REPORT OF THE GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK COMMISSION , 1918

To the SECRETARY OF WAR.

SIR: We have the honor to submit the annual report for the fiscal year ended June, 30, 1918.
The officers of the commission remain as stated in the last report: Chairman, Lieut. Col. John P. Nicholson; engineer Lieut. Col. E. B. Cope; 2 assistant superintendents, 1 rodman, messenger and hustler are the same. Some changes have been made in the list of other employees, consequent upon higher compensation. The guards now on duty are as follows: William H. Lott, George A. McClellan, Maurice A. Miller, promoted after civil-service examination from the artisan list; Joseph Riggs, and William M. Tawney. The artisans and laborers now on the list of employees are as follows: Three carpenters, 5 concrete builders, 3 painters, 9 pavers, I steam engineer, 1 helper to carpenters and 1 helper to steam engineer, 3 laborers, and 3 employees with teams. These employees have lost much time this year on account of the severity of the weather and long-continued deep snow which began on December 8 and was followed by other heavy snowfalls, reaching a depth of 29 inches and remaining on the ground for three months. The commission secured temporary employment for seven of these men from the Quartermaster's Department officers on duty here, who placed them on guard at the camp ground left vacant from December 15, 1917. The commission gave short employment to other of their employees in helping to saw logs at the storage building and opening public roads that had been ceded to the United States by the State of Pennsylvania and drifted full of snow, impeding public travel.

LAND ACQUIRED.

The sum of $30,000 was appropriated by .Congress in the Army bill, May 12 1917, for the purpose of acquiring fifteen tracts of land within the limits of the Gettysburg National Park, belonging to the Gettysburg Electric Railroad Co. A notice of the purchase of this land was contained in the last report. These tracts have been transferred to the United States.

CONTRACTS AND BIDS

Bids for labor and materials classified as follows-:
Bid No. 354 was for half a ton of fertilizer; No. 355, for grain and feed. The subsequent numbers will not be consecutive, but similar things will be grouped together as follows:

Equipment for flagpoles, Nos. 372, 401, 406, 419.
Repairs and supplies for motor freight truck. Nos. 366, 367, 379, 423, 425.
brSupplies for stable, Nos. 355; 365, 370, 373, 374, 380, 381, 384, 386, 397, 398, 405, 408, 411, 413, 420, 427, 430, 432, 441, 442, 444.
Farm materials and supplies, Nos. 354, 356, 357, 358, 359, 387, 393, 396, 399, 407, 409, 415, 431, 435, 436.
Paints, varnishes, and oils, Nos. 363, 364, 368, 375, 382, 388, 389, 390, 417, 422, 438.
Screenings for avenues etc., Nos. 376, 377, 400, 402, 428, 429.
Tools and repairs, Nos. 394, 421, 426, 433, 440, 443.
Maps, blue prints, printing, etc., No. 360A
Drugs, etc., Nos. 371, 383.
Hardware, Nos. 360, 362, 378, 392, 404, 414, 418, 434.
Cement, lime, and sand, Nos. 351, 369, 412, 416, 437.
Monuments, markers, etc., Nos. 385, 395, 403, 410.
Office supplies.

Bids were made in last fiscal-year and carried to this year as follows:

Repairs to truck, Nos. 346, 439; screenings, No. 349; grass seed, No. 352.
Supplies for steam roller, No. 424.
Gun carriages, etc., Nos. 445, 446, 447.
Tablets, No. 448.

MONUMENTS AND MARKERS.

The proposed dedication of the statues erected to Maj. Gens. Geary, Hays, and Humphreys, for which $5,000 was appropriated by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, was to have taken place in October 1917, but was postponed to October 3, 1918. The ceremonies are to be held at the Pennsylvania Memorial on Hancock Avenue.

Some repairs have been made to the interior of the Pennsylvania Memorial during the year by the Pennsylvania Gettysburg Memorial Commission.

THE VIRGINIA MEMORIAL

Additional work by the commission in clearing the ground, extending over several acres around the memorial, rebuilding the guard shelter about 60 feet south of its first location, completing the sodding of the mound, erecting a penalty tablet at the base, etc., was finished before July 1, 1917.

