Gettysburg, Pa. July 20, 1906
Sir: The Commissioners of the Gettysburg National Park respectfully submit the following report of the progress of their work for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1906:
LAND ACQUIRED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR
Powers Hill and adjoining timber lands were purchased by the Commission for the sum of $1,800. This is a valuable property and includes a number of small plots with monuments and guns now erected thereon. The tract contains 70.01 acres, and was purchased from Sabina C. Patterson by deed dated September 12, 1905.
Peach Orchard and field adjoining were acquired by condemnation proceedings in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905, and are enumerated in the amount of land in the last report. The deed was not executed until July 7, 1905. The tract contains 11.498 acres.
Cunningham tract was placed under condemnation several years ago, but owing to complication over which the Commission had no control, the deed was not executed until September 18, 1905, and although mentioned in a former report, properly comes within this.
The total amount of land acquired by the Gettysburg National Park Commission to this date is approximately 1,667 acres.
We respectfully repeat the recommendation that the Commission be authorized to purchase the following tracts of land upon which to construct an avenue from the borough line of Gettysburg at Rock Creek, on the Hanover road, easterly to corner of United States land on the East Cavalry field, a distance of 2 1/2 miles, viz:
Mrs. Schriver ............................................... 1.00 Acres
C. W. Ziegler ............................................... 1.21 "
George Stock ............................................... 24.85 "
Gilbreath ...................................................... 1.66 "
Deardorf ....................................................... .28 "
Topper .......................................................... .73 "
Deatrick ........................................................ 0.52 "
Storick .......................................................... 1.27 "
E. Trostle ...................................................... 3.16 "
G. Trostle ..................................................... 1.03 "
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Total .................... 35.71 Acres
It is also intended to place tablets and guns on this avenue to locate Confederate batteries stationed along the line and not now represented on the field.
Two other small tracts would be desirable. One belonging to F. Frommeyer, situated along the Harrisburg road one-half mile northeast of Rock Creek. This land is necessary for the purpose of marking thereon the position of Jones's Confederate battalion of 12 guns. Also one tract of land belonging to J. Emory Bair, adjoining United States land on the southeast and northeast sides of the Peach Orchard, containing about 1 acre.
PIKED AVENUES
Colgrove and Carman avenue, upon land acquired from the McAllister heirs, was put under contract in May, 1905, and half the foundation paving completed at the close of the last report; length of avenue 1,794 feet, 16 feet wide. The work upon it was completed August 1, 1905, and the avenue was opened to the public soon thereafter. This work has been and will continue to be a great advantage to the field, giving access to the extreme right of the Union line west of Rock Creek.
North Confederate avenue was begun immediately upon the completion of Colgrove and Carman avenue, and was completed about November 20, and preparation made for mounting guns representing five batteries and tablets belonging thereto. Tablets were also set up at the positions of four Confederate brigades. These guns and tablets were erected and completed in December. A short stone wall was restored at the east end of the avenue, and a post fence, extending from said wall to edge of timber, was erected in December, 1905. In May, 1906, the fencing was completed by the erection of an avenue fence upon the western portion of the avenue, 2,020 feet long.
A contract was made October 18, 1905, for piking an extension to Doubleday avenue, the necessary land having been secured for the purpose. The length is 720 feet, 16 feet wide. This avenue extension was completed in December, 1905. The borders of the avenues have all been sown with grass seed to the fences and the ground covered with a dressing.
On January 19, 1906, a survey was commenced for the purpose of discovering the best line, ground, and grade for an avenue to open important Union and Confederate positions and battle lines south of the Wheat Field and through Rose Grove along the advanced position of Brooke's brigade, July 2, 1863. This part of the field has been very difficult of access heretofore. The proposed avenue is intended to remedy this difficulty. A very good grade was found upon ground recently purchased by the United States from J. Emory Bair. In January and February, 1906, the avenue was located permanently and staked. Bids have been received for grading and piking the avenue; action upon it is now pending. The avenue to be piked will be 5,858 feet long and 16 feet wide, stonework 14 inches deep, built on the Telford system. No grade upon it is over 4 degrees. Two culverts over Plum Run are included in the bids.
The Commission has been authorized by the Secretary of War, pursuant to an act of Congress, to pike 12.9 miles of public roads, beginning at the borough line of Gettysburg and ending the piking of each road within the limits of the park. Fifteen thousand dollars have been added to the Commission's appropriation for the fiscal year to begin the work. Acting upon this authority the Commission has directed advertisements as follows:
For piking---- Feet.
Mummasburg road .......................................... 3,025
Carlisle road .................................................... 3,276
Newville road ................................................... 2,400
Harrisburg road ................................................ 2,872
Taneytown road ............................................... 3,233
Fairfield road .................................................... 2,700
Wheatfield road ................................................ 795
Emmitsburg road .............................................. 495
The engineers began the work of staking out these roads June 16. The contract for grading and piking them will be made in time to begin the work this autumn.
