Before the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in November 1863, a plot of seventeen acres had been chosen to serve as the final resting place for the Union dead of the Battle of Gettysburg. This lot adjoined the citizens' Evergreen Cemetery on its irregularly shaped southeast line, private owners on its north and northwest sides, and abutted public roads on the west and east lines. To enclose the grounds and establish its boundaries, the loosely organized cemetery corporation decided to erect various kinds of fencing around the cemetery. Eventually, three types of fencing were installed, all serving a different purpose.

Along the eastern front of the cemetery was the Baltimore Pike and the entranceway to the grounds. To enhance this approach to the grounds, an ornamental iron fence and gateway was erected. (This fencing and gateway may have been cast by the firm of Robert Wood & Company of Philadelphia, who made the similar Antietam National Cemetery gates.) This fencing was the last to be put up, since it seems to have arrived from the foundry too advanced into winter of 1864-1865 to be easily and safely erected. As of March 6, 1865 the iron gateway and fencework were on hand and ready to be set up, but the weather prevented the corporation from doing so.1 It was not until later in the spring that the fencing was eventually erected; in any case the gates, gateposts (two surmounted by gilded iron eagles and four by draped urns), and fencing were up by the time of the July 4, 1865 ceremonies at the laying of the cornerstone of the Soldiers' National Monument.2

1 David Wills to Governor Andrew Curtin, in Revised Report of the Select Committee relative to the Soldiers' National Cemetery. . . . (Harrisburg, 1865), p. 11.

2 Photograph entitled "Robertson's Artillery, Gettysburg, Pa., July, 1865" in MOLLUS collection, oversize Gettysburg book, Military History Institute, Carlisle Barracks.

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This iron fence and entranceway conformed to the basic ideals of the landscape architect of that period. According to an article appearing with the annual reports of the Department of Agriculture written during that same decade (supposedly by William Saunders himself, then serving as Superintendent of Garden and Grounds within the Department), the Baltimore Pike entrance gate would conform to rules advocated by landscape gardeners:
First impressions are strongly influencing, and often times prove to be the foundation of lasting prejudices. A neatly designed and tastefully arranged gateway at the entrance of a property creates the favorable expectation of finding these characteristics pervading other improvements. An imposing entrance way, therefore, becomes an important feature; but it should always bear a close relation to the general style and scale of the situation. . . .

. . . . Large, heavy, and elaborately constructed iron gates demand heavier and more massive supporting pillars, ornamented to correspond with the style and finish of the gate. The main or principal entrance gate to any place, even of the most humble description, should be placed on a line receding more or less from the line of the outside or public road, being connected with the latter by a curved line of fence. The extent of this recess will vary with the extent of the place, facilities of position, and size and style of the gate; but ten to thirty feet may be given as a range. Even in places of quite limited extent, the former distance will be sufficient to give a decided effect, without encroaching too severely on the grounds, and will establish a largeness of expression to the whole surroundings. In placing posts for gates the mistake is frequently made of setting them parallel to the public road instead of having them at a right angle to the road to which they properly belong. 3

The cost of the gateway, posts, etc. was estimated at $1850 while the ca. 300 feet of fencing was purchased at $7.66 per linear foot (or over $200). 4 Interestingly, the Baltimore Pike front of the Evergreen Cemetery from the

3 "Landscape Gardening," Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the

4 Letter from Secretary of War communicating Report of Inspection of National Cemeteries, 1870-1871, Senate Exec. Doc. No. 79, 42nd Congress, 2nd Sess., p. 16.
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It was determined that the remainder of the Soldiers' National Cemetery would be enclosed with a "substantial granite wall." Indeed, the Saunders Plan would specifically delineate such a wall at least on its northwest and north sides, as well as between the National Cemetery and the civilian cemetery of Gettysburg on the southeast.6 And David Wills' proposition to the governor was to enclose the entire grounds with a "well built stone wall, from stone found on or near the premises." But "political" difficulties compromised this engraved plan, and the cemetery corporation was faced with an unusual demand by the

5 Minutes of the Proceedings of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, June 14, 1865 (property of Evergreen Cemetery).

6 See "Map of the Grounds" by William Saunders, showing plot of cemetery graves, drives, planting, walls. (Appendix C).

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adjacent citizens' cemetery association (with David McConaughy as their spokesman):
"We agree to sell to the state or states nine acres between the Cemetery and the Taneytown road, at $200.00 per acre--the states to enclose this land on that Road, and on North and South, but not on side adjoining the Cemetery--the grounds to be used for burial of the soldier dead of all the states. If you concur the arrangement can be closed. . . .

