
 free of cost, and in view of the liberal contributions by States, by societies, and by 
 individuals, there should be more liberal appropriations on the part of Congress to 
 complete this work on the field where the greatest battle of the war was fought 
 one of the greatest battles of modern times: Therefore. 
 
 Revolved, That we earnestly commend the Gettysburg National Military Park 
 Commission in its work of acquiring lands of historical interest, of constructing 
 avenues along lines of battle otherwise inaccessible, in restoring and preserving 
 the original features of the field, and in marking with tablets and monuments the 
 positions and movements of troops, so-that the history of the battle will practically 
 be written on the field: and 
 
 Resolved, That we ask Congress to make liberal appropriations to enable the 
 commissioners to acquire the necessary lands and complete at an early day the 
 work provided for by the act creating the park. 
 
 ALBERT D. SHAW, 
 
 Commander in Chief. 
 THOMAS J. STEWART, 
 
 Adjutant-General.
 
 54 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIRTIETH ANNUAL REUNION OF THE SOCIETY OF THE ARMY 
 OF THE POTOMAC, HELD AT PITTSBURG, PA., OCTOBER 11 AND 12, 1899. 
 
 [Extract from minutes.] 
 
 The following resolution was unanimously adopted: 
 
 The Society of the Army of the Potomac desires to express to the Secretary of 
 War its high appreciation of the work performed under the direction of his 
 Department on the battlefield of Gettysburg, and to commend the commission, 
 Col. John P. Nicholson, Maj. Charles A. Richardson, and Maj. William M. Rob- 
 bins, for the intelligence and faithfulness with which they have accomplished the 
 indication and preservation of the lines of battle, especial praise being due the 
 commission for the character and quality of the avenues and the skill with which 
 the system has been plotted, making communication with all parts of the field 
 possible and satisfactory. The society also asks that the continued support and 
 aid of the Government be generously continued to the commission, that they may 
 be enabled to complete the undertaking consistently with its beginning, and so 
 make the national memorial at Gettysburg worthy the fame and the importance 
 of the greatest battlefield of the great war. 
 
 D. McM. GREGG, 
 
 Prendent. 
 HORATIO C. KING, 
 
 Secretary. 
 
 The commission are gratified to observe the deep interest thus mani- 
 fested by the veterans of both armies in the great work which we are 
 pushing forward as rapidly as possible, and we trust that Congress will 
 respond to the praiseworthy sentiment of the veterans by suitable 
 appropriations commensurate with the magnitude and importance of 
 the work. 
 
 We will not encumber this report by going into further details or 
 attempting to specify the many minor expenses necessarily incident 
 to the accomplishment of so important a design as the establishment 
 of this national military park. Though yet incomplete, this is already 
 the best marked battlefield in the world, and all who come to see it 
 are surprised and delighted. 
 
 While the commission could judiciously and economically use in 
 pushing this work during the next year a much larger sum, they 
 earnestly recommend that not less than $100,000 be appropriated. 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 CHARLES A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ACCOMPANYING REPORT, SHOWING SOME OF THE DETAILS 
 OF THE WORK DURING THE YEAR. 
 
 1. Shell, stones, and chain, Barlow Knoll. 
 
 2. Howard avenue, looking west. 
 
 3 View of tower of Doubleday and Robinson avenues and hitching rail. 
 
 4. Wadsworth avenue, looking west. 
 
 *> From intersection of Wadsworth and Reynolds avenues, showing style of 
 tablets adopted for avenues. 
 
 6. Reynolds avenue, looking south from Reynolds Grove. 
 
 7. Piked roadway through Reynolds Grove. 
 
 8. Menchy's Spring, foot of East Cemetery Hill. 
 
 9. Geary avenue on Gulp's Hill, near Spanglers Spring, showing foundation 
 
 and shoulder stones. 
 
 10. Geary avenue along ravine in front of One hundred and forty-seventh Penn- 
 sylvania monument. 
 
 11. Geary avenue from near Spangler's Spring. 
 12. Geary avenue from intersection with Slocum avenue.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 55 
 
 13. Section Kinzie's Battery L, Fifth United States. 
 
 14. Rugg's Battery F, Fourth United States, and Kinzie's Battery K, Fifth 
 
 United States. 
 
 15. Section Taf t's Fifth New York (Evergreen Cemetery) . 
 16. Dilger's Battery I, First Ohio (National Cemetery). 
 17. Bancroft's Battery G, Fourth United States (National Cemetery). 
 18. Eakin's Battery H. First United States (National Cemetery). 
 19. Hill's Battery C, First West Virginia (National Cemetery). 
 20. McCartney's Battery A, First Massachusetts (National Cemetery). 
 21. Hall's Second Maine Battery. 
 22. Edgell's First New Hampshire Battery. 
 23. Breastworks in Patterson field east of Hancock avenue. 
 24. Stone wall rebuilt on Sedgwick avenue. 
 25. Wheatfield road connecting Sickles avenue. 
 26. Path to summit of Big Round Top from avenue. 
 27. Path near summit of Big Round Top. 
 
 28. Path near summit of Big Round Top, looking toward base of hill. 
 29. Vista near summit of Big Round Top, showing the Sphinx. 
 30. Law's Brigade tablet, section 5, Confederate avenue. 
 31. Taylor's and Parker's Battery, section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 82. Carlton's Battery, section 4, Confederate avenue. 
 
 LIST OF BLUE PRINTS ACCOMPANYING REPORT, SHOWING SOME OF THE DETAILS 
 OF THE WORK DURING THE YEAR. 
 
 359. Stonework for Menchy's Spring. 
 
 360. Tract belonging to Henry Osborn. 
 
 362. Tract belonging to Alex. Little. 
 
 363. A monument to mark Camp Letterman. 
 
 364. A monument to mark headquarters Fifth Army Corps. 
 
 365. Property of heirs of Abraham Trostle. 
 
 366. Camping ground for Second West Virginia Regiment. 
 
 367.- -Map of Stevens Knoll. 
 
 368. Map of avenues and roads. 
 
 369. Position of chain and balls on Barlow Knoll. 
 
 370. Map showing tracts exchanged between William Patterson and Simon J. 
 
 Codori. 
 
 371. Corps badges. 
 372. Drain pipe on Howard avenue. 
 373. Plot of Fourteenth Connecticut Regiment. 
 374. Cast-iron tablet and stand. 
 375. Corps badges. 
 
 376. Land and Improvement Company's land. 
 377. Drain pipe near Bryan House. 
 
 378. Map showing road around Twenty-eighth Massachusetts monument. 
 379. Map showing road around Twenty-eighth Massachusetts monument. 
 380. Grand Army badges. 
 381. Grand Army badges. 
 
 38'2. Plan for piked roadway through Reynolds Grove. 
 383. Orchard on Trostle farm. 
 384. Plan of avenue along south base, Culp's Hill. 
 385.- Property of L. Trostle. 
 386. Plan of ground around Reynolds statue. 
 387. Plan of steps on Little Round Top. 
 389. Property of Samuel M. Bushman. 
 390. Plan of addition to stable. 
 
 391. Cross section showing plan for surfacing avenue. 
 392. Avenue from Sykes to Crawford avenue. 
 393. Design for division tablet. 
 394. South Emmitsburg road. 
 395. Powers Hill. 
 396. East Gettysburg. 
 397. Map showing line of proposed avenue through Culp's property.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1900 
 
 57
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1900, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK COMMISSION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., October, 1900. 
 
 SIR: The commissioners of the Gettysburg National Military Park 
 respectfully submit the following report concerning their work, its 
 condition and progress, with some suggestions as to what is needed for 
 its further prosecution: 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 The total length of the avenues now on the battlefield, which are all 
 constructed on the Telford system, is nearly 15 miles. An avenue, 
 known at present as East Confederate avenue, is just completed from 
 the eastern border of the town across the intervening fields to Gulp's 
 Hill, and around the base of that hill to Spangler's Spring. It is 20 
 feet wide and nearly a mile and a half long, and follows substantially 
 the battle line of Ewell's Confederate Corps. At its southeastern ter- 
 minus it joins Slocum avenue, which marks the line of the Twelfth 
 Corps along the summit of Gulp's Hill. 
 
 The land along the summit of Seminary Ridge having recently been 
 acquired by the conclusion of the long pending condemnation cases, a 
 contract has been made for the construction of an avenue 20 feet wide 
 and two miles in length along that ridge, and work thereon has begun. 
 This avenue follows the Confederate line of battle, and when completed 
 the entire line of Longstreet's and Hill's corps on the second and 
 third da} r s of the battle, including the part from which the charge of 
 the third day was made, will be indicated and rendered easily accessi- 
 ble by a Telford avenue. 
 
 A number of other avenues should be constructed on the Telford 
 system, among them Buford avenue on the first day's field; another 
 along the line of the Twentieth Maine on Vincent's Spur and thence 
 to Plum Run Valley and Devil's Den; another along the line of 
 Wright's Division from between the Round Tops southeastward^ 
 across the Taneytown road, Pleasonton avenue and others connecting 
 the cavalry fields and positions, both east and south of Gettysburg, 
 with the infantry battlefield. 
 
 The Taneytown road from the borough line to a point beyond 
 General Meade's headquarters should be converted into a Telford 
 avenue, and so should the Mummasburg road from the end of Howard 
 avenue to Buford avenue; also the Fairfield road from the south end of 
 
 59
 
 60 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 Reynolds avenue to Confederate avenue; the Wheatfield road across 
 the entire battlefield from east to west, and the road leading from 
 Crawford avenue to United States avenue. 
 
 POSITIONS OF TROOPS AND BATTERIES ESTABLISHED AND MARKED. 
 
 Gun carriages with mounted guns have been erected on the field 
 since the last report. 
 
 The section of Calef's battery on Reynolds avenue has been marked 
 by two 3-inch rifles mounted on iron gun carriages and b}' a monumental 
 tablet with an appropriate inscription. 
 
 The section of Smith's New York battery on Crawford avenue in 
 Plum Run Valley has been marked by two 10-pounder Parrotts mounted 
 on iron gun carriages and by a monumental tablet with an appropriate 
 inscription. 
 
 Two additional gun carriages mounted with Napoleons have been 
 placed with Wilkeson's battery on Barlow's Knoll. 
 
 Two additional gun carriages mounted with 3-inch rifles have been 
 placed with Wheeler's battery on Howard avenue. 
 
 Two additional gun carriages mounted with Napoleons have been 
 placed with Dilger s battery on Howard avenue. 
 
 Two additional gun carriages mounted with 3-inch rifles have been 
 placed with Reygolds's battery on Reynolds avenue. 
 
 Two additional gun carriages mounted with 10-pounder Parrotts 
 have been placed with Smith's New York battery on Sickles avenue 
 near Devil's Den. 
 
 Two gun carriages mounted with light 12-pounders have been placed 
 on Hancock avenue to mark the position of Ames's battery, heretofore 
 marked by a small stone monument only. 
 
 One additional gun carriage mounted with a Napolron has been 
 placed with Heckman's battery at the junction of Carlisle and Lincoln 
 streets in Gettysburg. 
 
 There are now 225 mounted guns on the battlefield, all of which 
 have been placed by this commission. 
 
 Mounted guns had been placed on the field before the Government 
 took charge of it, but the carriages were poorly constructed and the 
 guns not of the same kind as those used in the battle. Now gun car- 
 riages constructed entirely of iron, closely resembling the wooden 
 carriages have been substituted for the old, imperfect ones, and are 
 also used for the many additional batteries set up by the commission; 
 and the guns mounted on every battery of the field are of the same 
 class and caliber as were used in the battle by each battery, respectively. 
 
 TABLETS. 
 
 Since the last report the following tablets have been set up, viz: 
 Monumental tablets of iron with appropriate inscriptions have been 
 erected on the knoll west of Plum Run Valley and near The Wheat- 
 field, to mark the positions of the Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Sev- 
 enth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Fourteenth, and Seventeenth regi- 
 ments, United States Infantry, of Burbank's and Day's brigades, 
 Avres's division. 
 
 The positions of the following Confederate brigades of EwelPs Corps 
 have been marked by monumental tablets of iron erected along East
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 61 
 
 Confederate avenue, with appropriate inscriptions describing the part 
 each took in the battle, with its numbers and losses, viz: 
 
 Jones's Virginia brigade, Nicholls's Louisiana brigade, Stuart's Vir- 
 ginia, North Carolina, and Maryland brigades, Walker's Virginia bri- 
 gade of Johnson's division. 
 
 Hoke's North Carolina brigade, Hays's Louisiana brigade, Smith's 
 Virginia brigade, Gordon's Georgia brigade of Early's division. 
 
 Daniel's North Carolina brigade, O'Neal's Alabama brigade of Rodes's 
 division. 
 
 Avenue tablets as follows: Four on Howard avenue, 4 on Reynolds 
 avenue, 2 on Doubleday avenue, 1 on Robinson avenue, 1 on Wads- 
 worth avenue, 1 on Neill avenue, 2 on Geary avenue, 1 on Coster 
 avenue, 2 on Crawford avenue. 
 
 Caution tablets as follows: Five on Howard avenue, 2 on Doubleday 
 avenue, 1 on Robinson avenue, 1 on Wadsworth avenue, 2 on Rey- 
 nolds avenue, 2 on Geary avenue. 
 
 Direction and distance tablets have been placed, 1 on each of the 5 
 observation towers, giving the true direction and distance of each and 
 all of the most important features and positions on the field as seen 
 from each tower, respectively. 
 
 Tablets have been erected marking important historic places on the 
 battlefield, viz: Spangler's Spring, Culp's Hill, Stevens Knoll, East 
 Cemetery Hill, Ziegler's Grove, Bryan House, The Angle, George 
 Weikert House, Trostle House, Excelsior Field, The Loop, Devil's 
 Den, Little Round Top, The Wheatfield (2), Barlow's Knoll, Oak 
 Ridge, Reynolds Woods. 
 
 There have also been erected on all the roads radiating from Gettys- 
 burg, 12 in all, handsome tablets of iron giving the distances to neigh- 
 boring towns and villages more or less connected with the story of the 
 battle, viz: 
 
 On the Chambersburg pike from Gettysburg to Cashtown; from 
 Gettysburg to Chambersburg. 
 
 On the Hagerstown road from Gettysburg to Fairfield; from Gettys- 
 burg to Monterey; from Gettysburg to Waynesboro; from Gettys- 
 burg to Hagerstown. 
 
 On the Emmitsburg road from Gettysburg to Emmitsburg. 
 
 On the Taneytown road from Gettysburg to Taneytown. 
 
 On the Baltimore pike from Gettysburg to Two Taverns; from 
 Gettysburg to Littlestown; from Gettysburg to Westminster; from 
 Gettysburg to Baltimore. 
 