GUNS MOUNTED
Under the contract made for the construction and mounting with guns of twenty gun carriages, eight were mounted on Benners Hill, as referred to in the last report. Eight have been mounted during the year, and also two gun carriages mounted with Whitworth guns that were contracted for separately. All of said guns are along or near North Confederate avenue as follows: Two Napoleons representing Carter's battery, two Whitworths representing Rice's battery, two 10-pounder Parrotts representing Fry's battery, two Napoleons representing Page's battery, and two 3-inch rifles representing Reese's battery. Total guns mounted to date, 340.
TABLETS ERECTED
Five battery tablets, one artillery battalion tablet, and four brigade tablets on North Confederate avenue, and one brigade tablet on Howard avenue have been erected.
All of the above batteries and brigades belonged to the Army of Northern Virginia. There are on the Confederate avenue two "Avenue" and two "Drive to the right" tablets put up on Carman and Colgrove avenues on the extreme right of the Army of the Potomac west of Rock Creek. An avenue tablet, "Webb avenue," was erected on the North Loop connecting with Hancock avenue and passing The Angle. This avenue was named by the Commission and the tablet erected with the consent of the Secretary of War as a just tribute to Bvt. Gen. Alexander S. Webb.
It is the purpose of the Commission to substitute bronze tablets for the present iron tablets on the field as far as the proper authority will be given to do so. Also to erect granite markers with bronze tablets thereon to the Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac; one marker to each corps, including the Cavalry Corps. One of these markers for the Third Corps has been purchased and delivered, and will be erected.
MONUMENTS
The monuments to be erected to the United States regular commands, 43 in number, will be contracted for during the year, if proper designs and satisfactory bids are received on August 1, next.
A bronze statue of Bvt. Maj. Gen. George S. Greene will be erected by the State of New York near the summit of Culps Hill.
A contract was made for rebuilding the barn upon the McPherson land lately acquired by the United States. This barn was within the line of battle on the First Days Field and was an important landmark. It had become dilapidated, and has been thoroughly restored at a cost of $460.50.
A contract for granite stonework at Spanglers Spring was completed in October, 1905.
During the year there have been erected 14,000 feet of post fencing under contract.
STONEWALLS
Stonewalls have been rebuilt along the piked portions of Taneytown road, along the east end of North Confederate avenue, and along Taneytown road south of Pleasonton avenue. The force will continue to rebuild the wall along the old road crossing from the Taneytown road to the east end of United States avenue, and they will also rebuild the stonewalls about Powers Hill.
PAVING GUTTERS
Gutter paving has been continued at the following places: Taneytown piked road, side gutters paved, 1,350 feet; Wright avenue, side gutters paved, 1,200 feet; Meredith avenue, side gutters paved 1,950 feet; total, 3,150 feet.
Total linear feet of gutters paved on the Gettysburg battlefield, 80,238, or 15.2 miles. A large amount of gutter paving remains to be done. A quarry of suitable stone has been opened in the lately acquired land adjoining Powers Hill. This will save much labor and expense. It is at a central point and much more accessible for quarrying and hauling than at the old quarry. The stones are taken out in plates of the proper thickness and well adapted for gutter paving.
NATIONAL GUARD OF PENNSYLVANIA
The following United States land has been selected for the division encampment of the National Guard of Pennsylvania from July 21 to 28, 1906, and preparations are now being made for their arrival: One field of the Trostle farm about 18 acres; three fields of the Smith farm, about 15 acres; one field of the Diehl farm, about 8 acres; two fields of the McPherson farm, about 24 acres; one field of the Codori farm, about 25 acres; one field south of McMillans woods, 5 acres.
Permission was given by the Commission to make openings in the fences and to lay pipe and erect electric-light poles over the ground, with the understanding that everything should be restored, after the encampment, by the quartermaster of the division to its original condition and to the satisfaction of the Commission.
THE SECRETARY OF WAR VISITS THE BATTLEFIELD
The party arrived from Washington on the morning of December 10, 1905, and were taken over the whole battlefield by the Commission. In the party were the Hon. W. H. Taft, Secretary of War; Maj. Gen. John R. Brooke, retired; Brig. Gen. Henry T. Allen; Brig. Gen. George B. Davis, U. S. Army; Col. Clarence R. Edwards, U. S. Army; Maj. William H. Lambert, and Hon. David A. De
Armond, M. C. The party returned to Washington in the evening.
WEST POINT CADETS
The graduating class of 1906 from the United States Military Academy, West Point, arrived at Gettysburg early May 3, 1906, upon the annual class visit to the battlefield, Colonel Fiebeger in command; 86 officers and cadets. They visited the First Days Field and Culps Hill in the morning and the Cavalry Field in the afternoon. They continued their study of the battle by going over the South Field on May 4. During their visit they came to the office of the Commission and inspected the maps, etc., and left for West Point at 7 p. m.
It is the intention of the Commission to erect corps, division, and brigade tablets, giving the composition of each and its movements on the field during the three days battle.
It is also the object of the Commission to preserve the field as nearly as practicable in the condition it was at the time of the battle. For this purpose over 20,000 trees have been planted and carefully guarded and stone fences restored. With the trained force now employed by the Commission the park with its avenues is the admiration of all visitors.
Respectfully,
John P. Nicholson, Chairman.
Charles A. Richardson,
L. L. Lomax,
Commissioners.
The Secretary of War.