Latest Tree Clearing at G'Burg

[tomh]

Folks,

For those that may be interested, I just posted photos of the tree clearing at Devil's Den/Houck's Ridge and the Codori Thicket. It was a bit wet out there and the photos reflect the lack of contrast but still show the changes to those areas.

www.baymediapro.com/clearing

TomH

[8thvacav]

Great picturesTom. Question? At the entrance to the sharpshooter's nest, there are two stumps. Are those part of the clearing or do they date back to 1863? In the famous pictures that Grove had of 1863 there were trees there. In fact he talks about them in his article. Do the Park Rangers still catch people metal detecting in the Park?

[johan_steele]

Metal detecting... IIRC the last schmuck had his equipment & vehicle confiscated as well as about a $10k fine.

[tomh]

8thvacav,

I'm not familiar with the Grove photos can you pm me some info. From what I understand they are using period Adams County survey and deed information to determine where the treelines and woodlots were.

Yes the ranger still do catch relic poachers. Prices for G'Burg relics has spawned an entire fraudulent industry where everything is now being attributed to having been recovered at G'Burg (even bullet patterns that were not produced until 1864 are somehow timewarping their way back to the Burg). I viewed a recently released collection that had provenance to the G'Burg field and the prices were astronomical, but the pieces are selling at a brisk pace. The prices have also inspired relic poaching at all the parks.

The laws are pretty severe and the rangers do enforce them, but it hasn't stopped the guys who think they can sneak onto the field and make a killing. The civilian Park Watch program has bagged a few as well. The really sad part is the fact that the laws being passed to discourage poaching have adversly affected the bona fide relic hunters, who only work private property with permission, document and compile their finds and fill their holes.

Sorry about the rant, it is a touchy subject here...
TomH

[tomh]

Shane,

I don't know what the current fine amount is but the fact is, take an unauthorized detector on a NPS Military park and you lose your vehicle. Works for me.

From what I saw in the local press, the last guy actually had two of the wands that they use at airports taped to his ankles and was merrily walking along beeping in the Pickett/Petigrew/Trimble Assault field. There should be an additional fine for sheer stupidity <grin>.

TomH

[sgtcsa]

Tomh,
I must agree with you, I believe the 'poachers' should be punished to the max. You have good reason to be upset, and it being a touchy subject with you. I've been to Gettysburg only once, but it was quite an experience, and one that I will not soon forget. I am a Virginian by birth, and so the Virginia monument has special significance for me. I suppose you can see that I am a Confederate sympathizer, being born and raised in the South. I will be once again visiting that sacred battlefield sometime in April, and I look forward to it with much anticipation. And by the way, may I welcome you to our board and hope your visits here are not only informative but interesting and fun, besides.

Regards,
sgtcsa

[gary]

Glad to see the NPS Superintendent in charge of Gettysburg is "restoring" the battelfield by clearing out the trees. I'd love to see Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill receive the same treatment. Oh, let tree huggers will weep.

[tomh]

Gary,

I believe that Culp's Hill is scheduled for a thinning to restore it to the more sparsely treed appearance that it had during the battle. East Cemetery hill on the other hand is scheduled for a radical removal, opening up the fields of the CS assault and restoring the view out to Benner Hill and Barlow's Knoll. On Cemetery Hill itself the Cyclorama building is being replaced with a new structure in the proposed NPS center about a mile down Taneytown Road and Ziegler's Grove is going to be restored to its original size.

Later,
TomH

[yankeewoman]

Gary, I don't believe the superintendent at GNMP has had much to do with the clearing of the trees. There is a paper company (forget the name) who, in return for cutting the trees, is getting to keep the wood.

8th, I don't believe any stumps are left from 1863. However, there are allegedly a few 'witness tree's from the time; not many, mind you, but they do exist.

If any of you are interested, I might suggest a trip to Schmucker Hall at the Lutheran Seminary next time you are in town. Some GREAT items there.... documents, guns, and a listing of confederates who received medical care (and their units) who were in the vicinity of Schmucker Hall. (That was the building with the old cupola on it that Buford climbed for observation.) Schmucker Hall is now the home of the Adams County Historical Society and is online. A trip there would be well worth your time!

[william42]

Tomh: When I was there in 1987, there was a small grouping of very old trees, surrounded by a wrought-iron fence I believe. The sign posted there said that the trees were there at the time of the battle, and that the group of trees was considered the "high water mark of the Confederacy", because they marked the ****hest that Pickett's troops were able to get in the charge. Is that still there? Have any of the trees died or been removed? Thanks ..... Terry