 On Hanover road from Gettysburg to Cavalry Field; from Gettys- 
 burg to Bonneauville; from Gettysburg to Hanover. 
 
 On York pike from Gettysburg to New Oxford; from Gettysburg 
 to York. 
 
 On Hunterstown road from Gettysburg to Hunterstown. 
 
 On Harrisburg road from Gettysburg to Heidlersburg; from Gettys- 
 burg to York Springs; from Gettysburg to Harrisburg. 
 
 On Carlisle road from Gettysburg to Carlisle. 
 
 On Newville road from Gettysburg to Newville. 
 
 On Mummasburg road from Gettysburg to Mummasburg; from 
 Gettysburg to Arendtsville. 
 
 The number of tablets erected since last report is 86, and total now 
 on the field 310. 
 
 1617505 5
 
 62 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 WORK OF ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT. 
 
 The Engineer, Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope, and his assistants, have con- 
 tinued their surve3 T s within the limits of the battlefield, and maps of 
 the area surveyed have been drawn, traced, and blue printed. The} T 
 have also in progress a map drawn upon a scale of 600 feet to the inch, 
 embracing the principal operations of both armies on this field. This 
 map will be 45 inches long and 29 inches wide, embracing 17 square 
 miles, with eveiy detail of topography accuratelv represented. 
 
 It is the purpose of the commission to have tne positions of every 
 battery, battalion, regiment, brigade, and division at each hour of the 
 battle accurately placed upon the necessary number of copies of this 
 map, viz: 
 
 Nine copies showing positions of troops at each hour from 9 a. in. to 
 5 p. m. of the first day's battle. 
 
 Twelve copies showing positions of troops at each hour from 9 a. m. 
 to 9 p. in. of the second day's battle. 
 
 Fourteen copies showing positions of troops at each hour from 4 
 a. m. to 5 p. m. of the third day's battle. 
 
 The whole area embraced in this map has been surve3 r ed and the map 
 itself will be completed in the early part of the coming winter, so that 
 the positions of the troops can be placed upon.it. 
 
 PRESERVING AND RESTORING THE FIELD. 
 
 Much work has been and is being done to restore and preserve the 
 features of the battlefield as the} 7 existed at the time of the battle. 
 This includes the repairing and rebuilding of the stone fences and 
 walls which served as important military defenses, the restoring and 
 preservation of buildings, also the renewal of forests where they have 
 been cut away since the battle. Thousands of young trees have been 
 planted for this purpose and are growing finely. Much care is also 
 taken to preserve and keep in good condition the forests which existed 
 at the time of the battle on lands since acquired and now owned by the 
 Government. Particular care is also taken to avoid cutting awa^y and 
 changing the natural surface of the ground when constructing the 
 avenues. Fortunately the lines of both armies mainly occupied ridges, 
 slopes, and valleys of such character that avenues can be constructed 
 so as to follow those lines closely without seriously disfiguring the 
 ground with cuts and fills in grading. Contracts also have been made 
 for procuring the material and building 10,000 feet of post and rail 
 fencing to inclose sundry tracts of Government land, ana likewise for 
 furnishing the structural steel tubing and erecting pipe fences where 
 needed along the Telford avenues. 
 
 ACQUISITION OF LANDS. 
 
 As previously mentioned, the title to the five tracts of land on Semi- 
 nary Kidge embraced in the condemnation cases has at length been 
 secured to the United States. One of the respondents some time since 
 withdrew from the contest, executed conveyance of his tract, and was 
 paid the sum awarded him by the jury. The other respondents, having 
 sought a new trial and failed to secure it, being served with a rule to 
 show cause why the court should not render judgment vesting in the
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 63 
 
 United States the title to their respective tracts of lands and directing 
 the money awarded therefor by the jury to be paid into court for 
 them, ceased to contend further and consented to such judgment, which 
 has now been rendered and executed. These five tracts contain 105.79 
 acres on Seminary Ridge, where an avenue 2 miles long is now being 
 constructed, as previously mentioned herein. 
 
 Since the last report 22 acres of land lying along the north side of 
 United States avenue and embracing important military positions have 
 been purchased from the Swisher heirs. 
 
 Also 40. 95 acres have been purchased from the Gulp heirs, and it is 
 upon this land, together with a tract previously purchased from S. M. 
 Bushman, that the East Confederate avenue has ]ust been constructed. 
 
 Also the Francis Althoff tract of 12.76 acres and the Basil Biggs 
 tract of 48 acres, both tracts purchased, but the conveyances have not 
 yet been delivered. 
 
 There are other important tracts and parcels of land which should 
 be owned by the United States, but the acquisition of them must await 
 further appropriations by Congress. 
 
 There are also certain tracts and parcels of land which should by all 
 means be acquired by the Government, in order to prevent them from 
 being put to uses such as are contemplated by the owners, which would 
 seriously mar and disfigure the park and battlefield, and they can not 
 be acquired by purchase except at prices absurdly exorbitant, but must 
 be secured, if at all, by condemnation. Such proceedings will be insti- 
 tuted by the commission, with the approval of the Secretary of War. 
 Part of the appropriation which has been asked for by the commission 
 for the next fiscal year is asked for with a view to the institution of 
 such proceedings, which is of vital importance. 
 
 The commission are proud to be able to say that the multitudes of 
 visitors who throng the Gettysburg National Park, including thousands 
 of veterans of both armies that fought here, are not only unanimous 
 in approving the Government's design to make this battlefield a splendid 
 monument to American valor, but are equally emphatic in their com- 
 mendation of the manner in which that design is being carried out. 
 
 (Resolutions expressing commendation of the work are attached.) 
 
 The commission asks for an appropriation of $80,000 for the next 
 year, and they earnestly hope that the sum appropriated may not fall 
 below that. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, Chairman, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 CHARLES A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 RESOLUTIONS OF ARMY VETERAN ASSOCIATIONS. 
 
 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE THIRD ARMY CORPS UNION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., May 22, 1900. 
 
 [Minutes Extract.] 
 ******* 
 
 The veterans of the Third Corps of the Army of the Potomac, having revisited the 
 battlefield of Gettysburg and observed the restoration of the field and its earthworks
 
 64 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 and the tablets and cannon to indicate the positions and movements of troops, and 
 the permanent avenues along or near the lines of battle so graded and constructed as 
 to make the most difficult part of the field accessible, do therefore now at the annual 
 meeting of the Third Army Corps Union, held at Gettysburg, Pa., this 22d day of 
 May, 1900, 
 
 Rexolved, That \ve hereby express our high appreciation of the work done by the 
 Gettysburg National Park Commi&sion as to its thoroughness, permanence, economy, 
 accuracy, and appropriateness, and that we ask Congress to make liberal appropria- 
 tions sufficient to enable the commission to secure the lands needed for the park and 
 to complete at an early day the work provided for by the national-park act. 
 
 JOSEPH H. TWICHELL, President. 
 
 WM. H. HOWARD, Secretary. 
 
 SOCIETY OK THE ARMY OK THE POTOMAC. 
 
 PROCEEDINGS OK THE TIIIKTY-KIKST ANNUAL REUNION OK THE SOCIETY OK THE ARMY 
 OK THE IVTOMAC, AT KREDERICK8BURG, VA., MAY 25-26, 1900. 
 
 [Extract.] 
 
 fc * * * * # * 
 
 The following was unanimously adopted: 
 
 "The Society of the Army of the Potomac wishes to express to the Secretary of 
 \Var its great appreciation of the work accomplished by the War Department on the 
 Gettysburg battlefield, and to commend the United States commission, Col. John P. 
 Nicholson, Maj. William M. Robbins, and Maj. Charles A. Richardson, for the 
 faithfulness with which they have preserved and are marking the lines of battle of 
 the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia, and making avenues 
 of the highest character, and the skill with which the entire work is being done. 
 
 "The society asks that the continued aid of Congress be given to the commission 
 that they may be enabled to complete the great undertaking consistent with its con- 
 ception and so make the National Memorial Park at Gettysburg worthy of the fame 
 of the men who fought there in 1863." 
 
 W. J. SEWELL, President. 
 
 HORATIO C. KING, Secretary. 
 
 TniRTY-KOURTH ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT OK THE 
 DEPARTMENT OK PENNSYLVANIA, GRAND ARMY OK THE REPUBLIC, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., June 6-7, 1900. 
 
 [Extract.] 
 
 ***#*** 
 "Raotocd, That we have noted with great satisfaction the progreas of the work of 
 the United States commission on the battlefield of Gettysburg, and we earnestly com- 
 mend their great work to the Secretary of War and to the Congress of the United 
 States, and we hope that liberal appropriations may be made to acquire and to 
 improve the lands necessary to complete the admirable plans which the commission 
 has adopted. 
 
 "Resolved, That copies of the foregoing resolution be properly attasted and for- 
 warded to the Secretary of War and to the presiding officers of the Houses of Con- 
 gress." 
 The resolutions were unanimously adopted. 
 
 ******* 
 
 JAS. F. MORRISON, Commander 
 THOS. J. STEWART, 
 
 Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 65 
 
 [Extract from the proceedings of the Thirty-fourth National Encampment, Grand Army of the 
 Republic, held at Chicago, 111., August 29 and 30, 1900.] 
 
 THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS. 
 
 The committee recommended that the following, submitted by Past Commander 
 in Chief Wagner, be adopted, and the recommendation was concurred in: 
 
 "The Thirty-lourth National Encampment, Grand Army of the Republic, desires to 
 put upon record the following statement of the condition of the work of marking the 
 battlefield of Gettysburg, and to congratulate the United States commission having 
 charge of the work upon its successful prosecution: 
 
 ' ' We also respectfully request the Congress of the United States to make continued 
 liberal appropriation for the further necessary securing of the land occupied by the 
 armies fighting this battle and for the proper marking thereof." 
 
 UNITED STATES PROPERTY IN THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK, ALSO THE PROGRESS OP 
 THE WORK IN MARKING THE BATTLEFIELD BY THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK 
 COMMISSION. 
 
 One thousand two hundred and twenty-one acres of land have been acquired by 
 the commission, upon which have been erected by States and military organizations 
 447 monuments, principally granite and of large dimensions and appropriate designs. 
 
 Twenty-four Telford avenues, 13 miles long in the aggregate, have been completed 
 by the commission. 
 
 One Telford avenue is under construction 1J miles long; another Telford avenue, 
 2 miles long, is about to be placed under contract. 
 
 By the spring of 1901 there will be completed 16 miles and over of the very best 
 quality of Telford avenues upon the field. 
 
 Twenty-two avenues 14 miles in length are yet to be built to complete the road 
 system contemplated. 
 
 Five steel towers have been erected, and 96 battery positions have been marked 
 with 225 guns mounted upon iron gun carriages. 
 
 Two hundred and ninety-five tablets of large size and appropriate design have been 
 set up to mark the positions of Confederate batteries, battalions, regiments, and 
 brigades. 
 
 Two hundred and fifty-four stones, mounted with shells, 10 inch and 13 inch, have 
 been set up for various purposes on the field, particularly to protect the curves of 
 avenues. 
 
 LEO RASSIEUR, Commander in Chief. 
 
 FRANK M. STERRETT, Adjutant-General. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSION'S REPORT. 
 
 Hurt's Hardaway (Alabama) Artillery of Whitworth guns in Shultz's Grove. 
 
 Style of tablet adopted showing distance to other towns. 
 
 Ctmningbam's battery, Seminary avenue. 
 
 Dilger's First Ohio Battery, Howard avenue. 
 
 Stevens Knoll, shoXving "position for statue to General Slocum. 
 
 Spangler's Spring, foot of Gulp's Hill. 
 
 Entrance to East Confederate avenue from Slocum avenue. 
 
 Style of tablet adopted to mark historical places. 
 
 Smith's Fourth New York Battery, west of Devil's Den. 
 
 Section of Smith's Fourth New York Battery, Crawford avenue. 
 
 Semmes's brigade tablet, Confederate avenue, section 4. 
 
 Benning's brigade tablet, Confederate avenue, section 5. 
 
 Twelfth United States Infantry tablet, Day's brigade, in grove south of Wheat- 
 field. 
 
 Eleventh United States Infantry tablet, Burbank's brigade, in grove south of 
 Wheatfield. 
 
 Tablet marking Excelsior field.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 LIST OF BUTE PRINTS ACCOMPANYING REPORT OF 1900. 
 
 886. Plan of avenue through United States and Masonheimer properties. 
 
 399. Position of Fourteenth Vermont monument. 
 
 400. Map showing property of F. Althoff and surrounding United States properties. 
 
 401. Property of S wisher heirs. 
 
 402. Property of Francis A. Althoff. 
 
 403. Tracts of land belonging to heirs of Henry Gulp. 
 
 404. Middle Willoughby Run, C 2. 
 
 405. Position on Gulp's Hill of the One hundred and forty-seventh New York 
 
 marker. 
 
 406. Proposed avenue around First Vermont Cavalry monument. 
 407. Map showing all the property of the Gettysburg Springs and Hotel Gompany 
 
 south of the Fairfield road. 
 
 408. Plan of culverts 1 and 2 to be built on avenue through Gulp property. 
 409. Plan of arch bridge over Gulp's Run. 
 410. Tract of land belonging to heirs of Henry Gulp. 
 411. Post for fencing. 
 
 412. Plan of avenue through Gulp property. 
 413. Gate adopted for the Gettysburg National Park. 
 414. Proposed piking of the intersection of East Middle and Liberty streets at the 
 
 entrance to East Confederate avenue. 
 
 415. Design for bridge on Reynolds avenue over Western Maryland Railroad. 
 416. Property of George E. Stock in Butler township. 
 417. Stonework for the spring on Hancock avenue. 
 418. Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles wounded July 2, 1863, marker. 
 419. Lands belonging to the Fred. Pfeffer heirs'near Ziegler's Grove. 
 420. Plan of boring holes in iron posts on retaining walls. 
 421. Plan of Confederate avenue along Seminary Ridge from section 1 to section 4 
 
 Wheat-field road.
 
 67
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NAT10N4L MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF "WAR, 1901, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK COMMISSION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa. , October 1, 1901. 
 