"We made the condition, that, the state (or states) enclose only on the Taneytown road (west) and on the North and South; leaving the line on the East without any enclosure--that line adjoining our Cemetery ground--and thus leaving the site proposed and our Cemetery grounds in one common enclosure.

". . . . Our great desire in (while not embarrassing the title on the tenure and use of the grounds sold, with any restrictions or regulations) to have the glorious dead of the Battles of July, buried within the enclosure of our Cemetery, so as to appear as if part of it, and to enhance the interest of our ground with the glorious memories of these Battles, and the ashes of the heroic dead.

"The Cemetery is the common burial ground of our whole community, and our entire people feel the most deep interest in this proposition and hope that you will gratify their wishes."7

A little over a week transpired after this letter, while David Wills (who was Governor Curtin's unofficial representative on the scene) and David McConaughy exchanged heated words. Wills had been blocked at every turn by McConaughy in his efforts to procure a suitable site for the soldiers' cemetery. McConaughy had already purchased (or received a verbal option) on Wills' primary choice--Raffensberger's or East Cemetery Hill, 8 and had also purchased the land adjoining his Evergreen Cemetery west of the Baltimore Pike.9 Wills was forced, then, to deal with McConaughy if he still wished to buy the Cemetery Hill area for the

7 David McConaughy to Governor Andrew Curtin, August 5, 1863 (negative photocopy, David Wills correspondence, GNMP vertical files).

8 "Private and Confidential" letter of McConaughy to Curtin, August 5, 1863 (negative photocopy, David Wills correspondence, GNMP vertical files).

9 William Saunders, "Memoirs" (handwritten photocopy, GNMP vertical files).

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D. A. Buehler and Col. Edward G. Fahnestock conducted separate interviews with both Wills and McConaughy and "found that the main difficulty lay in the peculiar relations subsisting between them." 11 They finally persuaded David Wills (obviously the more pliable and compromising of the two) to accept the site adjoining the citizens' cemetery on the condition that McConaughy (who owned the subject nine acres himself in fee simple) would guarantee "a full and unconditional title to the State." This was acceptable to McConaughy, but he managed to squeeze one last concession out of Wills, viz.:
"At a meeting of the Cemetery Board this morning, a Resolution was adopted, tendering the entire ground to north and west of the Cemetery at cost to State, with the simple condition that the State in enclosing the ground, put up an open fence, iron or otherwise on the side adjoining the Cemetery, so as not to obstruct the view of the Cemetery itself."12

10 These men included Rev. Dr. Samuel S. Schmucker and Dr. Charles Krauth of the Lutheran Seminary; Rev. Dr. Henry L. Baugher, President of the local college; Col. Edward G. Fahnestock; George Arnold; D. A. Buehler. All were members of the Evergreen Cemetery Association and were of the more important residents of Gettysburg. Men of such background (especially Republicans) were members of the Board or belonged to the association. Interestingly, David Wills was not a member of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, and he would later refrain from joining McConaughy's Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association. The exclusion of David Wills (an important judge, Republican, and Gettysburg resident) from both associations is unique and fascinating. He was probably the only man of his political and personal stature excluded from these organizations, and yet he was a favorite of Thaddeus Stevens (his law teacher), Governor Curtin, and later Abraham Lincoln.

11 D. A. Buehler and Edward G. Fahnestock to Governor Curtin, August 14, 1863 (negative photocopy, David Wills correspondence, GNMP vertical files).

12 McConaughy to Curtin, August 14, 1863, Ibid. This resolution stated that the board concurred that "D. McConaughy make the proposition, and upon its acceptance convey these lands in fee simple, at the cost prices, to the State of Pennsylvania, for the purpose of the burial of said dead; with the condition that, in enclosing the said lands, an open iron railing enclosure of ordinary height be made and maintained by the state or states interested, upon the division lines between said lands and the grounds of the Ever Green Cemetery." Minutes of the Proceedings of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, August 14, 1863.

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Although little time was wasted on these diversionary procedures, the whole affair was ultimately divisive as well. Both McConaughy and Wills were seeking the same object--a suitable final resting place for the Northern dead. Neither man was in this undertaking for personal profit; McConaughy himself wrote that he was selling the nine acres to Pennsylvania at a cost less than he had paid for it. Curtin, McConaughy, Wills, members of the Evergreen Cemetery Association, and leading citizens of the town of Gettysburg recognized not only the realistic necessity for such an undertaking, but also the duty of their station to take care of the Union dead in a manner befitting the soldier patriots. Thus the proposed Soldiers' National Cemetery was envisioned as a "Soldiers' mausoleum," a "National sepulchre," "sacred grounds," an "eloquent memorial."14 The unfortunate personality conflict between the two prime movers of the cemetery seems to have been mutual and permanent, but did not affect the outcome of the cemetery issue, since there was plenty of mediation and compromise to salvage the ideal of a national cemetery.