THE CHAMBERLAIN AND HOWARD STATUES

There is nothing to report in the matter except that the site for the Chamberlain statue was fixed several years ago, Gen. Chamberlain being present.

THE DOUBLEDAY AND ROBINSON STATUES

These statues were erected on foundations prepared last year and completed on the day of the dedication, September 25th. The exercises began at the Doubleday Statue on Reynolds Avenue at 2 p.m.

with the opening address of Col. Lewis R. Stegman, chairman of the New York Monuments Commission, the unveiling by Miss Seymour, niece of Gen. Doubleday, the dedicatory address by Gen. Henry S. Huidekoper of the Pennsylvania Bucktail Brigade, followed by other addresses.

The assemblage then proceeded to the Robinson Statue - at the junction of Doubleday and Robinson Avenues. Col. Stegman opened the exercises at 4 P.M. After the chairman's address the statue was unveiled by Mrs. Robert A. Hall, a daughter of Gen. Robinson, the dedicatory address was made by Corp. James Tanner, followed by Col. Hilery Herbert, late Secretary of the Navy.

AVENUES

An avenue from a point in West Confederate Avenue westerly through a grove, purchased from W. W. Hafer, to the Sharpshooters Monuments, located in that grove was piked and reported in last years report. Additions to this have been made this year to complete the work.

The roadway around the Virginia Memorial is also mentioned in last report as having been completed June 30, 1917.

No avenues nor ceded public roads have been piked this year. Extensive repairs have been made to all the avenues and public roads that are under the jurisdiction of the commission. Samuel Robinson has furnished and spread, to December 10, 1917, 1,800 tons of limestone screenings from Cavetown, Md., and 500 tons from the Smith quarries on Rock Creek.

The commission has hauled and spread by their own teams 972 tons of hard screenings from the Smith quarries, making a total of 3,272 tons spread to March 30, 1918. An additional 1,000 tons was ordered in April to be delivered as needed.

Bids have been asked for to pike an avenue along the south boundary line of the United States National Cemetery, to be received at the office of the commission not later than June 29, 1918.

OILING THE CURVES OF THE AVENUES.

On July 18, 1917, a contract was made with the Atlantic Refining Co. to furnish, deliver, and spread, on the curves of the Telford Avenues 5,000 gallons of Atlantic Asphalt Road Oil, extending the oil 50 to 200 feet at all the curves. They began work August 6, and finished during the month. Price for the whole work.

$561.32

AVENUE AND PUBLIC ROAD GUTTERS.

This work Has been continued from year to year requiring occasional repairs which are made as soon as the frost is out of the ground in the spring. The stone used for paving the gutters is taken from the quarry on United States land, hauled to the places and used by the pavers of the commission. The total length of the paving is approximately 30 miles, costing about 30 cents per Iinear foot. Two thousand four hundred feet of this gutter paving has been done on Section VI, Confederate Avenue, this year.

GUN CARRIAGES.

Additional gun carriages were ordered upon the bid of Calvin Gilbert and noted in last year's report. These gun carriages were not placed in position in 1917, as was intended. They were to be located with guns representing Confederate Batteries on the East Cavalry Field, some of which have but two guns in position. It is proposed to mount these guns before December 30, 1918. The bid calls for six gun carriages and six pyramids of shells.

FENCING ON UNITED STATES LAND.

Since July 1, 1917, 701 panels of new fencing have been erected. Repairs were made to the old fence where necessary. The material was furnished by the contractor, E. J. Naugle. Orrtanna, Pa., 800 posts and 2,000 rails have been contracted for to be used mostly in replacing the worn out wire fence on South Cavalry Field. There are 500 rails of good quality and condition at the storage building that can be used, having been removed from land now occupied by troops. The total mileage of fencing to date is 35.81 miles.

Four thousand feet of stone wall has been rebuilt on Section IV. Confederate Avenue.

UNITED STATES FARM BUILDINGS.

There are three carpenters on the rolls this year. They do the farm building work and repairing. The lumber used and applied to these buildings and for other purposes is taken from the groves of the Park from trees that have been blown down or where trees are so old and decayed that they have been cut down. The logs are hauled to the storage-building lot and cut into suitable dimensions for building lumber by a steam sawmill engaged to do the work.

No new buildings were erected during the year. The present structures are generally in good condition. The McPherson barn, the north end wall of which totally collapsed, has been rebuilt on a substantial concrete foundation.