 SIR: The commissioners of the Gettysburg National Park respect- 
 fully submit the following report of the condition and progress of 
 their work, with suggestions as to what is needed for its further pros- 
 ecution. In accordance with your recent order, this report, unlike all 
 previous ones, does not include our work to the present date, but to 
 the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 1901. 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 The avenue known at present as West Confederate avenue and men- 
 tioned in our last report as being under contract has been completed. 
 Like all the avenues, it is constructed on the Telford s^ystem and will 
 last for centuries. It is 20 feet wide and over 2 miles long, running 
 from the Hagerstown road near the seminary southward along Semi- 
 nary Ridge, following the Confederate battle line of the second and 
 third days, and for the first time rendering perfectly accessible to vis- 
 itors the ground on which the Confederate column was formed and 
 started on its charge of the third day. The southern terminus of this 
 avenue is at the Wheatfield road, and there it makes connection with 
 an avenue, also 2 miles in length and similar in construction, running 
 along the line of General Longstreet on the second day, and then curv- 
 ing eastward to Round Top. It may not be amiss, as it shows the 
 durable character of these works, to state the fact that the last-men- 
 tioned avenue was constructed six years ago, has been in use ever since, 
 scarcely cost one cent for repairs, and is, if possible, in better condition 
 to-da} 7 than when the Government received it from the contractor. 
 
 The completion of the West Confederate avenue not only makes 
 accessible the lines and positions of the Confederate infantry and 
 artillery on Seminary Ridge, but opens up a more satisfactory view of 
 a large part of the battlefield, including some of the most important 
 and interesting Union positions, thereby enabling the military eritV 
 better than ever before to study the scene of the great conflict and many 
 of its more prominent features from various points of observation. 
 
 Pleasonton avenue has been laid out by the engineer and is now bein^ 
 constructed. It runs from Hancock avenue, near the point where 
 General Hancock was wounded, eastward to the headquarters of the 
 cavalry on the Taneytown road, about one-third of a mile. The total 
 
 69
 
 70 GETTYSBURG "NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 length of the avenues now on the battlefield, all constructed on the 
 Telford plan, is about 16 miles. 
 
 A number of other avenues should be constructed, among them 
 Buford avenue on the first day's field, another along the line of the 
 Twentieth Maine on Vincent's Spur of Little Round Top and thence 
 to Plum Run Valley and Devil's Den, another along the line of 
 Wright's Division, the left of the Sixth Corps, from between the 
 Round Tops southeastwardly across the Taneytown road, and others 
 connecting the cavalry battlefields and positions, both east and south 
 of GettA'sburg, with the battlefield of the infantry. 
 
 Under permit of the Secretary of War, the Taneytown road, from 
 the borough line of Gettysburg to a point beyond General Meade's 
 headquarters, will soon be converted into a Telford avenue. The 
 same, in our judgment, should be done with the Mummasburg road 
 from the western end of Howard avenue to Buford avenue, also the 
 Hagerstown road from the southern end of Reynolds avenue to the 
 Confederate avenue on Seminary Ridge, also the Wheatfield road 
 across the entire battlefield from east to west and the road leading 
 from Crawford avenue to United States avenue. 
 
 MONUMENTAL TABLETS. 
 
 The flanks of the Union and of the Confederate armies respectively 
 have been fixed and marked by iron tablets with suitable inscriptions. 
 
 The position of the One hundred and fort}^-eighth Pennsylvania 
 Regiment on Hancock avenue on the third day of the battle has been 
 established and will soon be indicated by an appropriate and durable 
 marker. 
 
 The spot where Gen. Daniel E. Sickles was wounded, on the even- 
 ing of the second day, has been indicated by a handsome granite 
 marker with an appropriate inscription. 
 
 Thirteen handsome and durable itinerary tablets have been erected 
 at a similar number of towns and villages within a day's march of 
 Gettysburg, with inscriptions setting forth the movements of the 
 several corps, divisions, and minor bodies of troops constituting the 
 Union Army on the days immediately before and after the battle, 
 and specifying the date and the hour of such movements, respectively. 
 
 Preparations are being made to erect similar tablets at suitable 
 points setting forth in like manner the movements, during the same 
 period, of the several bodies of troops composing the Confederate 
 arm} T . 
 
 Historical tablets of iron are being prepared and will soon be erected 
 along the recently completed Confederate avenue on Seminary Ridge, 
 to mark the respective positions of Barksdale's Mississippi Brigade 
 and Wofford's Georgia Brigade, of McLaw's Division; of Kemper's, 
 Garnett's, and Armistead's Virginia brigades of Pickett's Division; of 
 Wilcox's Alabama, Perrv's Florida, Wright's Georgia, Posey's Missis- 
 sippi, and Mahone's Virginia brigades of Anderson's Division; of 
 Archer's Tennessee, Pettigrew's North Carolina, Dayis's Mississippi 
 and North Carolina, and Brockenbrough's Virginia brigades of Heth's 
 Division ; of Scales's North Carolina, Lane's North Carolina, McGowan's 
 South Carolina, and Thomas's Georgia brigades of Pender's Division. 
 The tablets contain carefully prepared inscriptions describing the part 
 taken in the battle by each brigade, and stating its numbers and losses.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 71 
 
 Guns of the same class and caliber as those which composed each of 
 the batteries are also being placed along that avenue to indicate the 
 position of each batter}", viz: 
 
 Moody 's Battery, 24-pounder howitzers. 
 
 Rhett's and Patterson's batteries, 12-pounder howitzers. 
 
 Stribling's Battery, 20-pounder Parrotts. 
 
 Wingfield's Battery, 3-inch Navy Parrotts. 
 
 Macon's, Ross's, Marye's, and Brander's batteries, 10-pound er Parrotts. 
 
 Wyatt's, Zimmerman's, Grandy's, Lewis's, Maurin's, and Griffin's batteries, 
 
 3-inch rifles. 
 Miller's, Squires's, Richardson's, Norcom's, Caskie's, Blount's, Ward's, 
 
 Brooke's, Graham's, Crenshaw's, McGraw's, and Moore's batteries, 
 
 Napoleons. 
 
 The gun carriages are wholly of iron, and they are immovable, 
 being fastened to large stones grouted in the ground. Historical 
 tablets of iron are placed by every battery and artilleiy battalion, with 
 inscriptions recording the part each took in the battle, the number of 
 rounds fired, the losses suffered, and other interesting details. 
 
 WORK OF ENGINEERS' DEPARTMENT MAPS. 
 
 In addition to the multiplicity of other important duties and services 
 of the engineer, Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope, and his assistants, which have 
 been faithfully performed in the office and on the field, two large maps 
 of the battlefield, on a scale of 600 feet to the inch, and embracing an 
 area of 17 square miles, have been completed. One of them shows the 
 topography of the battlefield with accurac} r in every detail as it was in 
 1863 when the battle was fought, and on this the commission purpose 
 having correctly indicated the positions of the troops on both sides 
 engaged in the battle for every hour of July 1, 2, and 3, 1863. The 
 .other map. besides the topography in general, shows the timber, 
 streams, fences, rocks, buildings, mounted guns, avenues, monuments, 
 in short, everything on the battlefield as it is at the present time. 
 
 Much work has been and is still being done to restore in all respects 
 the battlefield as it was at the time of the battle. One of the most 
 important tasks is the preservation and restoration of the forests as 
 they existed then, and much has been done toward accomplishing this 
 object. Much has also been done toward rebuilding the stone fences 
 inclosing the fields, nearly all of which served as breastworks and 
 defenses for the troops of one or the other of the armies during the 
 battle. Many thousands of yards of these stone fences and walls have 
 been restored, a large portion of them during the present year. 
 
 WATER DRAINS ALONGSIDE THE AVENUES. 
 
 After constructing the Telford avenues along the lines of battle, as 
 the ground here is almost all undulating, although, fortunately, in 
 most places on the battle lines not steep, it was found absolutely need- 
 ful to have good water drains along at least one, if not both sides of 
 every avenue at almost all points, in order to prevent continual damage 
 to them by washing from the frequent heavy rains. Fortunately we 
 found on Big Round Top a well-nigh inexhaustible supply of stones 
 of the exact size and thickness required to pave neatly and durably, 
 and without great expense or trouble, the drains alongside of our 
 avenues, and elsewhere on the field where needed, and much of this 
 work has been done this year, with most satisfactory results.
 
 72 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 MAUDS. 
 
 There are five regularly employed guards or watchmen on the battle- 
 field. We have found them necessary to prevent desecration and 
 injury of the public works on the battlefield by thoughtless or mis- 
 chievous visitors, and particularly the mutilation of monuments by 
 the sacrilegious relic hunters that sometimes infest the grounds witL 
 the sense of reverence wholly undeveloped. 
 
 ACQUISITION OF LANDS. 
 
 Since our last report conveyances have been executed for the Francis 
 Althoff tract of 12.75 acres lying at the head of Plum Run Valley and 
 adjoining the "Wheatfield," and also for the Basil Biggs tract of 48 
 acres lying between Hancock avenue and the Taneytown road, a short 
 distance south of General Meade's headquarters. 
 
 A parcel of land has been purchased from Peter Swisher, containing 
 2.42 acres, situated along the eastern side of Sedgwick avenue, and on 
 which were the headquarters of both General Sedgwick and General 
 Sykes, just north of Little Round Top. And another parcel has also 
 been purchased from said Swisher, containing 9.20 acres, situated west 
 of Sedgwick avenue and adjoining the Althoff tract and Plum Run 
 Valley. Numerous military movements took place on it, and its 
 possession by the United States was important. 
 
 A proceeding, approved by the Department, was begun since our 
 last report to condemn a parcel of land containing about 12 acres, situ- 
 ated near the Devil's Den and between the Round Tops. It is thickly 
 covered with large bowlders and quite valueless intrinsically, bat there 
 was severe fighting on and over it in the afternoon of the second day. 
 Moreover, its owner has permitted it to become the scene of revelries 
 which many right-minded people consider a desecration of the ground 
 consecrated by the blood of hundreds of heroes and patriots. The pro- 
 ceeding was begun under the jurisdiction of the United States circuit 
 court for the eastern district of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia, which 
 appointed and qualified the jury of view; but the case was removed 
 to the court of the middle district of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg, Pa., 
 upon the creation of that district by the last Congress. The jury of 
 view inspected the land and heard evidence in the case at Gettysburg 
 on the 7th of May and rendered their verdict of $6.150 for the respond- 
 ent, who has taken an appeal to the court in term. The Park Com- 
 mission have also appealed on behalf of the United States, and the case 
 stands for hearing at the next term of the court. 
 
 There are also other tracts and parcels of land which ma}- have to 
 be condemned and acquired by the Government to prevent them from 
 being put to uses by the owners which would disfigure the battlefield, 
 and they can not be purchased except at such exorbitant figures as no 
 jury of view would sanction. 
 
 In conclusion, the Commission repeat that the thousands of visitors 
 who throng the Gettysburg National Park, including great numbers of 
 veterans from all sections of our country, emphatically approve the 
 Government's design to make this battlefield an enduring monument 
 to American valor, and are gratified to see how successfully that design 
 is being realized.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 73 
 
 The commission respectfully ask for an appropriation of $75,000 
 for the next fiscal year. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 
 Chairman. 
 WM. M. BOBBINS, 
 CHARLES A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR: 
 
 LIST OF BLUE PRINTS ACCOMPANYING REPORT OK 1901. 
 
 422. Property conveyed by Simon J. Codori to Gettysburg Springs and Hotel Com- 
 pany. 
 
 423. Design for monument. 
 
 424. Map showing the property of W. H. Tipton on the Gettysburg battlefield and 
 the occupation of said property by the troops of both armies during the 
 battle; also location of said property with reference to the lands of the 
 National Park. 
 
 425. Bryan farm to be attached to lease. 
 
 426. Biggs farm to be attached to lease. 
 
 427. Masonheimer farm to be attached to lease. 
 
 428. Smith farm to be attached to lease. 
 
 429. Trostle farm to be attached to lease. 
 
 430. Weikert farm to be attached to lease. 
 
 431. Tracts of land belonging to Peter D. S wisher. 
 
 4:52. Gettysburg battlefield, reduced scale. 
 
 4:!.'!. Plan for filling Quarry Hole in Trostle field along United States avenue. 
 
 434. Pitzer's schoolhouse, D-2. 
 
 435. South Taneytown road, E 4. 
 
 436. Map of Gettysburg battlefield, 600-foot scale. 
 
 437. South Cavalry field, F-2. 
 
 438. North Rock Creek, A-4. 
 
 439. North Middle, A-3. 
 
 440. Herr Tavern, A-2. 
 
 441. Hanover road, B-5. 
 
 442. Wolf Hill, C-5. 
 
 443. East Baltimore pike, D-5. 
 
 444. Map showing the location of buildings on the Wm. H. Tipton property on the 
 battlefield of Gettysburg. 
 
 445. South Rock Creek, E-5. 
 
 446. Peach orchard and wheat field, D-3. 
 
 447. Map of Gettysburg battlefield 600 feet, as it was in 1863. 
 
 448. Plan of Pleasonton avenue from Hancock avenue to Taneytown road. 
 
 449. Property of J. Emory Bair and Calvin Gilbert. 
 
 450. Property of heirs of Frederick G. Pfeffer, tract 4. 
 
 451. Plan of Chamberlain avenue over Little Round Top. 
 
 MILITARY ORDER OF THE LOYAL LEGION OP THE UNITED STATES, COMMANDERY op 
 
 THE STATE OF COLORADO. 
 
 Col. JOHN P. NICHOLSON. 
 
 DEAR SIR: At the stated meeting of this commandery held February 2, 1901, Com- 
 panion Westbrook S. Decker offered the following resolution: 
 
 "Resolved, That the members of this commandery of the Loyal Legion desire to 
 convey to the Secretary of War their deep appreciation and gratitude for what has 
 been accomplished by the War Department on the battlefield of Gettysburg. The 
 faithful and skillful work of Col. John P. Nicholson, Maj. William M. Robbins, and 
 Maj. Charles A. Richardson, the United States Commission, in locating and preserv- 
 ing the lines of battle and the laying out of avenues on those lines is worthy of the 
 highest commendation. This commandery, appreciating the splendid work already 
 done and realizing that the work has not reached completion, hope that the said
 
 74 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 members of the Commission be retained and that said Commission receive the con- 
 tinued support of Congress, to the end that the National Memorial Park may be 
 completed as originally designed and a fit memorial of the brave men who fought on 
 that historic field." 
 The resolution was unanimously adopted. 
 
 S. K. HOOPKK, 
 
 Commander. 
 3. R. SAVILLE, 
 Recorder. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS CORPORAL SKELLY POST No. 9, G. A. R., 
 
 GETTYSBURG, PA. 
 The Honorable The SECRETARY OP WAR, 
 
 Washington, D. C.: 
 
 At a regular meeting of Corporal Skelly Post No. 9, G. A. R., Department of 
 Pennsylvania, held January 14, 1901, it was 
 
 "Resolved, That it was only right and proper that the soldiers of the late war of 
 the rebellion living here on this most remarkable battlefield should add their com- 
 mendation to the many tributes of respect and esteem already sent to you in behalf 
 of the commissioners who have charge of the great work now going on under their 
 able supervision. We therefore esteem it a great pleasure to commend in the 
 highest terms the substantial manner in which the work is conducted by your com- 
 missioners, and as ex-soldiers and now citizens of Gettysburg and vicinity we do 
 most respectfully pray that you will recommend a liberal appropriation for this 
 Gettysburg National Park, that your commissioners may be in a position to secure 
 the much needed property to complete the great task they have undertaken." 
 By order of the Post: 
 
 SIMON P. STOVER, 
 
 Post Commander. 
 Attest: WM. H. RUPP, 
 
 Post Adjutant. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS TO ACCOMPANY COMMISSIONER'S REPORT, 1901. 
 
