1913 Reunion Then and Now

 

1. Anniversary Attendees Lounge on the Pennsylvania Memorial Stairs Then & Now

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Veterans and others can be seen lounging on the stairs and lower level of the Pennsylvania Memorial at the 50th Anniversary in 1913.
Credit: International News Service – Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg report of the Pennsylania Commission.

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The Pennsylvania Memorial on Cemetery Ridge sits unchanged, the only piece missing from the ‘Today’ photo being the mass of veterans.
Credit: NPS Photo.

The Pennsylvania Memorial was dedicated in 1910 and stands 110 feet tall, making it the largest monument at Gettysburg. A spiral staircase inside the northwest column takes visitors to the top of the monument where a sweeping view of the battlefield can be seen. On the base and interior of the memorial are bronze tablets which list the regiments and batteries that fought at Gettysburg. There are also two statues on each side of the memorial—these include notable figures such as President Abraham Lincoln, Major General John F. Reynolds and Major General George G. Meade.

 

2. Veteran and Boy at the Pennsylvania Memorial Then & Now

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A veteran, Francis A. Culin, sergeant of the 68th PA Infantry, Company F, points to his name on a tablet on the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial as a young boy looks on.

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The thousands of names listed on the tablets around the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial can still be read very clearly today.
Credit: NPS Photo.

This photograph from the 50th Anniversary in 1913 provides a closer look at the bronze tablets lining the base of the Pennsylvania Memorial. The veteran pointing to his name on one of the tablets is Francis A. Culin, a sergeant of the 68th PA Infantry, Company F. A boy, perhaps his grandson, poses in the photograph next to him. 

 

3. High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument Then & Now

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Veterans gather around the High Water Mark monument.
Credit: International News Service – Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg report of the Pennsylania Commission.

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The High Water Mark monument pictured today. In the background are the monuments to the 72nd and 71st Pennsylvania infantry..
Credit: NPS Photo.

Dedicated in 1892, the High Water Mark of the Rebellion monument represents both the Union and Confederate units that took part in Pickett’s Charge on the third day of battle. It sits in front of the Copse of Trees on Cemetery Ridge.

 

4. Veterans Visit the Monument to George Gordon Meade Then & Now

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Veterans gather around the monument to General Meade on Cemetery Ridge. The Ziegler’s Grove observation tower can be seen in the distance.
Credit: International News Service – Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg report of the Pennsylvania Commission.

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The Meade statue stands on Cemetery Ridge. The Ziegler’s Grove observation tower was taken down to make way for the Cyclorama building that opened in 1963.
Credit: NPS Photo.

Major General George Gordon Meade sits astride his horse, Baldy, on Cemetery Ridge. He faces west towards Seminary Ridge, the main Confederate line during the battle. General Meade was appointed commander of the Union Army of the Potomac just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg, after the resignation of General Joseph Hooker.