PAINTING.

There are three painters at work in the Park, painting the fencing, gun carriages, tablets, railings, and bridges, also all the painting required upon farm buildings and polishing the lettering and margins of the bronze tablets in the Park.

MOWING.

Two parties are engaged at this work, one with a horse lawn mower, hand mowers, and scythes. The other with a bar mower, hand lawn mowers, and scythes. They also mow the sides of avenues, mounds of monuments and markers, large and small tracts of ground not leased within the Park, and South Cavalry Field. The East Cavalry Field mowing is done by the caretaker of that field.

CARE OF THE GROVES.

There is but one employee engaged to do this work in the Park groves, the fallen timber having been pretty well cleaned up. One hundred and forty-nine sawlogs and 125 posts cut from them have been taken to the storage grounds and sawed into lumber, the tops of these trees and fallen limbs throughout the woodlands have been cut in stove sizes and sold, and the money deposited to the order of the Secretary of War.

A very heavy storm began here on the night of April 9, 1918, with rain, hail, sleet, and snow, accompanied high wind, continuing for five days. About 50 trees were blown down and hundreds of limbs were widely scattered throughout the woods and groves of the Park.

CARE OF THE TREES.

The damaged trees that were treated during the preceding year are in good condition. Additional work will be done during the coming year.

Owing to unusual weather conditions during the winter, a number of small trees were damaged by rabbits and mice. These have been replaced.

SODDING.

Two parties are engaged at this work. The following sodding has been done: The high banks along Geary Avenue have been completed and about 50 mounds of the monuments. A total of 2,000 ,cubic yards during the year.

It has been difficult to get enough sod from United States land here to cover the ground to be sodded; it has frequently been taken by permission from private property, meadows, and fields that are to be plowed, the owners, of the land are then compensated by receiving from the commission the equivalent in value of manure or other fertilizer spread on the ground from which the sod has been taken.

CULTIVATING UNITED STATES LAND UNDER LEASE.

There were 19 properties with a total acreage of 1,400 acres under lease during the year.

All the tenants of the preceding year were retained. A detail statement of the crops raised during the year was made and reported to the chairman at the end the year.

LAND NOT UNDER LEASE.

The plats of land containing about 25 acres were again given to pupils of the Gettysburg schools by the chairman of the commission for cultivation. A detailed report of these plats will be made out at the close of the crops season. These plats are under the care of W.C. Storrick, forester, in addition to the care, of the farms.

CAMP OF UNITED STATES REGULARS.

A camp of instruction for United States Regulars was established at Gettysburg in May, 1917. The camp had no designation, which we believe is the practice when the location is at a conspicuous place on United States land, notably battle fields, such as Gettysburg.

The Fourth United States Regulars went into camp June 2, 1917. The land first taken up was a part of the Codori farm and a tract along the Round Top branch of the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad, and occupied by the Fourth and Seventh Regiments. Both were increased by recruits and the camp extended over many acres. They were divided into six United States Regular regiments, viz: Fourth, Seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth, and Sixty-first. The troops were constantly drilling. The necessary building had been erected throughout the encampment and on October 25, 1917, the first of these troops left Gettysburg for other camping grounds and by November 26 all except a small detachment had gone. The encampment was reestablished on March 6, 1918, Capt. Eisenhower, United States Army, commanding, and now occupies 176 acres of the Codori farm, 10 acres of the Smith farm, and 6 acres of the Bryan House place.

The encampment was not provided with any equipment for engineers and drafting purposes, which in the proper performance of engineering duties is found so necessary in any encampment of troops.

The commission was called upon to furnish the necessary facilities, such as instruments, drawing apparatus, a room for draftsmen, tracing cloth, blue-print paper, printing frames, etc. The commission furnished all necessary appliances; the engineers used the engineers's room, drafting tabIe, printing frame, dark room for developing the blueprints and all the privileges connected therewith, which was extended throughout the encampment for the year. The present encampment is also using the same privileges and facilities. At times as many as four draftsmen are at work in the engineer's room, mostly upon mechanical sections, machine guns, engineer's tank drawing, etc., for the encampment.