 1. Bridge over Culn's Run, East Confederate avenue. 
 
 2. Culvert No. 1, Last Confederate avenue. 
 
 3. East Confederate avenue, showing paved gutter. 
 
 4. Culvert No. 2, East Confederate avenue. 
 
 5. East Confederate avenue, showing breastworks of Jones's Brigade rebuilt. 
 
 6. East Confederate avenue, looking north. 
 
 7. Smith's Brigade C. 8. A., tablet, East Confederate avenue. 
 
 8. Hancock avenue, looking south, showing new tube fence. 
 
 9. Hancock avenue, looking north, showing new tube fence. 
 10. Sedgwick avenue, stone wall rebuilt through Weikert farm. 
 11. Sedgwick avenue, new fence and stone wall rebuilt along Swisher field. 
 12. Marker where General Sickles was wounded, and Trostle Barn. 
 13. Marker erected where Maj. Gen. D. E. Sickles was wounded. 
 14. Wheatfield road, showing paved gutter and new post fence. 
 15. Pleasonton avenue, showing foundation stones. 
 16. West Confederate avenue, snowing foundation stones. 
 17. East Cavalry field, Gregg avenue. 
 18. East Cavalry field, Cavalry shaft. 
 
 19.- East Cavalry field, Randol's Batteries E and G, First U. S. Artillery. 
 20. Statue to John Burns on Stone avenue. 
 
 21. Brander's Virginia Battery (Letcher Artillery), West Confederate avenue. 
 22. Pleasonton avenue, looking east. 
 
 23. Marye's Battery (the Fredericksburg Artillery), West Confederate avenue. 
 24. Ward's Mississippi Battery (Madison Light Artillery), West Confederate avenue. 
 25. West Confederate avenue, showing First Vermont and First New York monu- 
 ments in Pitzer Woods. 
 
 26. West Confederate avenue, looking north from Pitzer Woods. 
 27. West Con federate avenue, looking south, showing batteries of Dearing's Battalion. 
 28. West Confederate avenue, looking south, showing batteries of Eshleman's Bat- 
 talion.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1902 
 
 75
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1902, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa. , August 1, 1902. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Military Park Commission respect- 
 fully submit the following report of their work, its progress during 
 the past year and its present condition, with suggestions as to what is 
 needed for its further prosecution. 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Pleasonton avenue, which was in course of construction at the date 
 of our last report, was completed soon thereafter. It runs eastward 
 from Hancock avenue near the point where General Hancock was 
 wounded to the headquarters of the Union cavalry on the Taneytown 
 road. 
 
 Chamberlain and Warren avenues have also been constructed. The 
 former runs southward from near the summit of Little Round Top 
 along the crest of Vincent Spur and the battle line of the Union troops 
 in their defense of that position in the afternoon of July 2, 1863, and 
 then, carving down the slope, connects with Sykes avenue in the gap 
 between Round Top and Little Round Top. Warren avenue starts 
 from Sykes avenue at that same point and runs westward along the 
 base of Little Round Top to Plum Run Valley and crossing that run 
 joins Crawford avenue near the Devil's Den. 
 
 Buford avenue is now under contract, and the work upon it is pro- 
 ceeding and will soon be completed. It runs from the north end of 
 Reynolds avenue in a northwesterly direction to the Mummasburg 
 road along the line of the Union cavalry which menaced the left flank 
 of the Confederate forces as they advanced into the first day's battle. 
 
 These avenues, like all others on the field, are constructed on the 
 Telford plan in the most durable style, and will last for centuries. 
 The total length of the Telford avenues now constructed on the field is 
 about 17 miles. 
 
 There are several others which should be constructed, among them 
 Wright avenue along the line of Wright's Division, on the left of 
 Sedgwick's Corps, from between the Round Tops southeastwardly 
 across the Taneytown road; another along the lines of Meredith's and 
 Stone's brigades on the first day's field; one also on Oak Hill and 
 vicinity, where the infantry and artillery of Rodes's Division of 
 Swell's Corps debouched and took position in the first day's battle, 
 and another leading from the Hanover road east of Rock Creek to 
 Benner's Hill, where a number of Confederate batteries were posted 
 on the second and third days. 
 
 77 
 1617505 6
 
 78 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 Two avenues of no great length have been projected in and near the 
 " Wheatfield," one running from the Wheatfield road, near .Plum Kim 
 Valley, southward along the line of the Pennsylvania Reserves to 
 Sickles avenue; the other starting from Sickles avenue and running 
 along the Union line in the southwest border of the Wheatfield; then 
 crossing the Western Branch of Plum Run and following the line of 
 General Brooke's brigade on the summit of Rose Hill. Avenues are 
 also needed to connect the cavalry battlefields both east and south of 
 Gettysburg with the battlefield of the infantry. In some of the cu-r- 
 mentioned the Government owns the land; in others it will be neces- 
 sary to acquire the lands on which to construct the proposed avenues. 
 
 The legislature of Pennsylvania having granted to the United States 
 the right to convert public roads into TeTford avenues within the limits 
 of the battlefield, the Secretary of War has authorized this to be done 
 on the Taneytown road, as it w T ill soon be, from the borough line of 
 Gettysburg to a point south of General Meade's headquarters. The 
 same should be done on the Mummasburg road from Howard avenue 
 to Buford avenue; also the Fairfield or Hagerstown road from the 
 south end of Reynolds avenue to West Confederate avenue; also the 
 road leading from the north end of Crawford avenue to United States 
 avenue, and the so-called Wheatfield road running from east to west 
 across the entire battlefield. 
 
 TABLETS AND GUNS. 
 
 Since our last report monumental tablets have been prepared and 
 erected along the Confederate avenue on Seminary Ridge to mark the 
 positions of each and all the Confederate brigades which occupied that 
 ridge from the Wheatfield road on the right to the Hagerstown road 
 on the left, viz: Barksdale's Mississippi and Wofford's Georgia bri- 
 gades of McLaw's Division; Kemper's, Garnett's, and Armistead's 
 Virginia brigades of Piekett's Division; W T ilcox's Alabama, Perry's 
 Florida, Wright's Georgia, Posey's Mississippi, and Mahone's Virginia 
 brigades of Anderson's Division; Archer's Tennessee, Pettigrew's 
 North Carolina", Davis's Mississippi and North Carolina, and Brock- 
 enbrough's Virginia brigades of Heth's Division, commanded there by 
 General Pettigrew; Scales's and Lane's North Carolina, McGowan's 
 South Carolina, and Thomas's Georgia brigades of Pender's Division. 
 These tablets, like all the other monumental tablets on the field, are 
 3 by 2^ feet in dimensions, with carefully prepared inscriptions 
 cast in raised letters describing the part taken in the battle by each 
 brigade and stating its numbers ana losses so far as practicable to 
 obtain. They are mounted on iron pillars about 3 feet high, grouted 
 in the ground, and the tablets are inclined at a suitable angle so 
 that the inscriptions can easily be read by persons riding or driving 
 on the avenue. 
 
 Guns of like class and caliber with those which composed the several 
 batteries along the avenue have been mounted there in the respective 
 positions occupied by the batteries, viz, two batteries of 
 
 ALEXANDER'S BATTALION. 
 
 Moodv'e Battery, "The Madison (La.) Artillery." 
 Rhett's Battery", "The Brooks (S. C.) Artillery."
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 79 
 
 ESHLEMAN'S BATTALION. 
 
 Millers's, Squires's, Richardson's, and Norcom's batteries, "The Washington 
 (La.) Artillery." 
 
 BEARING'S BATTALION. 
 
 Stribling's Battery, "The Farquier Artillery." 
 Caskie's Battery, "The Hampton Artillery." 
 Macon's Battery, "The Richmond Fayette Artillery." 
 Blount's (Va.) Battery. 
 
 POAGUE'S BATTALION. 
 
 Ward's Battery, "The Madison (Miss.) Artillery." 
 Brooke's (Va.) Battery. 
 
 Wyatt's Battery, "The Albemarle (Va.) Artillery." 
 Graham's Battery, "The Charlotte (N. 0.) Artillery." 
 
 LANE'S BATTALION. 
 
 Patterson's, Wingfield's, and Ross's batteries, "TheSumter (Ga.) Artillery." 
 PEGRAM'S BATTALION. 
 
 Marye's Battery, "The Fredericksburg Artillery." 
 Crenshaw's (Va.) Battery. 
 
 Zimmerman's Battery, "The Pee Dee Artillery." 
 McGraw's Battery, "The Purcell Artillery." 
 Brander's Battery, "The Letcher Artillery." 
 
 GARNETT'S BATTALION. 
 
 Grandy's Battery, "The Norfolk Light Artillery Blues." 
 Moore's Battery, "The Huger Artillery." 
 Lewis's Battery, "The Lewis Artillery." 
 Maurin's Battery, ''The Donaldson ville Artillery." 
 
 DANCE'S BATTALION. 
 Griffin's Battery, "The Salem Artillery." 
 
 The guns mounted to mark the positions of the above-named batteries 
 are 24 Napoleons, 15 3-inch rifles, 11 10-pounder Parrotts, 4 20-pounder 
 Parrotts, 4 12-pounder howitzers, and 2 24-pounder howitzers; in all, 
 60 guns. Iron tablets of the same dimensions as those of the infantry 
 brigades are erected for each artillery battalion and each battery with 
 inscriptions briefly recording the services rendered by each In the 
 battle, the number of rounds fired, the losses suffered, and other 
 important facts. 
 
 Nine itinerary tablets have been erected on East Cemetery Hill, 
 along the Baltimore pike, describing the movements and positions of 
 the Union Army and each of the commands comprising it on each 
 day from June 29 to July 7, 18(53. 
 
 Ten Confederate itinerary tablets, for which the inscriptions have 
 been prepared, are now being cast and will be erected at a suitable 
 point alongside of the Confederate avenue on Seminary Ridge. They 
 will record the movements of the Confederate Army and its several 
 corps, divisions, and brigades on each day from June 26, 1863, when 
 the last of its forces crossed the Potomac into Maryland, until after the 
 close of the battle and the retreat of the Confederates from Gettys- 
 burg, July 5, 1863.
 
 80 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 The monumental tablets erected this year to mark the positions and 
 record the services of infantry brigades and of artillery battalions and 
 batteries, together with the itinerary tablets of the Union and Confed- 
 erate commands, are 84 in number. 
 
 The number of guns, Union and Confederate, which have been 
 mounted by the Commission on this field to date is 290. 
 
 WORK OF ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT. 
 
 There have been constructed on the field 8 miles of pipe fencing 
 and over 5 miles of post and rail fencing, a large part of both having 
 been done this year. Nearly 4 miles of stone walls and stone fences 
 have also been rebuilt, much of them during the past }*ear. Nearly 
 all of these served as breastworks and defenses in the battle either 
 for Union or Confederate troops. There have also been nearly 5 miles 
 of gutters or drains alongside the Telford avenues paved with stones 
 in a durable manner. 
 
 Besides attending to the many other duties devolving upon him, 
 both in the office and on the field, the engineer, Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope, 
 and his assistants, have been engaged in mapping the battlefield. A 
 map of the first day's field has been completed showing with accurac^v 
 and distinctness the positions and movements of each command, 
 whether of infantry, cavalry, or artillery, of both the Union and 
 Confederate armies at each and every hour of that day . The same 
 will be done with reference to the other two days of the battle. 
 
 MONUMENTS. 
 
 The Hancock equestrian statue, which was struck by lightning and 
 the pedestal damaged, has been taken down by the Van Amringe Gran- 
 ite Company and is being repaired. This is being done at the expense 
 of the State of Pennsylvania. 
 
 On Stevens Knoll a foundation has been laid and a pedestal erected, 
 upon which will shortty be placed an equestrian statue of Maj. Gen. 
 Henry W. Slocimi, at the expense of the State of New York. 
 
 Two monuments of stone have been erected a short distance east of 
 Sedgwick avenue, one marking the position of Candy's Brigade of 
 Geary's Division in the evening of July 1, 1863, and the other the 
 headquarters of General Sykes, commander of the Fifth Corps. 
 
 A stone monument has been placed alongside of Hancock avenue to 
 mark the position of the One hundred and forty-eighth Regiment of 
 Pennsylvania Infantry of July 3, 1863. 
 
 A bronze statue has also been erected on Stone avenue, just north of 
 Reynolds Woods, at the expense of the State of Pennsylvania, in 
 honor of John Burns, a citizen of Gettysburg, who, though 70 years 
 old, took his musket and w r ent out into the first day's battle and was 
 severely wounded. 
 
 ACQUISITIONS OF LANDS. 
 
 The proceeding, which was pending at the date of our report of 1901, 
 for the condemnation of a parcel of land containing about 12 acres, 
 situate between the Round Tops and not far from the Devil's Den, has 
 since been concluded by the owner of the land withdrawing his appeal
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 81 
 
 from the verdict of the jury of view which awarded him $6,150. This 
 money has been paid, the title made to the Government, and Warren 
 avenue, which has since been constructed, runs across said land. 
 
 Eight acres of land situate on the slope of Seminary Ridge, adjacent 
 to the Union line in the first da} 7 's battle, has been purchased from 
 Martin Winter, the owner, for $2,500, and the title made to the Gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 Condemnation proceedings have been begun, with the approval of 
 the Department, for the condemnation of four small parcels of land, 
 containing in all about 10 acres, situate on both sides of Hancock 
 avenue, near Ziegler's grove, and occupied at times during the battle 
 by Union commands. The case has already been before a jury of view, 
 composed of excellent citizens, who awarded $5,975 for the land. 
 From this award the owner appealed to the United States circuit court 
 for the middle district of Pennsylvania, and there the matter is now 
 pending and will doubtless be disposed of at the next term of said 
 court. 
 
 The Commission is gratified to say that tens of thousands of visitors 
 from all sections of the country continue to throng the Gett} r sburg 
 National Park, and are unstinted in their approbation of the Govern- 
 ment's purpose to make of this field a great national monument and 
 of the manner in which that purpose is being carried out. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 
 Chairman. 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 CHAS. A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 LIST OF BLUEPRINTS TO ACCOMPANY REPORT OF 1902. 
 
