Glimpses of America: A Pictorial and Descriptive History of Our Country's Scenic MarvelsBuel, James W. (James William)
History
Glimpses of America: A Pictorial and Descriptive History of Our Country's Scenic Marvels
Buel, James W. (James William)
United States -- Pictorial works
New York City possesses many attractions for the cosmopolitan, but not
for the artist, who prefers nature’s solitudes to the artificial glamor
and noisy hum of a large city; hence our stay in that city was only for
such time as it required to make preparations for extending our
pictorial journey through summer lands of the southeast. Instead of
carrying our original plans into immediate execution, however, it was
decided to visit the battle-field of Gettysburg, which our artist coming
up through Virginia and Pennsylvania did not find it convenient to
include in his journey. The town of Gettysburg has a population of some
3,500 souls, and is the capital of Adams county, Pennsylvania, the
center of a blooming and bounteously-producing agricultural district.
Our route to reach the place was by way of the Pennsylvania Railroad to
Hanover, and thence by the Western Maryland Railroad, a distance of 250
miles from New York. The landscape thereabout is undulating,
occasionally rising to hills of considerable size; but scenically there
is nothing particularly attractive, aside from the beautiful farms and
truck-gardens that clothe the knolls with prodigal harvests.
Historically, the place is imperishably famous, for here was fought, on
the 1st, 2d and 3d of July, 1863, the bloodiest and hottest-contested
battle of the civil war. From every eminence this dreadful field, though
it now smiles with plenty, still presents memorials of that ever-
memorable conflict. There is Cemetery Hill, the old grave-place of the
town, where thousands slept before the awakening alarms of cannon and
musket enveloped the scene in battle-smoke. Here it was that the Union
forces, under General Meade, pitched their quarters, because it
commanded a view of the adjacent country. One mile towards the west is
Seminary Ridge, the spot chosen by the Confederates, under General Lee,
as their vantage-point and headquarters. Now sweep the horizon and mark
the places where the battle waxed fiercest; where the dead lay thickest
and the thunder of conflict was loudest. There is Willoughby Run, where
the battle began and where Buford’s cavalry was hurled upon the steel of
Hill, and for two hours withstood the hell of ball and bayonet until
flesh could endure no more. There is Round Top, another eminence where
the Union lines reformed, with the left wing thrown around the ridges to
Cemetery Hill. There is where Longstreet struck Sickles with such
fearless resolution, and a whole day was spent in a contention for Great
and Little Round Top, without advantage to either side, but with
frightful losses to both. Now on Cemetery Hill the eyes of the world
must rest, for here it was, on the third day, that such fighting was
done as Greek nor Roman ever knew. After a lull at midday, two hundred
brazen throats were opened with boom and screaming shells; the air
became filled with smoke, and the earth was choked with dead, until
there came a lull, out of which broke a column three miles long, whose
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account