TOURISTS

The mode of travel to Gettysburg and over the battle field, as well as elsewhere over the country has been entirely changed within 15 years. Before the advent of the automobile visitors were taken through the Park in carriages. As many as 100 teams were always on call; it would be difficult to have half a dozen livery teams now; the automobile has so completely taken up this work that it has materially checked the running of excursions. We see the automobile here by the hundreds, sometimes thousands, and from distant cities and States. A few schools still visit by train. The graduating classes from the Military Academy at West Point have been coming, that way for many years, also the Marine Officers' School and the War College from Washington, also the students from Girard College, Topton School, and the Scotland Soldiers Orphan School. The present war has interfered with many of these visitors.

Statement of the condition of the Gettysburg National Military Park at the close of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918.

Infantry and Cavalry battle fields (Government owned and private

owned) acres-- 24,460

Avenues and piked roads miles-- 34.25
Earth roads do ----- 24.00
Total miles 58.25
Avenue fencing miles 15.00
Post fencing - do- 35.16
Additional fencing (erected this year) do 1.38
Total fencing 51.54

Bridges: Steel and granite, single and double arch, total number 25
Towers (steel) - do 5
Concrete culverts do 10

Monuments erected by States and organizations do 837
Additional monuments by States, etc. (erected this year do
Total monuments by States. etc 839

Statues, bronze, equestrian 5
Statues, bronze, on pedestals 26
Statues, bronze. on pedestals (erected this year) 2
Total on pedestals 8

Statues, bronze, on monuments 27
Statues, granite, on monuments 21
Total statues 81

Bronze reliefs and tablets on monuments 172
Bronze reliefs and tablets (erected this year) 6
Total bronze reliefs and tablets on monuments 178
Bronze reliefs and tablets not on monuments 755
Total bronze reliefs and tablets 33

Iron tablets 439
Iron tablets (erected this year) 6
Total Iron tablets 445

Granite markers 321
Granite marker (erected this year) 1
Total granite markers 322

Mounted cannon, caissons, and limbers 417

LAND ACQUIRED FROM 1893 TO DATE.

Total acreage owned by the United States 2, 428. 95
Ceded by Pennsylvania for paved roads 45. 00
Electric railroad land by act of Congress (acquired this year) 13. 37
Total land In the Park owned by the United States 2, 487. 32

Receipts and expenditures for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918, from appropriations, Gettysburg National Military Park (no year).

RECEIPTS.

Balance July 1, 1917 $966.81

Certificate of deposit:
No. 7696, rent 222. 00
No. 9438 283.08
No. 633 990.00
No. 3411 80.00
No. 4658 96.00
No. 2508 117.00
No. 7096 192.00
No. 8134 877.00
No. 8518 96.00
No. 9449 201.00
4, 520. 89

EXPENDITURES.

Pay roll, July, 1917 943. 00
Post-office box rent 1.00
August, Ira Ziegler, $52.50; paint, $96.25; Briggs, $19.98 168.73
August, Waterer, $9.80; Groux, $2.50; Treasury settlement
No. 29030, $5.57 17.87
September, express, gasoline, repairs, water rent 84.82
October, Rosensteel, repairing tools 1.00
December, Treasury settlement No. 29830 21. 56
January, 1918, telephone service 9.00
February, 1918, repairing pumps 15. 26
1,262.24
Balance June 30, 1918 3,258.65

RECEIPTS.
Appropriations July 1, 1917 $42,500.00

EXPENDITURES.

Salaries and wages $20,751.82

Materials and supplies 8,052.33
Repairs, etc 2,718.04
Stenography and typewriting 476.02
Stationery, printing, office supplies, etc 408.47
Maintenance of stable, etc 27.22
Freight express, horse hire, etc 375.54
Miscellaneous items 214.60
Treasury settlement No. 29961, printing 33.95
Treasury settlement No. 31129, printing 45.82
Treasury settlement No. 31375, printing 13.21
37,817.02
Balance June 30, 1918 2 682.98

OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS.

Salaries and wages, etc.:
The chairman for June $300.00
Engineer and guards 740.00
Artisans and laborers 1,550.25
Atlantic Refining Co 36.40
W. W. Boyer & Bro 18.00
J. L. Smith .68
Treasury settlement No. 30161, printing 37.65
2,682.98

Unobligated balance none.