 452. Field of Longstreet's assault, July 3, 1863, with troops. 
 
 453. Foundation for the One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania marker. 
 
 454. Plan of Buford avenue, from Reynolds avenue to Mummasburg road. 
 
 455. Property of John Rosensteel along Wheatfield road on the Gettysburg battlefield. 
 
 456. Map showing the location of the John Burns statue. 
 
 457. One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry marker. 
 
 458. Plan of Meredith avenue, from property line on Springs road to Chambersburg 
 
 pike. 
 
 459. Plan showing proposed repairs to Hancock pedestal. 
 460. Plan showing proposed repairs to capstone on Hancock pedestal. 
 461. Rock base for the John Burns statue. 
 462. Bridge over Plum Run at Devil's Den. 
 463. West end of the Memorial Church. 
 464. Map showing the positions of the infantry, artillery, and cavalry, United States 
 
 Army, on the battlefield of Gettysburg. 
 465. Plan of Chamberlain and Warren avenues. 
 466. Property of George E. Stock on the Hanover road, showing land needed to 
 
 mark Andrew's Artillery Battalion. 
 467. Map showing location of monument erected to Brig. Gen. S. K. Zook in the 
 
 wheat field. 
 
 468. Plan of roller and storage house. 
 468J. Woods belonging to Sarah A. C. Plank. 
 469.-r-Woods belonging to B. F. Redding. 
 
 469j. Tracts of land belonging to Gettysburg Springs and Hotel Company. 
 470. Plan of storage and roller building. 
 471. Storage and roller building.
 
 82 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 472. Tablets erected by the Commission in various towns. 
 
 473. Tablets at Littlestown and Two Taverns. 
 
 47-i. Public square, Hanover, Pa. 
 
 475. I^and conveyed by J. Bender to the United States. 
 
 476. Tract of land conveyed by J. S. Forney to the United States. 
 
 LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS TO ACCOMPANY REPORT OF 1902. 
 
 1. One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania marker, Hancock avenue. 
 
 2. Fifth Corps headquarters marker. 
 
 3. Candy's Brigade marker. 
 
 4. Wall west of Sedgwick avenue, looking south. 
 
 5. Entrance to Chamberlain avenue from below Forty-fourth New York monument. 
 
 6. Chamberlain avenue looking south, showing Twentieth Maine and Round Top. 
 
 7. Chamberlain avenue looking north, showing Twentieth Maine. 
 
 8. Warren avenue west from Sykes avenue. 
 
 9. Warren avenue east from railroad. 
 10. View of bridge over Plum Run, looking north. 
 11. View of bridge over Plum Run, looking south. 
 12. Itinerary tablets in front East Cemetery Hill.
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1903 
 
 83
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1903, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK COMMISSION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa. , August 1, 1903. 
 
 SIR: The Gettysburg National Park Commission submit the follow- 
 ing report of their work, its progress during the past year, and its 
 present condition, with some suggestions as to what is needed for its 
 further prosecution: 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Buford avenue, mentioned in our last report as being in course of 
 construction, has been completed. It runs from Reynolds avenue 
 northwestward to the Mummasburg road along the line of the Union 
 cavalry, which threatened the left flank of the Confederate infantry as 
 it advanced into the first day's battle. 
 
 Stone avenue, which runs along the line of the Bucktail brigade 
 from the Chambersburg pike to Reynolds woods, has been constructed. 
 
 Meredith avenue, which runs along the line of the Iron Brigade 
 through Reynolds woods, has been completed to the southern border 
 of those woods, but its further progress to a junction with Reynolds 
 avenue, a distance of only 800 feet, has been thwarted for the present 
 by the receivers of a speculative so-called "land improvement com- 
 pany," who refuse to grant right of way over, or convey title to, 
 the small strip of land needed for said avenue except upon such inad- 
 missible terms and conditions that very likely the Commission may 
 have to institute condemnation proceedings in order to secure title to 
 said land for the United States. 
 
 Wright avenue has been put under contract and its construction 
 begun. It runs from the southern base of Little Round Top across 
 the eastern slope of Big Round Top, and then curves eastward and 
 extends to the Taneytown road, following the lines of Russell's and 
 Grant's brigades of the Sixth Union Army Corps, these brigades hav- 
 ing been placed in that position to guard against a possible flank 
 movement of the Confederates around the south side of Round Top. 
 
 Several other avenues should be constructed, among them one run- 
 ning from the Wheatfield road near Plum Run along the line of the 
 Pennsylvania reserves to Sickles avenue; another starting from a 
 point on Sickles avenue and running across the western branch of 
 
 85
 
 86 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 Plum Run and along the line of General Brooke's brigade on the sum- 
 mit of Ko.se Hill; another running from the upper end of Crawford 
 avenue northward to United States avenue, and another along the 
 Confederate line of battle on the cavalry battlefield. The lands on 
 which these avenues will be located belong now to the United States. 
 There should be an avenue on Oak Hill and vicinity following the 
 lines and indicating the positions of the infantry and artillery of 
 Rodes's division of Ewell's Confederate army corps as they debouched 
 in a direction so threatening to the right flank of Reynolds'* corps on 
 the first day's field; also an avenue running from the Hanover road 
 east of Rock Creek to Benners Hill, where a number of Confederate 
 batteries were posted on the second and third days. The lands needed 
 for the two last-mentioned avenues have not yet been, but should be, 
 acquired by the United States, as also the grounds on both Oak Hill 
 and Benners Hill, whereon the Confederate troops deployed and the 
 batteries were operated. There should be a good road constructed 
 from Gettysburg to the cavahy battlefield, about 3 miles east of the 
 town, whither the present routes are extremely unsatisfactory. 
 
 TABLETS AND GUNS. 
 
 Gun carriages have been purchased and guns mounted thereon during 
 the year as follows: 
 
 One 10-pounder Parrott to Maurin's battery. 
 
 Two Napoleons to Lewis's battery. 
 
 One 3-inch rifle to Moore's battery. 
 
 One 10-pounder Parrott to Moore's battery. 
 
 Two 12-pounder howitzers to G randy's battery. 
 
 Two Napoleons to Brander'a battery. 
 
 Two Napoleons to McGraw's battery. 
 
 Two 3-inc'h rifles to Zimmerman's battery. 
 
 Two 12-pounder howitzers to Crenshaw's battery. 
 
 Two Napoleons to Marye's battery. 
 
 One 10-pounder Parrott to Wyatt's battery. 
 
 Six 12-pounder howitzers of Poague's artillery battalion mounted 
 in their old lunettes on the west side of Confederate avenue, north of 
 Spangler's woods. 
 
 The number of guns, Union and Confederate, which have been 
 mounted on the field by the Commission is 311. 
 
 The ten Confederate itinerary tablets which were being cast at the 
 date of our last report have since been finished and erected on the west 
 side of the Confederate avenue on Seminary Ridge near the junction 
 of said avenue with the Fairfield road. They record the location and 
 movements of the several corps, divisions, and brigades of the Confed- 
 erate army on each and every day from June 26, 1863, when the last 
 of its forces crossed the Potomac into Maryland, until after the close 
 of the battle and the retreat of the Confederates from Gettysburg 
 July 5, 1863. 
 
 There have also been cast and erected along the avenues during this 
 year twenty-three of what may be termed guide tablets, designed to 
 give useful hints and directions to persons driving over the field. 
 
 The number of metallic tablets of all kinds which have been erected 
 on the battlefield up to this date is 450. 
 
 The lands acquired by the Commission prior to our last report 
 amounted to 1,291.4541 acres. There have been acquired during the
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 87 
 ACQUISITION OF LANDS. 
 
 past } r ear nine different tracts of land, several of them being quite 
 small in area, but each embracing an important historic point on the 
 battlefield. The largest one, containing 33 acres, lies on the cavalry 
 battlefield, it being the ground on which the Confederate cavalry and 
 artillery formed their lines and posted their batteries, a large portion 
 of it being covered with its native forest, which should be preserved. 
 
 Another tract of over 10 acres lies just in rear of General Hood's 
 line of battle of the second day. This also is covered with native 
 forest, important to be preserved, but which would have been destroyed 
 ere this if our Commission had not saved it by purchasing the land. 
 
 Another small tract, of 2 acres, lies on the eastern slope of Big 
 .Round Top, and its purchase was necessary to complete the line of 
 Wright avenue. 
 
 Another acquisition, consisting of four small tracts amounting in all 
 to over 10 acres, lies on both sides of Hancock avenue near- its northern 
 terminus, and the Commission felt in duty bound to secure it to pre- 
 vent its being converted into a brickyard and put to other uses wnich 
 would seriously mar and disfigure a very important and interesting 
 portion of the battlefield. It has been secured for the Government, 
 although in order to do so it became necessary to resort to condemna- 
 tion proceedings. 
 
 The whole area of the lands now owned by the United States at 
 Gettysburg is 1,349.3548 acres, or 2.108 square miles. 
 
 There are a number of other tracts and parcels of land on the battle- 
 field which should be secured for the Government in order to complete 
 the Gettysburg National Park as it should be done. The Commission 
 is now seeking, under the supervision of the War Department, to 
 secure for the United States certain lands considered important for 
 the proper development of the par,k and the preservation of the battle- 
 field as it was in 1863. 
 
 SURFACE OF THE FIELD. 
 
 By far the larger portion of the battlefield retains its forests and 
 cleared lands very much as they were in 1863, but a few important 
 sections of the field have, since that date, been denuded of their 
 forests. In several places where the trees have been only partially 
 cut away nature is rapidly restoring the forest by a fresh undergrowth; 
 but where the ground has been left entirely bare, our Commission is 
 taking much pains to reforest it. A great number of forest trees 
 have been planted since the establishment of the national park 5,000 
 planted during the past year and are growing fine. 
 
 On our application, through the Secretary of War, to the Chief of 
 the Bureau of Forestry, Mr. H. B. Kempton, of that Bureau, came 
 here early in May of this year, and made an examination for the pur- 
 pose of determining what portions of the park should be reforested 
 and how it could best be done, and of reporting his conclusions. His 
 report has not yet been received. 
 
 But, even if no better plan is devised than our Commission has fol- 
 lowed, that of planting on the denuded grounds a large number of 
 forest trees each year, it will not be a great while until the battle-
 
 88 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY VARK COMMISSION. 
 
 field will be restored, as to field and forest, to the same condition 
 substantially as at the date of the battle. 
 
 As has been stated in previous reports, great care is taken in laying 
 out avenues, to avoid, as far as possible, locating them \, here their 
 construction would necessitate much marring of the surface of the 
 ground in order to grade them properly. Fortunately this has not 
 caused serious embarrassment on the field of Gettysburg, because the 
 lines of battle of both armies were usually formed along the summits 
 of ridges and, in constructing the avenues along the battle lines, little 
 difference of altitude was found and no heavy grading was required. 
 
 MONUMENTS. 
 
 An equestrian statue of Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum has been 
 erected by the New York State Commission on the summit of Stevens's 
 Knoll, and its dedication on September 20, 1902, was attended by many 
 veterans oi his command the Seventh New York Infantry and 
 detachments of United States regulars. 
 
 The equestrian statue of Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock on East 
 Cemetery Hill, which had been dismounted because of injuries to tin* 
 pedestal and capstone by lightning, has been restored to its position, 
 the injuries having been repaired at the expense of the Commonwealth 
 of Pennsylvania. 
 
 A monumental tablet, with suitable inscription, has been erected at 
 the expense of the association specially interested in it, eat of Hancock 
 avenue in the field of the Meade statue, to mark the position of the 
 One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania Infantry on the third day 
 of the battle. 
 
 The monument and guns of the First New York Light Artillery 
 (Fitzhugh's battery) have been moved, with the approval of the Secre- 
 tary of War, from its former location near the junction of Hancock 
 and Pleasonton avenues to a position on Hancock avenue to the left of 
 the Eleventh New York Battery, upon satisfactory proof that this was 
 the true position. The work of removal was done entirely at the 
 expense of Colonel Fitzhugh. 
 
 WORK OF ENGINEERS' DEPARTMENT. 
 
 There has been erected on the field, prior to this year, 44,850 feet of 
 pipe fencing, and, during this year, 12,500 feet, making 57,350 feet in 
 all, or nearly 11 miles; and a contract has been made for the erection 
 of over 2 miles more. 
 
 Of post and rail fencing there has been heretofore erected 26,620 
 feet, and, during this year, 10,500 feet, making 37,120 feet in all, or 
 more than 7 miles. 
 
 Of stone fences, 21,292 feet have been rebuilt prior to the present 
 year, and, during this year, 2,775 feet, making 24,067 feet in all, or 
 more than 4 miles. 
 
 There are on the battlefield over 19 miles of Telford avenues along 
 the battle lines, and the drains and gutters along them are being paved 
 wherever needed. Up to the present time 35,000 feet, or over 6 miles, 
 of this paving has been done in the most durable style. An almost 
 unlimited suppry of excellent flat stones, suited for this purpose, was 
 found on the western slope of Big Round Top; and the avenues, with 
 their gutters and drains paved therewith, will indeed last for years, 
 scarcely needing any repairs.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 89 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 A storage building, for the shelter and protection of the steam rollers, 
 mowers, and other tools and implements belonging to the United States 
 and used on the Held, has been erected near the junction of Pleasonton 
 avenue with the Tan ey town road. 
 
 The Commission has advertised for bids to construct an iron bridge 
 of ample span and height over the Western Maryland Railroad on 
 Reynolds avenue, and a number of bids have been received but none 
 as yet accepted. 
 
 An act of the legislature of Pennsylvania having conceded the privi- 
 lege of converting any or all of the public roads on this battlefield into 
 Telford pikes or avenues, and a permit having been granted our Com- 
 mission to do this as to the Taneytown road from the town line south- 
 ward at least as far as General Meade's headquarters, and also the 
 Wheatfield road from Plum Run Valley across the battlefield to West 
 Confederate avenue, it is our purpose to make these two improvements 
 at as earl}" a date as practicable. ' 
 
 Without undertaking to specify more fully all the details of interest 
 respecting our work, we conclude this report with the statement of a 
 fact very gratifying to us that, of the man}' thousands of visitors 
 from all sections of our country who throng the Gettysburg National 
 Park each year, all express their hearty approval of the manner in 
 which the Government of the United States is making of this battle- 
 field a splendid and enduring national monument. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 JOHN P. NICHOLSON, 
 
 Chairman, 
 WM. M. ROBBINS, 
 CHAS. A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 THIRTY-THIRD REUNION OF THE SOCIETY OF THE ARMY OF THE 
 
 POTOMAC. 
 
