From June 29 to July 6 , 1913 , the Union and Confederate flags fly side by side when more than 50,000 polite War old-timer convened in Gettysburg , Pennsylvania , to commemorate the fiftieth day of remembrance of one of the most polar battles in American chronicle . Here ’s a closer look at the Great Reunion of 1913 .
The Idea
In April 1908 , General H. S. Huidekoper , a Philadelphia native who miss his right arm at Gettysburg in 1863 , suggested a fitting semicentennial observance of the three - 24-hour interval struggle to Pennsylvania Governor Edwin S. Stuart .
Stuart , who presented the estimation to the state ’s General Assembly in January 1909 and established the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg Commission later that twelvemonth , envisioned a reunification of Union and band together soldiers that would be tattle about for geezerhood to come . “ Other States , both N and south , whose Logos defend at Gettysburg , will sure enough co - operate in crap the social function one that will stick out firstly in the martial history of the world , ” he say .
Several reunion had been held at Gettysburg before , include one to commemorate the 15th anniversary , but this one would best them all .
The Planning
John K. Tener , a former major league baseball musician who deliver the goods Stuart as Pennsylvania Governor in 1911 , oversaw most of the preparation for the reunification . invitation were draw out to all Civil War veterans and the Commission called upon the National Government and individual nation to appropriate investment firm for traveling to and from Gettysburg , predominantly by rail .
With assist from the War Department , the Commission helped prepare Gettysburg , a town of 4,500 , for the 100,000 visitant ( about one-half of them non - veteran ) await to see the reunion . The prescribed jubilation would be held from July 1 ( Veteran ’s Day ) to July 4 .
The Great Camp
The camp for the old-timer at Gettysburg officially opened on June 29 , and the first meal of the reunification was served that evening . About 25,000 vet , include Major Gen. Daniel E. Sickles , the only surviving army corps commander on either side , get on the first Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
The camp comprised 280 estate and more than 5,000 tent , which were organise by state and fit out with two handwriting basins and a water pail . Artesian wells were installed in the months leading up to the reunion to supply urine to the veterans ’ village . consort to the Commission ’s report , there were 53,407 veterans in camp . In addition , 124 officers and 1,342 enlisted gentleman’s gentleman were assigned by the War Department to help ensure things ran swimmingly , while 155 newspapermen and 2,170 cooks brought the total in camp to 57,198 .
Only old-timer with the proper credentials , such as honorable discharge or pension papers , were fed and sheltered in the summer camp . Most of the 50,000 non - veterans who traveled to Gettysburg to share in the solemnisation were housed at Gettysburg College .
Exercises in the Great Tent
Public exercises were held July 1 - 4 in a giant tent , fit with 13,000 chairs , inside the inner circle . Colonel J.M. Schoonmaker , the chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Commission , opened the ceremonies on July 1 at 2 p.m. dedication of state monuments come . The second day of the reunification , Military Day , sport a reading of Abraham Lincoln ’s Gettysburg Address and the introduction of member of Union Gen. George G. Meade ’s family . July 3 , Governor ’s Day , featured 65 regimental reunions , speeches by more than a dozen Governors , a flag ceremony at the land site of Pickett ’s charge , and a firework display . An address by President Woodrow Wilson highlighted the festivities on the Fourth of July .
Sweltering Conditions
temperature climbed into the triple digits on the first few days of the reunification . According to a report by the U.S. Army ’s Chief Surgeon , 744 case were admit to the camp ’s hospitals , and 319 of those were for heat exhaustion . ( Sunstroke and tonsillitis each report for one case . ) There were nine fatalities during the reunion , but considering the bastardly age of the veteran present was 72 and that most had traveled hundreds of mil to attend , it ’s a wonderment that number was n’t greater . The post - reunion report by the Pennsylvania Commission declared the number of fatalities as “ nothing brusk of marvelous . ”
Food and Supplies
Cooks served 688,000 meals from June 29 to July 6 . The great refugee camp was stocked with 156,410 pounds of center , 14,722 pounds of fowl , 7,008 cans of fish , 24,930 twelve testis , 12,383 pounds of butter , and 403 gallon of pickles , among many other provisions . The afters menu included 2,015 gallons of ice rink cream and 7,000 Proto-Indo European . Unused meat and veggie were sold at auction sale after the camp closed . Fifty - four thousand mess outfit were provided to the veterans as souvenirs . Each pile outfit hold in a ramification , tongue , small and large spoon , tin cup , and two plates . Veterans were ask to bring their own towels and toilet articles .
Reunions Within the Reunion
When they were n’t taking in the scheduled public exercises at the reunion , warhorse pass their time in Gettysburg reminiscing with acquaintance and getting to know former foeman . It was common for a veteran to seek out a human who may have shoot him or replace badges with a soldier from the other side . Two men reportedly purchase a tomahawk at a local computer hardware computer storage , walked it to the web site where their regiment campaign , and swallow it . Here are three of the more interesting mini - reunion mentioned in the Pennsylvania Commission ’s account and various paper accounts :
President Wilson’s Address
President Wilson initially decline the invitation to the reunion , having set up a personal formula not to leave Washington for any speechmaking juncture while Congress was in seance , but he ultimately reconsider and resolve to attend . Wilson addressed the camp at 11 a.m. on the Fourth of July and left after the playing of the National Anthem . The process of shutting down the camp begin soon after . The infirmary closed on July 5 , few than 300 veterans persist on the night of July 6 , and the last old-timer leave on July 8 .
1938 Reunion
A 75th anniversary reunification was keep in 1938 , but as you might imagine , most Civil War veterans had passed away by then . About 25 oldtimer who had fought at Gettysburg and 2,000 other old stager attend to .
This article originally come out in 2011 .