Within a day or two after McConaughy and Wills transacted the land exchange, William Saunders appeared in Gettysburg at the urgent request of David Wills. Saunders, landscape gardener for the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 15 had been asked to help Wills in selecting appropriate ground for the proposed cemetery,

13 Wills attempted to wheedle out of the "iron railing" fence by taking advantage of the "or otherwise" phrase. He wrote to J. R. Bartlett (Commissioner from Rhode Island) on July 8, 1864, that "If we can now avoid the expense of the fence between the two cemeteries we should do so. I think that a low ornamental hedge might be planted there at a trifling expense which would answer any purpose." This sentiment conformed with William Saunders' ideas about living division fences, but did not conform to the wishes of the Evergreen Cemetery. Microfilm copy, Letters relating to National Cemetery and Soldiers' National Monument, Lehigh University Library.

14 Curtin to Wills, August 31, 1863 in Revised Report, p. 167; McConaughy to Curtin, July 25, 1863 in David Wills Correspondence, GNMP vertical files.

15 His position was that of "Superintendent of Garden and Grounds."

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Saunders found Wills to be in agreement with his recommendations, and Wills "speedily" added the requisite acreage. Between August 14 (when McConaughy sold the nine acres to Wills) and August 17, David Wills, on Saunders suggestion, purchased eight more acres of land adjoining the Evergreen Cemetery. On August 17, he could write to Governor Curtin that he had completed the purchase of the necessary grounds for the soldiers' cemetery, which now embraced seventeen acres.17

After the dedicatory ceremonies of November 19, 1863, work proceeded as weather permitted in the reburial of Union dead. Started on November 1, the disinterment and reinterment continued until mid-March of 1864, when all known bodies (3,512) had been removed to the National Cemetery. 18 Landscaping and planting of the grounds, laying out drives and walks, and erecting the enclosures for the cemetery took next priority. 19

16 "Memoirs" of William J. Saunders, photocopy, GNMP vertical files, p. 4.

17 Wills to Curtin, August 17, 1863 in Revised Report, p. 166.

18 Adams Sentinel, March 22, 1864.

19 Wills wrote on July 22, 1864 that all his workers, the bankers, and the postmaster had been driven off by the approach of rebels under Early, and that he had just returned to work in the cemetery with "12 masons and about 20 laborers." Lehigh University microfilm.

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As already stated, the Baltimore Pike fencing and gates were the last to go up. The first enclosure to be completed was the division fence between the Evergreen and National Cemeteries. 20 This was described by the local newspaper as an "iron railing" dividing the two burial grounds. This fence was constructed of wrought-iron gas pipes (1 1/4 inches in diameter) which were screwed together and passed through cast-iron posts. The gas pipe rails were in panels of three, placed one above the other about a foot and a half apart. This fencing was 1726 feet long (from Baltimore Pike southwest, 960 feet; then south, 766 feet), and cost between $2.35 and $2.55 per linear foot. 21 It was the opinion of the news editor that this gas-pipe fence gave "much satisfaction, being neat, substantial, and altogether in good taste." 22 It was planned that arbor vitae

20 Wills to Curtin, March 6, 1865, in Revised Report, p. 11.

21 Letter from Secretary of War Communicating Report of Inspector of National Cemeteries 1870-1871, Senate Executive Document No.79, 42nd Congress, 2nd Session, p. 16; and "Letter from Secretary of War Communicating Report of Inspector of National Cemeteries for the Year 1874," Senate Executive Document No. 28, 43rd Congress, 2nd Session (Washington, 1875), p. 11. The entire expense of the dividing railing fence was borne by the Soldiers' National Cemetery corporation. Minutes of the Proceedings, June 14, 1865.

22 Adams Sentinel, May 9, 1865; Gettysburg Compiler, May 8, 1865.

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23 Ibid.; Sen. Ex. Doc. No. 79, 42nd Cong., 2nd sess., p. 16. This hedge gave the Cemetery superintendent fits every year. The winters would kill off numerous of the arbor vitae plants, destroying the continuity of the hedge and requiring annual replacement of shrubs in the spring. This hedge was dispensed with before the NPS took over the Cemetery in 1933, leaving the bare and deteriorated gas-pipe fence to stand alone between the two cemeteries. When the Lafayette Square fence was put up to replace the pipe fence in 1934, the area was left as it was. It was in 1938 that NPS landscape architects planted over 200 rhododendron plants along all the iron fence enclosures in the Cemetery, using them to "beautify" the grounds and screen out the fences and adjacent land.