 GETTYSBURG, PA., September 19 and 20, 1902. 
 ******* 
 
 Gen. JAMES A. BEAVER. Mr. Chairman: I would like to offer a resolution, in view 
 of the fact that we are in session at Gettysburg, and that is to commend the work of 
 the present Gettysburg Battlefield Commission, and recommend to Congress future 
 appropriations for the work. You have heard the report already made that there 
 has been only about $400,000 expended, in comparison with the work which has 
 been done elsewhere. I am very sure that every man who sees this will realize that 
 the United States has received 110 cents for every dollar that has been expended, and it 
 seems to me that it would be altogether inappropriate for us to adjourn without com- 
 mending in some way the work of this Commission, and recommending to our 
 Representatives in Congress the care of this battlefield. I therefore move you, sir, 
 the following resolution: 
 
 Resolved, That this society, the members of which have viewed with sincere 
 pleasure the work of our battlefield commission, earnestly recommends to Congress 
 the continued care and extension of the work of the Commission on this field. 
 
 The resolution was cheered and adopted. 
 ******* 
 
 JOHN R. BROOKE, President. 
 H. C. KING, Secretary.
 
 90 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 At a regular encampment of U. S. < irant Post, No. 327, Department of New York, 
 Grand Army of tin- Hi-public, held at its quarters in Brooklyn, N. Y., on the 28th 
 day of October, 1902, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted, the adju- 
 tant In-ing instructed to transmit duly authenticated copies of the same to the Secre- 
 tary of War, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and the chairman 
 of tin- Gettysburg National Park Commission: 
 
 Whereas many comrades of this post have visited the battlefield of Gettysburg; 
 have driven over the beautiful avenues which follow the undulating lines of battle of 
 the contending armies, and observed the substantial and permanent character of [In- 
 road ways, bridges, fences, retaining walls, and observation towers; have noted ho\v 
 carefully the names of historic points on the field have been retained, the natural and 
 artificial breastworks restored, and the ground, forests, roads, and >t reams preserved 
 substantially as they existed at the time of the battle; have seen the appropriately 
 inscribed iron tablets marking and recording the positions, formations, and move- 
 ments of infantry, artillery, and cavalry commands Union and Confederate during, 
 preceding, and after the battle; have admired the bronze statues of renowned officers 
 whose familiar names l>ecame household words on the day of Gettysburg; have looked 
 with pride upon the hundreds of monuments of stone and of granite patriotically 
 erected to commemorate regimental valor and prowess although noting, with regret, 
 
 the absence of regular army monuments and, as veteran soldiers of the civil war, 
 have contemplated with surprise and delight {he character, scope, and extent of the 
 work so comprehensively undertaken and intelligently performed by the < Jettysburg 
 National Park Commission, under whose hands Gettysburg has already become the 
 best plotted and marked of all battle grounds; therefore, 
 
 Resolved, That U. S. Grant Post, No. 327, Department of New York, Grand Army 
 of the Republic, unreservedly approves the patriotic purpose of the National Gov- 
 ernment suitably and adequately to preserve the battle ground of Gettysburg as a 
 National Park; 
 
 That we particularly and specially praise the skillful and faithful work of Col. 
 John P. Nicholson, Maj. William M." Robbins, and Maj. Charles A. Richardson, the 
 members of the Commission, through whom the successful realization of the pur- 
 pose of the Government is being so thoroughly carried out; 
 
 That fully appreciating the splendid result** already achieved, but realizing that 
 much still remains to be accomplished before this noble project will be completed, 
 this post earnestly expresses the hope that the Commission may continue to receive 
 the liberal support of Congress, to the end that its work, when finally completed, 
 may be a fitting and enduring memorial of the patriotism and valor of the American 
 soldier. 
 
 [SEAL.] AUGUSTUS C. TATE, 
 
 Commander. 
 
 Attest: 
 
 PHILIP S. CLARK, Adjutant. 
 
 h of avenues on the Gettysburg Imtllefield. 
 
 Feet. 
 
 1 toward avenue from Harrisburg road to Mummasburg road 5, 750 
 
 Reynolds avenue from Buford avenue to Hagerstown road 5' 250 
 
 Huford avenue from Mummasburg road to Reynolds avenue 3J 435 
 
 Seminary avenue from Chambersburg pike to'Hagerstown road 2, 500 
 
 Slocum avenue from Baltimore pike to Spangler's spring 6^ 373 
 
 East Confederate avenue from Gettysburg to Spangler's spring 7 241 
 
 I lanoock avenue from Taneytown road to United States avenue 1\ 825 
 
 Meade avenue from Tanevtown road to Hancock avenue ' 950 
 
 I leMODton avenue from f aneytown road to Hancock avenue 1 , 594 
 
 United States avenue from Hancock avenue to Emmitsburg road 4, 150 
 
 Sedgwick avenue from United States avenue to Wheatfield road 2 841 
 
 Sykes avenue from Wheatfield road to Round Top 2, 997 
 
 Wright avenue from Chaml>erlain avenue to Taneytown road . . 3' 000 
 
 ( 'ra wford avenue from Devil's Den to Wheatfield road 3* 530 
 
 Sickles avenue from Devil's Den to Emmitsburg road G' 515 
 
 West Confederate avenue from Hagerstown road to W 7 heatfield road 10* 470 
 
 Section 4, West Confederate avenue from AVheatfield road to Emmitsburg road. 3, 700 
 
 Section 5, West Confederate avenue from Emmitsburg road to section 6 2 470 
 
 Section (i, West Confederate avenue from section 5 to section 7 ] ' 840 
 
 Section 7, West Confederate avenue from section 7 to section 8 . 2' 850 
 
 Section 8, West Confederate avenue from section 7 to Svkes avenue l' 617 
 
 Warren avenue from Sykes avenue to Crawford avenue". 1 550
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITAEY PARK COMMISSION. 91 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Chamberlain avenue from Sykes avenue southerly to Sykes 1 , 050 
 
 Stone avenue from Chambersburg pike to Reynolds woods : 900 
 
 Meredith avenue from Reynolds woods to Reynolds avenue 1, 950 
 
 Wadsworth avenue from Doubleday avenue to Reynolds avenue 900 
 
 Doubleday avenue from Mummasburg road to Wads worth avenue 2, 150 
 
 Robinson avenue from Mummasburg road to Doubleday avenue 950 
 
 Wheatfleld avenue from Excelsior, field to Wheatfield woods 1 , 100 
 
 Reynolds Branch avenue in Reynolds woods 492 
 
 avenue from Slocum avenue to Spangler's spring 2, 036 
 
 Total , . 99, 376 
 
 Or 18.825 miles. 
 
 Li*l of photographs to accompany report of Gettysburg National Park Commission, 1903. 
 
 1. Buford avenue, looking south. 
 
 2. Stone avenue, from Reynolds Grove. 
 
 3. Meredith avenue, looking south. 
 
 4. Paved gutters on West Confederate avenue. 
 
 5. Poague's howitzers and earthworks, West Confederate avenue. 
 
 6. Itinerary tablets, Army of Northern Virginia, West Confederate avenue. 
 
 7. Storage building, Pleasonton avenue. 
 
 8. Statue to Maj. Gen. H. W. Slocum, Stevens Knoll, looking southwest. 
 
 9. Statue to Maj. Gen. H. W. Slocum, looking east. 
 
 10. Building between the Round Tops. 
 
 11. Infantry tablet, Army of Northern Virginia, West Confederate avenue. 
 
 12. New fencing on Howard avenue. 
 1.'!. New fencing on Slocum avenue. 
 14. Xew fencing on Gregg avenue. 
 !;">. Xew fencing on Gregg avenue. 
 
 Ifi. One hundred and fourteenth Pennsylvania marker, Hancock avenue. 
 
 17. View of completed bridge over Plum Run, looking north. 
 
 18. View of completed bridge over Plum Run, looking south. 
 
 Blueprints accompanying the report of the Gettysburg National Park Commission of 1903. 
 
 No. 477. Tract of land belonging to Robert Sheads. 
 
 No. 478. Tract of land belonging to J. S. Forney. 
 
 No. 479. Tract of land conveyed by heirs of Amos Leister. 
 
 No. 480. Tract of woodland conveyed by Benjamin F. Redding. 
 
 No. 481. Tract of land belonging to AVilliam A. Himes and J. E. C. Miller in Mount 
 
 Pleasant Township. 
 No. 482. Tract of land belonging to William A. Himes and J. E. C. Miller in Mount 
 
 Pleasant Township. 
 
 No. 483. Retaining wall on Stone avenue. 
 No. 484. Storage building and plan for cannon platform. 
 No. 485. Springs road from Seminary avenue to Willoughby Run. 
 No. 486. Military map showing the operations of the Union and Confederate armies 
 
 from Fredericksburg, Va., to Harrisburg, Pa., 1861 to 1865. 
 No. 487. Stadia rod. 
 
 No. 488. Profile of railroad cut at crossing of Reynolds avenue. 
 No. 489. Plan of Wright avenue from Chamberlain avenue to Taneytown road. 
 No. 490. Drawings accompanying application for space within War Department 
 
 exhibit at the St. Louis Exhibition, 1904. 
 No. 491. Plan for floor space in four compartments in the War Department exhibit 
 
 at the St. Louis Exposition. One of the compartments, 20 by 25 feet 500 
 
 square feet to be set apart for the use of the Gettysburg National Park 
 
 Commission. 
 
 List of tablets on the battlefield of Gettysburg marking organizations of the Union Army. 
 
 BATTERY TABLETS. 
 
 Wilkinson; Kinsey; Kinsey, second section; Rugg; Taft; Taft, second section; 
 Stewart; Dilger; Bancroft; Eakin; Edgell; Butler; Woodruff; Martin; Gushing; 
 Wier; Thomas; Hazlett; Turnbull; Seeley; Williston; Heaton; Calef; Penning- 
 ton; Randol; Graham; Elder; Watson; Calef, second section; Smith, second 
 section 30
 
 92 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 UNITED STATES CAVALRY TABLETS. 
 
 First, Second, Fifth, and Sixth Cavalry 4 
 
 UNITED STATES INFANTRY TABLETS. 
 
 Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Fourteenth, 
 and Seventeenth Infantry 10 
 
 ITINERARY TABLETS OF MOVEMENTS OF THE ARMY OF THE POTOMAC. 
 
 On Kast Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg battlefield 9 
 
 At Two Taverns, "Pa 2 
 
 At Littlestown, Pa 1 
 
 At Hanover, Pa 2 
 
 At Manchester, Md 2 
 
 At Westminster, Md 2 
 
 At Uniontown, Md 1 
 
 At Middleburg, Md 1 
 
 At Taneytown, Md 2 
 
 At Fairfield, Pa 1 
 
 At Kmmitsburg, Md 2 
 
 At Hunterstown, Pa 1 
 
 DISTANCE AND DIRECTION TABLETS. 
 
 On roads radiating from Gettysburg 12 
 
 Total 82 
 
 List of tablets on the battlefield cf Celtyxbnry marking organizations of Die Army of 
 
 Northern Virginia. 
 
 BRIGADE TABLETS. 
 
 On East Confederate avenue: Hay*, Gordon, Hoke, Jones, Nicholls, O'Neal, 
 Daniel, Steuart, Walker, Smith 10 
 
 On West Confederate avenue: McGo wan, Thomas, Brockenbrough, Lane, Davis, 
 Mahone, Scales, Pettigrew, Posey, Archer, Wright, Garnett, Armistead, 
 Kemper, Perry, Wilcox, Wofford, Barksdale 18 
 
 ARTILLERY BATTALION TABLETS. 
 
 On West Confederate avenue: Dance, Mclntosh, Garnett, Pegram, Lane, 
 Poague, Dearing, Eshleman, Alexander, Cabell, Henry 11 
 
 BATTERY TABLETS. 
 
 | . *-i* _ ' *x^ j AVBAVVWJ AH\J\J^l > . J. t*y - 
 
 lor, Parker Jordan, A\ ool folk, C'arlton (first section), Manlv, Carlton (second 
 section) , McCarthy, Fra/er, Latham, Bachman. Garden, Reilly 47 
 
 CONFEDERATE ARMY DIVISION TAHLETS. 
 
 At Black Horse Tavern 
 On Seminarv avenue . . 
 
 ITINERARY TABLETS. 
 
 On Confederate avenue: June 26, 27, 28, 29, 30; July 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 10 
 
 Total..
 
 ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1904 
 
 1617505 7 93
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK 
 COMMISSION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR, 1904, 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT, 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARR COMMISSION, 
 
 Gettysburg, Pa., July W, 1904. 
 
 SIR: The Comissioners of the Gettysburg National Park respectfully 
 submit the following report of the progress of their work for the fiscal 
 year ending June 30, 1904, with suggestions for its further prosecution 
 and completion: 
 
 MILITARY AVENUES. 
 
 Wright avenue, which runs from the southern base of Little Round 
 Top around the eastern slope of Round Top and thence to the Taney- 
 town road, has been completed. It follows the line and marks the 
 position of the troops to which was assigned the duty of guarding 
 the southern or left flank of the Union Army. It is constructed, as 
 are all the avenues on this battlefield, upon the Telford system, with 
 its base 14 or 15 inches thick, formed of paving stone, broken stone, 
 and screenings, thoroughly rolled with a 14-ton roller, and well drained 
 on each side. It is 1,000 yards in length and 16 feet wide. Part of it 
 is located upon land recently purchased for the United States by the 
 Commission, so as to secure a suitable grade. 
 
 Meredith avenue, which runs southward through Reynolds woods 
 and then eastward along the border of said woods to Reynolds avenue, 
 was completed last year to the southern border of said woods; but, a 
 dispute arising as to the title of the land on which the last-mentioned 
 section of the avenue lies, the work on it was suspended. This dispute, 
 however, has been recently settled by condemnation proceedings and 
 the contractor has resumed work on that section of the avenue, which 
 will be satisfactorily completed soon. 
 
 A survey has been made by the engineer of a suitable route for an 
 avenue from the infantry battlefield to the cavalry field, 2^ miles north- 
 eastward from the town. The route surveyed is upon good ground 
 and the grades light; and also we have learned from the owners of 
 some of the lands the prices to be paid. We estimate that the total 
 cost of a strip of land 50 feet wide, suitable for such avenue, will be 
 about $2,700. 
 
 The cavalry field, disconnected as it is from that of the infantry and 
 artillery, can only be reached now from Gettysburg by a circuitous 
 route of about 4 miles over hilly and rough roads. For this reason 
 it is but little known and rarely visited though much labor and money 
 have been spent by several States and by cavalry organizations, through 
 the memorial association, for the purchase of land and erection of mon- 
 uments thereon, and also a large amount of work has been done there 
 
 95
 
 96 (SKTTYSWIW NATIONAL MILITARY 1'AKK < < >.M M ISMc .N. 
 
 and money expended by tin- I'nited States through the Park Commis- 
 -i.ii for purchase of land, laying out and maintenance of avenues and 
 care of the Held in general. 
 
 The total length of avenue- completed by the Commission is about 
 jo mile-, of \\l7ieh KJ miles are -20 to 25 feet wide and about 4 miles 
 are it; feet wide. The principal reason for making these narrower 
 than the average, as for instance Slocum avenue over and aloiig Gulp's 
 Hill. \\a- that they were steep and winding and to widen them would 
 >eriou-dv mar the lace of the ground which the Commission have taken 
 rreat eare to preserve as nearly as possible as it was at the time of 
 
 The battle. 
 
 ACQUISITION OF LANDS. 
 
 The following lands have been purchased this year: 
 
 Acres. 
 Pared of land covered with forest and situate alongside of West Confederate 
 
 avenue, purchased from Mrs. Sarah Plank 24.50 
 
 Pan d fn>m Calvin Krise on Little Round Top 3. 16 
 
 Parcel in >m < ieor-re Trostle near the wheat field 2. 50 
 
 I 'a red from Melchior Wolf on cavalry field , 75 
 
 Pared from Newton Tawney on cavalry field 67 
 
 Making in all during this year 31. 58 
 
 The two small parcels purchased from Messrs. Wolf and Tawne}- on 
 the eavalrv Held were required for the completion of needed avenues. 
 
 Area of lands now owned here on the battlefield by the Government 
 'IN l.;;M>.'.:;4-s aeres. or about 2J- square miles. 
 
 There are now under condemnation proceedings four tracts or parcels 
 of land belonging to the Gettysburg Springs and Hotel Company, rep- 
 resented by tne receivers, containing 36.56 acres. 
 
 There is also a parcel of land belonging to the McAllister heirs, sit- 
 uate on Rock Creek east of Gulp's Hill, which has already been bar- 
 gained for and a price agreed on, but by reason of some peculiarities 
 in the ownership we will have to go into court to get valid title. 
 Area, 6.56 acres. 
 
 MONUMENTAL AND OTHER WORKS. 
 
 Kleven additional gun carriages have been ordered to be set up and 
 mounted with guns on the cavalry field, viz: 
 
 Two mounted with 10-pounder Parrotts, marking the position of 
 (neen'> battery, "The Louisiana Guard Artillery." 
 
 Two mounted with 3-inch rifles, marking the position of Breathed's 
 Virginia battery. 
 
 Two mounted with Napoleons and two with 3-inch rifles belonging 
 to and marking the position of McGregor's Virginia batter}'. 
 
 Two mounted with howitzers and marking tne position of Thomas 
 K. . lack-foil's Virginia battery. 
 
 One mounted with a 3-inch rifle and marking (with a gun previously 
 located) the position of Pennington's Union battery, on Cavalry avenue 
 north of the Hanover road. 
 
 The number of guns now mounted on the battlefield, including these, 
 is 3i'i'. 
 
 A monumental bron/e tablet has been erected on Section V, Con- 
 federate avenue. 1 mile west of Round Top. at the place where the 
 Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment, of Hood's division, formed line
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 97 
 
 a mile west of Round Rop and started with the other regiments of the 
 brigade in the charge upon the Union position on Little Round Top, 
 and an inscription cast on the tablet in raised letters states the move- 
 ments, services, and losses of the regiment in the battle. 
 
 Four guide tablets have been set up on Wright avenue, four on 
 Meredith and Stone avenues, one on Sykes avenue, and one at the 
 Plank woods, making a total of 461 metallic tablets now on the field. ' 
 
 Twelve thousand feet of pipe fencing has been erected this year, 
 making in all over 13 miles of the same now on the field. 
 
 Twenty thousand one hundred and eighty feet of post fencing has 
 this }-ear been erected, making now over 11 miles thereof on the field. 
 
 One thousand five hundred and thirt}' feet of stone walls have been 
 rebuilt and restored during the year, which, together with those 
 previously restored, make now on the battlefield 25,597 feet, or over 
 4| miles, of stone walls as originally on the field. 
 
 Sixty-seven thousand seven hundred and eighty-six feet, or about 
 12f miles, of gutter paving has been done alongside of the Telford 
 avenues, most of it this year, in the best and most durable style, to 
 prevent damage to the avenues from rainstorms and floods, and these 
 finely paved gutters have proved to be most effective and successful in 
 accomplishing that purpose and protecting the battlefield in general 
 from injury by the heavy rains wnich are not uncommon here. 
 
 GUARDS AND LABORERS. 
 
 Five guards are employed on the field, as has been the case since the 
 first establishrnent of the park, and they are very necessary and useful 
 in preventing injuries to the public work and mutilation of the monu- 
 ments by mischievous visitors and foolish relic hunters. They are each 
 required to file a written report every evening, so that needful orders 
 may be given and everything on the field properly cared for. 
 
 From about the middle of March to the middle of December 36 
 laborers are employed and on duty for eight hours on each week day, 
 busy in all the various kinds of work required, and 2 two-horse teams 
 and 4 one-horse carts are on duty doing the needed hauling of stone, 
 screenings, earth, lumber, etc., as required. The workmen are 
 required to keep everything about their work in such shape that the 
 field shall always appear as nearly as possible neat and finished, while 
 in fact there is always a large amount of important work in progress. 
 
 TREES PLANTED. 
 
 A map was prepared b}^ Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope, engineer, showing 
 the parts of the field which have been partly or wholly denuded of 
 trees since the battle, forty-one years ago, and plans were prepared 
 to reforest those portions which have been purchased and now belong 
 to the United States; and this, in fact, very nearly covers all the land 
 on the battlefield which was wooded then and cleared since. 
 
 One thousand trees were planted in the autumn of 1893, in the 
 groves of the national park, where the forest had been thinned out and 
 marred by cutting and carrying away part of the growth. 
 
 Eighty-one hundred trees were purchased and received in the months 
 of April and May, 1904, and these were planted by the laborers of the 
 Commission under the supervision of S. B. Detwiler, iield assistant, 
 United States Bureau of Forestry. They were planted on Seminary
 
 98 ..KTTYSHfKU NATIONAL MILITARY 1'AKK COMMISSION. 
 
 Ridge, on United States land south of the McMillan woods, and south- 
 erly along the border of West Confederate avenue to the Wheattield 
 roall. a distance of nearly -1 miles; and the residue on the Masonheimer 
 land, south of I '::it:-(l States avenue. Since the planting of the afore- 
 said trees tin- -ru-on has been in the main favorable and nearly all of 
 them seem to be growing. 
 
 EXHIBIT AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION. 
 
 This exhibit was prepared by order of Secretary of War Root. It 
 was completed and shipped to St. Louis in April. 1904, and installed 
 in the excellent position allotted to the Commission. The floor space 
 assigned is 16 by 20 feet, and the wall space 360 square feet. Our 
 exhurit consists of the following works, gotten up with care bj r our 
 engineer, Col. E. B. Cope, and his assistants, viz: 
 
 1. A relief map 14 feet long by 10 feet wide, and representing 24 
 square miles, or substantially the entire battlefield, with all its feature^ 
 of hill and valley, field and forest, roads, buildings, stream-*, bridge^ 
 everything in fact as it existed at the date of the battle, and executed 
 with such skill and accuracy that everyone who saw it in Gettysburg 
 \\a> tilled with admiration. It was shipped to St. Louis and put in 
 position with great care, fortunately without injury. 
 
 2. Two tables, each 5 feet long by 3 feet wide and covered with 
 large volumes of blueprints, showing a great number and variety of 
 objects and scenes on the battlefield, among them the charge of Picket t 
 and IVttigrew, and many other episodes and features of the great 
 battle. (The above are placed on the floor space.) 
 
 :;. A framed blueprint map of the battlefield, 40 by 48 inches in 
 dimensions, completed in 190<>. 
 
 4. A framed blueprint map of the battlefield, 38 by 53 inches, made 
 in r.>:;. 
 
 5. Five framed white prints of the battlefield, as it was in 1863, 
 showing the positions of the troops of both armies on the different 
 days of the battle. The scale of tnese white prints is 600 feet to the 
 inch. 
 
 6. A framed map on Whatman paper, 44 by 50 inches, the surveys 
 for which were made by order of General Meade in August, September, 
 and October, 1863, when the field was in the condition caused by the 
 then recent battle. The work was done by a party of topographical 
 engineers from headquarters, Army of the Potomac, and under the 
 supervision of Colonel Cope. 
 
 <. A framed print showing the positions of monuments, markers, 
 batteries, etc., on this field, as fixed by Colonel Cope, engineer of the 
 Commission, and his assistants. 
 
 8. A framed map of the battlefield of Antietam, as made from sur- 
 veys by Colonel Cope and hi> a>-i>tants. 
 
 !. A very large photograph, showing almost the whole of the battle- 
 field of Gettysburg, taken from the summit of Little Round Top. 
 
 lit. Fortv--i\ larg- frame photographs, giving views of all part> of 
 the battlefield and showing much of the work done by the Commission. 
 
 VISITORS TO THE KIELD. 
 
 Multitudes of our countrymen from all sections come here, and 
 many persons of distinction have visited the Gettysburg battlefield
 
 GETTYSBUKG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 99 
 
 during the past year, among them Theodore Roosevelt, President of 
 the United States; Hon. Robert Shaw Oliver, Assistant Secretary of 
 War; Lieut. Gen. Ian Hamilton, quartermaster-general of the British 
 army, and A. K. Muir, baronet; H. M. Durand, British ambassador, 
 and Hubert Foster, lieutenant-colonel Royal Engineers; George B. 
 Davis, Judge- Advocate-General, IT. S. Army; Wallace F. Randolph, 
 major-general, U. S. Army; Brig. Gen. John C. Black, commander in 
 chief, Grand Army of the Republic; Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard; Hon. 
 Leslie M. Shaw T , Secretary of the Treasury; Hon. Henry C. Payne, 
 Postmaster-General, and many others. We are glad to say that all 
 these distinguished persons spoke in the most complementary terms of 
 the work done by the Commission. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 There are a few important, though not large parcels of land mainly 
 on the Confederate portion of the battlefield, which should yet be 
 acquired, and monumental tablets erected thereon with inscriptions, and 
 guns mounted to mark the positions of batteries; and some short ave- 
 nues constructed leading to important points; and when these things 
 are done, in addition to the great and enduring work which has already 
 been finished, we think the object of the Government in establishing 
 the Gettysburg National Park will have been substantially accom- 
 plished. It will be observed from what is stated in this, as well as in 
 previous annual reports, that we have in general thought the instruc- 
 tions issued to the Commission were wise, to purchase from time to 
 time but small parcels of land instead of large tracts; for the important 
 events of the great battle could be commemorated by monuments 
 occupying but a comparatively small space, and the needless purchase 
 of great areas would not only cost heavity, but would entail a contin- 
 uous useless expense to maintain them, although vacant, in a condition 
 becoming the Government. In our opinion the acquisition of any 
 further extensive tracts of land here by the United States would be a 
 waste of public funds, and we think one more liberal appropriation by 
 Congress, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1906, will enable the 
 Commission to complete the Gettysburg National Park in a manner 
 worthy of the Government and satisfactory to every section of the 
 country; and when it is complete only a modest amount will be required 
 to maintain it and to employ sufficient guards to protect a public prop- 
 erty now aggregating in value millions of dollars. 
 
 Through correspondence the addresses of over 500 survivors of the 
 United States regular commands have been secured and their state- 
 ments regarding the positions of the regular regiments and batteries 
 are being noted. B} r a clerical omission Battery E, Fourth U. S. 
 Artillery, was omitted in the act. This was rectified by the Senate 
 unanimously passing a special appropriation for the monument, which 
 is now in the House of Representatives. When this becomes a law 
 the monuments will be contracted for by advertisement. 
 
 As long as the survivors' associations of the war of 1 861-1865 continue 
 there will be erected upon the battlefield at Gettysburg costly and 
 elaborate memorials, the interest in the field increasing through the 
 work of the Government. 
 
 The State of Pennsylvania has appropriated $150,000, available in 
 1905, to erect a monument to the soldiers upon the field.
 
 100 (iKTTY-BfRG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 The State of New York is erecting a monument to the Oneida Com- 
 pany. Independent Cavalry, at (ieneral Meade's headquarters, and the 
 Commi->ion are proceeding with the details to erect the monument- to 
 the regular commands, as authorized ^y Congress. 
 
 \\Y'a-U CoiioTr-s to n'ive a lileral appropriation at its next session 
 for the completion of this great monumental work with the li>eal 
 vear 1! "i5-6. 
 
 Respectfully, JOHX P. NICHOLSON. 
 
 Chairman. 
 WM. M. ROBBINS. 
 CHAS. A. RICHARDSON, 
 
 Commissioners. 
 The SECRETARY OF WAR. 
 
 LIST OK BLUEPRINTS TO ACCOMPANY ANNUAL KEPORT, 1904. 
 
 492. Tract of land on Cavalry Field, Newton A. Tawney, July 27, 1903. 
 
 493. Tract of land, McAllister's Woods. 
 
 493J. Two tracts, Nos. 3 and 4, Springs and Hotel Company, August 12, 1903. 
 
 494." Tract of land, Henry A. Wolf, Cavalry Field, September 8, 1903. 
 
 495. New lodge, national cemetery, August 24, 1903. 
 
 496. Tract of land, Plank's Woods, September 11, 1903. 
 
 497. Battlefield of Antietam, showing troops, September 11, 1903. 
 
 498. Catch basin, as used on Gettysburg National Park, September 5, 1903. 
 
 4'.t9. < iettysburg Springs and Hotel Company, north of Hagerstown road. 
 
 500. Plan of table for relief map. 
 
 501 B. Drawing, space at St Louis Exposition, 500 feet. 
 
 502. Drawing, space at St. Louis Exposition, 320 feet, March 23, 1904. 
 
 503. Drawing for temporary extension of rostrum, May 17, 1904. 
 
 504. Two tracts, Mrs. H. T*. Scbrivcr and C. W. Ziegler, June 15, 1904. 
 
 505. One tract, C. W. Ziegler, June 15, 1905. 
 
 BOO. <>nc tract, George K. Stock. June 15, 19(14. 
 
 607. Out- tract. Henry (iilliraith. June 15, 1904. 
 
 -One tract, Dr. W. H. Deardorf, June 15, 1904. 
 
 One tract, Andrew Topper, June 15, 1904. 
 RIO. One tract, Lydia Deatrick, June 15, 1904. 
 511. One tract, W. ( '. Storriek, June 15, 1904. 
 512. One tract, Ed. Trostle, June 15, 1904. 
 513. One tract, George Trostle, June 15, 1904. 
 514. Map of battlefield, 600 feet scale, 1903, June 15, 1904. 
 
 LIST OK PHOTOGRAPHS, 1904. 
 