Saunders' own thoughts about fencing as it pertains to landscaping were penned six years after the origins of the National Cemetery:

"Some sort of fence is usually necessary to guard against intruders, or to designate ownership, and the kind of fence used will generally be governed by necessity.

"Whatever materials may be used for outside fences, they should be strong and substantial. Inside fences for such purposes as that of separating the lawn from the vegetable garden may be of lighter construction. . . .

"Even in those happy communities where cattle are not permitted to run at large, some kind of fence will be necessary to designate boundary lines of property. . . . Well-defined boundary lines to property greatly enhance its enjoyment, especially when applied to lawns and gardens.

"For this purpose the live fence is by far the most appropriate, and that formed of evergreen plants the most permanently beautiful. The Siberian arbor vitae, Nootka cypress, and hemlock spruce are among the best for northern climates. In the South the Chinese arbor vitae, Japan euonymus, and other evergreen shrubs may be added to the list. If deciduous plants are preferred, , elaeagnus, Japan privet; and, if a somewhat formidable fence is desired, the Osage orange and honey locust will answer that purpose. . . .

"In grounds of very limited dimensions, where the boundary lines are at no great distance from the house, an evergreen hedge set inside the fence will afford great relief to the eye and form a background, as it were, to the shrubbery and flower borders. The stiff line of the hedge can be modified in appearance by planting small, diversified groups of shrubs, or low-growing evergreens along its front. A continuous border varying in width and of curving outline, running in a direction parallel with the hedge, and thickly planted with flowering shrubs of variety, interspersed with such flowering herbaceous perennials as holly hocks, phloxes, chrysanthemums, delphinums, etc., is one of the best modes of treating a small pleasure garden and lawn."

Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the Year 1869, pp. 172-173.

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Although the newspaper commentaries were impressed with the "substantial" granite wall, 24 there was no detailed description of the construction of said wall. Years later, even the inspector of the national cemeteries (who wrote such a meticulous description of the unassuming gas-pipe fence) neglected to comment on the base construction of the wall. The only observation made by the inspector was that it was "laid in mortar and covered with a heavy coping of dressed granite, 8 inches thick and 23 inches wide, with the top slightly beveled." 25 This coping, of dark Gettysburg granite, was cut in the granite yards of Solomon Powers, 26 but it is doubtful that he had the contract for construction of any part of the wall except the coping. There were four stone masons residing in Gettysburg at the time of the 1860 census, as well as eight stone cutters, two bricklayers, and a number of "day laborers." 27 In the spring of 1865, when work was being undertaken to put in the granite headstones, and to complete the enclosures, drives, and planting, there were about sixty hands at work on the cemetery. 28 Many of these hands must have been contracted to work on the stone wall, and probably included members of the Tawney family. (The Tawneys, followers of the trade of masonry, were led by Abraham Tawney, who could be credited for "many of the important buildings of this county, and among those in Gettysburg may be mentioned the gas works, churches, courthouse, etc.")29

24 "It is one of the best structures of the kind we have ever seen, and bids fair to withstand time's ravages for centuries to come." Adams Sentinel, May 9, 1865; Gettysburg Compiler, May 8, 1865.

25 Sen. Ex. Doc. No. 79, 42nd Congress, 2nd sess., p. 16.

26 Adams Sentinel, May 9, 1865; Gettysburg Compiler May 8, 1865. Powers quarried and cut granite for years in the Gettysburg area, but was seemingly not engaged in construction or masonry work during these, his later, years.

27 1860 US Census, Gettysburg Borough, Adams County, Pennsylvania.

28 Adams Sentinel, May 9, 1865.

29 History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania (Chicago, 1886), p. 491.

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The wall was constructed as a "bound" wall, with a tier of mortared field stone granite of random size and shape on each side, a center core of small rubble stone and clay, and a capstone of the beveled cut granite from Powers' granite yard. The capstones were irregular in length, the smallest being about three feet with the longest as much as ten feet or more. These were held together in place atop the tiers by heavy iron clamps or "double pointed dowel pins" (like huge staples) at the joints, with the legs of the clamps fitting into drilled depressions in the tops of the capstones.

The enclosures were all finished by the time of the dedication ceremonies for the laying of the cornerstone of the Soldiers' National Monument on July 4, 1865.