 1. Wright avenue from Chamberlain avenue. 
 
 2. Wright avenue showing wall breastworks. 
 
 3. Wright avenue looking east. 
 
 4. Stone wall, breastwork, Doubleday avenue. 
 
 5. Stone wall, breastwork, Taneytown road, General Meade's headquarters. 
 
 (1. Stone wall, breastwork, Taneytown road. 
 
 7. Stone wall, breastwork. Taneytown road, storage building. 
 
 S. Fencing on Reynolds avenue, < al- f > battery section. 
 
 9. (iiitter pavini: on linford avenue. 
 10. Gutter paving on I'nited States avenue. 
 11. Gutter pavini.' on Warren avenue. 
 12. < -utter paving on Sickles avenue. 
 13. Retaining wall and gutter ou Stone avenue. 
 14. Grading eari end Meredith avenue.
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 101 
 
 15. Grading Meredith avenue looking west. 
 
 16. South line of Rummel Woods from Rommel barn. 
 
 17. Avenue on Artillery line, Cavalry Field. 
 
 18. From Battery M. Second United States Artillery, Cavalry Field, showing the 
 
 Union infantry line from right to left. 
 
 19. Tablet of Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment, section, 5. 
 20. Pardee Field from Geary avenue. 
 
 21. Pardee Field from stone wall, breastwork, on south spur of Gulp's Hill. 
 22. Marker to Brig. Gen. Albion P. Howe's headquarters. 
 23. Nineteenth Indiana monument. 
 
 24. Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry marker, along Rock Creek. 
 25. Relief map of the battlefield of Gettysburg.
 
 INSPECTION REPORT, GETTYSBURG NATIONAL PARK. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS ATLANTIC DIVISION. 
 
 INSPECTOR-GENERAL'S OFFICE, 
 Governors Island, N. Y., December 9, 1904- 
 
 SIR: I have the honer to submit the following report of an inspec- 
 tion of the details of the work as carried on by the Gettysburg 
 National Park Commission, in compliance with letter of instruction 
 from the Military Secretary's Office, dated November 7, 1904. 
 
 Personnel of the Gettysburg National Park Commission. 
 
 Lieut. Col. JOHN P. NICHOLSON, Chairman. 
 Maj. WILLIAM M. ROBBINS. 
 Maj. CHARLES A. RICHARDSON. 
 
 EMPLOYEES. 
 
 Lieut. Col. E. B. COPE, chief engineer and superintendent, at $150 per month. 
 
 One assistant engineer, at 80 per month. 
 
 One rodnian, at 50 per month. 
 
 ( hie assistant superintendent, at $50 per month. 
 
 One storekeeper and timekeeper, at $50 per month. 
 
 One messenger, at $35 per month. 
 
 One hostler, at $30 per month. 
 
 Five guards, at $40 per month each. 
 
 Total monthly pay roll, $645. 
 
 On the date of inspection, in addition to the above, there were 
 emplo3 r ed 27 laborers at $1.50 per day; 3 carts, with horse and driver, 
 at $2.25 per day, and 2 teams, with driver, at $3.25 per day. The 
 pay roll for this class of labor during the month of November, 1904, 
 |ras $1,367.92. 
 
 MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND IMPLEMENTS. 
 
 Three horses, 2 wagons, 1 cart, 1 steam roller, 1 horse roller, 2 bar 
 mowers, 1 horse lawn mower, 1 water cart. 
 
 BUILDINGS. 
 One brick fireproof storehouse. 
 
 OFFICE. 
 
 The office of the Commission is located in the town of Gettysourg, 
 for which a rental of $210 per 3 T ear, including the water rent, is paid. 
 The average cost of fuel is $24 per 3 7 ear; the average cost of lights, 
 $30 per year. 
 
 103
 
 104 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 The animals belonging to tin- Commission occupy a -table in the 
 town, for which a rental of *tto per year is paid. 
 
 BOOKS AM) RECORDS. 
 
 Belonging to the Commission: 
 
 I. Journal: Extends from June 1, 1893, to date, and includes 12 volumes of over 
 5,000 pages. recording each day's transactions and meetings of the Commission. 
 
 L'. Contracts: Full details of the work, 1893 to 1904, hound separately in r>L> volumes. 
 
 :;. A volume embracing legislative history of the battlefield from the organi/ation 
 of the (iettysburg Battlefield .Memorial Association, including all legislation by States 
 and the National (ioverninent. 
 
 4, Applications by the Commission for authority for work and purchases, with the 
 approval of the War I Apartment, embracing 12 quarto volumes arranged by year. 
 
 .">. Volume containing the number of letters written daily, relating to the work 
 since 1893. 
 
 6. Volume containing copy of every Confederate and Union inscription prepared 
 and placed on the field by the Commission since 1893. 
 
 7. Two volumes, folio, containing a record of every plat or piece of ground trans- 
 ferret! to the United States, as recorded, with full-page drawing of the property. 
 
 8. Four volumes, quarto, showing the property purchased, accompanied by the 
 agreement of the owner to sell, authority from the Secretary of War to purchase, 
 with blueprint description of the land. 
 
 9. Three folio volumes, containing applications from State commissions and associa- 
 tions of survivors to locate monuments and tablets since 1893, with the correspond- 
 ence relating to the location, designs, and inscriptions, with final approval of the 
 Secretary of War. 
 
 Engineer Department: 
 
 1. Journal: 7 volumes, July, 1893, to December, 1904. 
 
 2. Office memoranda: 2 volumes, July, 1893, to December, 1904. 
 
 3. Contract book: 1 volume, July, 1893, to December, 1904. 
 
 4. Cannon account: 1 volume, July, 1893, to December, 1904. 
 
 '>. General information: 1 volume, July, 1893, to December, 1904. 
 '.. Agreement of employees: 1 volume, 1893 to December, 1904. 
 
 7. Account book, employees: 1 volume, 1895 to December, 1904. 
 
 8. Account book, materials, etc.: 4 volumes, 1896 to December, 1904. 
 
 9. Record of position of troops: 1 volume, July 1, 2, and 3, 1863. 
 
 10. Applicants for position on force: 1 volume. 
 
 II. Drawings and tracings: 1 volume, from 1893 to 1904. 
 12. Blueprints: 1 volume, 1893 to 1904. 
 
 map, position of troops 
 
 18. Book: 1 volume, Warren map, position of troops each half hour, July 1'. 
 
 19. Book: 1 volume, Warren map, position of troops each half hour, July 3. 
 
 20. Time book, kept by timekeeper. 
 
 21. List of tools, kept by timekeeper. 
 
 In addition to the above, the office contains IIOOKS and photographs 
 <>f every monument on the field: views of all the different work on the 
 lidd; photographs of important building* and historic places on the 
 field about the time of the battle, and folio books containing copies of 
 every blueprint. 
 
 The above records are very full and complete. I do not see that the 
 intelligent system followed could be improved upon. Nearly all rec- 
 ord- an- of great historic value, and some means should be provided 
 at an early date to guard them against destruction by tire. 
 
 HI SINKSS METHODS. 
 
 The Commission doe. not disburse funds. The money appropriated 
 for the work done by tin- Commission is disbursed by '(he disbursing
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 105 
 
 officer of the War Department under the orders of the Secretary of 
 War. The amount to the credit of the appropriation on October 31, 
 1904, was $46,905.63. Except in case of veiy minor transactions, all 
 purchases are made after competitive bids are requested and the con- 
 tract awarded. All bills are verified and signed by the chief engi- 
 neer and approved by the chairman of the Commission. All the work 
 on property included in the park is done by contract after competi- 
 tion, except maintenance and general repairs to roads, fences, etc., and 
 the construction of gutters. 
 
 " The supervision of labor and record of work done and time employed 
 is excellent. 
 
 GUARDS AND LABORERS. 
 
 The guards, five in number, h#ve the authority of deputy marshals, 
 and are employed in the general police of the park to prevent injuries 
 to the public work or the mutilation of the monuments, and are 
 required to submit each evening a report covering their observations 
 and work done during the da}% indicating what monuments or roads 
 require repair or attention, also the number of articles, if any, which 
 they have found on the field. The number of laborers is reduced to 
 the lowest minimum from about the 26th of December eveiy year until 
 about the middle of the following March. 
 
 WORK DONE. 
 
 Since July, 1893, there have been constructed 20 miles of telford 
 avenues; 13| miles of avenue fencing, built of locust post and gas-pipe 
 rails; 12i miles of fencing built of posts and rails; 13 miles of gutter 
 paving. Five and one-fourth miles of stone walls have been rebuilt 
 at locations where stone walls existed at the time of the battle. Three 
 hundred and twenty-four guns have been mounted; 462 tablets have 
 been erected, and 17,100 trees have been planted. These trees are 
 planted on ground that was covered with trees at the time of the battle. 
 All this work has been well done. 
 
 The roads have been constructed on the telford system; the road- 
 bed, carefully graded and drained, was covered with a course of stone 
 paved by hand, consisting of hard stone 8 to 10 inches long, 7 to 8 
 inches wide, and 4 to 6 inches thick; and bowlders about the same 
 size, set up on edge, thickest edge down, length across the road, and 
 laid so as to break joints as much as possible, forming a rough, irreg- 
 ular pavement 8 inches thick over the whole roadbed, the joints 
 between the stones being chinked and knapped with smaller stones and 
 stone chips driven in, projecting points above 8 inches being knocked 
 off with a hammer. 
 
 A course of stones 12 inches high, 12 to 18 inches long, and 6 to 8 inches 
 thick, is laid at the sides of the subgrade. This foundation is covered 
 to a depth of 5 inches in the center and 4 inches at the sides with 
 broken stone, li-inch dimensions. This is rolled by a 13-ton roller 
 at least five times after being sprinkled. One-half inch of clay is then 
 spread over this layer, which is then covered with 2 inches of granite 
 screenings, three-fourths of an inch in size, which is sprinkled and 
 rolled five times; finally, over this a half inch of fine limestone screen- 
 ings is evenly spread over the entire surface, sprinkled and rolled at 
 least ten times.
 
 106 GETTYSWRO NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 
 
 Some <>f thcM- roads have been in use for ten years and sliow very 
 little >i:ii- of wear: in fact, they sire as good as when first completed. 
 The avenge OO8< of these roads has been about ~:U cents per square 
 vard. >omething over *s,000 a mile. With proper care and mainte- 
 nance the\ wilMa-t indefinitely. The guttering along these roads, now 
 being constructed under the supervision of the chief engineer by day 
 labor. i> an improvement over that first put down by the contract 
 -v-tem: it i- of excellent quality and .should endure for a long time. 
 
 FARMING LAND. 
 
 Within the limits of the park are twelve small farms. These farms 
 are rented on a yearly lease to approved tenants under uniform leases, 
 which carefully guard the interests of the park by including pro- 
 visions which require the improvement of the land. There is also a 
 -mall frame building, leased to an old soldier, within the limits of the 
 park. The revenue derived from these leases amounts to 7!M per 
 annum. This money is. with the approval of the Secretary of War, 
 disbursed for the betterment of the park. 
 
 EXTENT OF PARK. 
 
 The Government now owns 1,380 acres of land on the battlefield. 
 Thirty-six acres are now under condemnation proceedings before the 
 courts. In the opinion of the Commission there still remain about 
 I'.to acres of land that should be acquired in order to preserve the 
 integrity of the entire battlefield. This land is indicated on the accom- 
 panying ma]) as described in the legend. In order to connect the Held 
 where the cavalry action took place during this memorable battle it is 
 very desirable to acquire a strip of land .~><i feet wide. The road has 
 been surveyed. The proposed avenue is entirely practicable sind can 
 be acquired for about $2,700. Under the present arrangement it is 
 nece-siry for anyone desiring to visit the cavalry field to travel about 4 
 miles over bad roads, and for this reason it is rarely Visited by the 
 numerous throngs of people who go to the infantry field. By the pro- 
 po;cd route si distance of about 2A miles would be saved. It is ear- 
 nestly recommended that this project be approved. The land to bo 
 acquired is mainly on that portion of the field occupied by the Confed- 
 erate army, on which were stationed during the battle bodies of troops 
 and batteries of artillery. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 I thoroughly inspected the roads, avenues, and the park generally, 
 lx)th on the infantry field and on the cavalry field. The roads, 
 fences, monuments, woodlands, and shrubbery are in good condition; 
 the entire park, sis observed, was well policed and free from rubbish 
 and other disfiguring elements. The character of the work done 
 and the general conditions showed a very intelligent and thorough 
 -ystem as to construction, care, and maintenance. I have nothing to 
 suggest in the way of improvements upon the methods and systems of 
 the Commission. It appears to me that they have accomplished a 
 great work, one of the principal features being the extreme care taken 
 to ascertain the positions held by the various commands participating?
 
 GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION. 107 
 
 in the great battle fought there. There can be no doubt that the 
 positions thus far marked are accurate and trustworthy. 
 
 An accurate topographical map of the entire field has been com- 
 pleted under the direction of Colonel Cope, the chief engineer. 
 
 A list of blank forms used by the Commission, map of the field, map 
 showing the land owned and such land as it is proposed to acquire, 
 regulations for the government of Gettysburg Park, and specifications 
 for roads, fences, and gun carriages, accompany this report. 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 E. A. G ARLINGTON, 
 Colonel, Inspector- General. 
 The ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF WAR, 
 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 O
 
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 TOWER, CONFEDERATE AVENUE, SECTION 4.
 
 TOWER AND KNAP'S BATTERY E, PENNSYLVANIA LIGHT ARTILLERY, SUMMIT OF 
 
 GULP'S HILL.
 
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 MARKER ERECTED WHERE MAJ. GEN. D. E. SICKLES WAS WOUNDED.
 
 STATUE TO JOHN BURNS ON STONE AVENUE.
 
 STATUE TO MAJ. GEN. H. W. SLOCUM, STEVENS KNOLL, LOOKING WEST.
 
 STATUE TO MAJ. GEN. H- W. SLOCUM, STEVENS KNOLL, LOOKING EAST.
 
 ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEENTH PENNSYLVANIA MARKER, HANCOCK AVENUE.
 
 
 . 
 
 .">''*&* "-' 

 
 TWENTY-EIGHTH PENNSYLVANIA INFANTRY MARKER, ALONG ROCK CREEK.
 
 NINETEENTH INDIANA MONUMENT, MEREDITH AVENUE.
 
 RELIEF MAP OF THE BATTLEFIELD OF GETTYSBURG. 
 
 Size 9 feet 2i inches by 12 feet 8 inches. Surveys of field by Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope, engineer; 
 S. A. Hammond, H. W. Mattern, E. M. Hewitt, A. A. Partner, assistant engineers. Relief 
 map made by Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope, engineer; J. C. Wierman, assistant. Scale 200 feet 
 to inch.
 
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