Ami's SOA Witness Trees at Gettysburg

thank you I have tried to reach out to the park service - they are interested but not enthusiastic like the bloggers are and they don't even know what they have. I guarantee that if the ruins of a building or something they deem of historical value, they would be all over it. If you look at some of the comments the management has made when the honey locust tree in the cemetery was partially destroyed by storms, they say that they know of a few dozen trees. I know of 0ver 1500 so far and another 1000 or so that are possibly but a core sample would be needed. Sadly two years ago a forest health cut was made in Springs hotel woods where Archer, Pettigrew, and Pender started their attacks on the first day they blue dotted and cut down 30 plus trees which I took photos of especially the rings one even had massive cable scars and gave this info to the local media and the park itself and even offered to meet them not on the weekend but by taking a vacation day and no one bothered to give me a courtesy call that they could not make it. The current keepers of the battlefield are a sad sight compared to all the efforts to put surge arrestors, cement, supports etc. to preserver the trees. Anyway I can prove that monsters do exits in the forms of trees a spooky looking witness tree on the attack slope of upper culps hill at dusk, also a possible battle damaged pignut or shellbark hickory tree - note that side side of the damage to the trunk where no bark is forming is facing the union lines on the middle of the slope. Finally a monster of a swamp white oak tree being flooded out earlier this spring by Rock creek behind HACC college building and Weis super market where Avery and Hays crossed the creek and assaulted the Union troops along Kuhn's brickyard.
 

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sorry here is number 4 the 2nd possible battle damaged tree in between the lines on Culps Hill, the first of course is the god tree!
 
thank you I have tried to reach out to the park service - they are interested but not enthusiastic like the bloggers are and they don't even know what they have. I guarantee that if the ruins of a building or something they deem of historical value, they would be all over it. If you look at some of the comments the management has made when the honey locust tree in the cemetery was partially destroyed by storms, they say that they know of a few dozen trees. I know of 0ver 1500 so far and another 1000 or so that are possibly but a core sample would be needed. Sadly two years ago a forest health cut was made in Springs hotel woods where Archer, Pettigrew, and Pender started their attacks on the first day they blue dotted and cut down 30 plus trees which I took photos of especially the rings one even had massive cable scars and gave this info to the local media and the park itself and even offered to meet them not on the weekend but by taking a vacation day and no one bothered to give me a courtesy call that they could not make it. The current keepers of the battlefield are a sad sight compared to all the efforts to put surge arrestors, cement, supports etc. to preserver the trees. Anyway I can prove that monsters do exits in the forms of trees a spooky looking witness tree on the attack slope of upper culps hill at dusk, also a possible battle damaged pignut or shellbark hickory tree - note that side side of the damage to the trunk where no bark is forming is facing the union lines on the middle of the slope. Finally a monster of a swamp white oak tree being flooded out earlier this spring by Rock creek behind HACC college building and Weis super market where Avery and Hays crossed the creek and assaulted the Union troops along Kuhn's brickyard.

Well, screw the Park Service. Do it yourself. The historic cemetery where I volunteer recently put out a book they're going to sell as a fundraiser so I know it can be done on a small budget (but wasn't in on the production so don't have the details of that). You could sell those puppies and it would also put your work on record. BTW, I worked for the DOI in another agency so I know the types you no-doubt have had to deal with.

Thanks for sharing all this with us !
 
sorry here is number 4 the 2nd possible battle damaged tree in between the lines on Culps Hill, the first of course is the god tree!
I was at the Angle this afternoon, and took these pictures of the Copse. I am assuming that I got a couple of the witness trees, the leaners to the left and right of the book. Am I right?

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nice pictures and dude or sir you are correct. Compare these two I know I posted them before and see for yourself. The contorted twisted one was one of the largest one during the charge - you can see it in the previous Gettysburg then and now photo posted earlier. That photo was one of several William Tipton photos used to create the background for the orginnal Phillipeateaux cyclorama. Also by a few hundred feet back where the angled fence line comes to a stop by the road to the left is the Gibbon black walnut tree nearby where Gen Gibbon was wounded in the shoulder.
 

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Well, screw the Park Service. Do it yourself. The historic cemetery where I volunteer recently put out a book they're going to sell as a fundraiser so I know it can be done on a small budget (but wasn't in on the production so don't have the details of that). You could sell those puppies and it would also put your work on record. BTW, I worked for the DOI in another agency so I know the types you no-doubt have had to deal with.

Thanks for sharing all this with us !
You know, you should publish your work in a book like Frassanito's early work. Really. I bet you could sell quite a few to people visiting the park.
I will tell you what ... I want to do a guide to the battlefield, divide it into areas like the first day, Culps Hill, etc. and present it through the trees, carvings etc. that are still there so the visitor can see something that the soldier saw, etc. If you or anyone have any suggestions or could help out it could be something done together. Before I die I somehow will get this information out so that our children's grandchildren will inherit what we enjoy. I am thinking of contacting Thomas publications in Gettysburg, and have facebook friends with some authors and park guides so it may be in the works. But I get just as much a thrill sharing this stuff with you guys helping someone who is visiting the park enjoy or learn more on their visit.
 
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Going the burg tomorrow and will post witness trees from the area I am covering, saddle area between the round tops where Chamberlain and Oates met on July 2nd. For today I post a couple of pictures from a large witness white oak tree on the left side of West Confederate Ave across from Biesecker woods that was in the middle of the Confederate artillery line on July 2 and 3 - you can see the large cable scars on the lower trunk of the tree
 

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Although the actual number can never be known, a better question to ask is how many approximately are there in a certain area of Gettysburg makes it a lot more manageable. Through the past few years I have documented over 1500 that are no doubt pre 1863 trees. I would estimate in the main battlefield area where any acutal fighting took place, including privately owned property and Lutheran Theological Seminary and Gettysburg college, and the town itself between 2000-2500 with another 500 -1000 questionable ones that could be older than their size suggests. As for the town itself other than the two Sycamore trees on Baltimore Street, you have a red oak with cement cavity filling on Washington Street just across the mall area. On Lefevbre Street across from the ice cream parlor at "twin sycamores" there is a large black walnut tree in Alumni park and a kentucky coffee tree by an apartment building dumpster that has and upper crown cable truss holding the top of the tree from splitting apart. Also a large sycamore with upper trunk damage in the dollar store parking lot across from the old John Burns residence on Spring Ave. across from the old meade school and the Penna reserves monument at the intersection might be the one pictured in Tipton's 1870 and 1880s photos. If you want to see the mother of all trees, on York Ave behind the Subway an the Sheetz gas station in the shopping mall is one of the largest white oak trees I have ever seen and was surely there during the battle not far from Camp Letterman location.

Until reading your post, goberg4, I was completely unaware of the gigantic white oak behind the shopping center on York Road. Thank you for sharing that information (and all the other fascinating information on the Gettysburg trees. I look forward to your book, when you publish it!) When I went out to look for the white oak, I was amazed at its size. Not long after, this article appeared in one of the local newspapers: http://www.eveningsun.com/news/ci_22802074/preserving-285-year-old-witness-tree?source=most_viewed. It's fortunate that so many people have been looking out for this tree in recent years.
 
Until reading your post, goberg4, I was completely unaware of the gigantic white oak behind the shopping center on York Road. Thank you for sharing that information (and all the other fascinating information on the Gettysburg trees. I look forward to your book, when you publish it!) When I went out to look for the white oak, I was amazed at its size. Not long after, this article appeared in one of the local newspapers: http://www.eveningsun.com/news/ci_22802074/preserving-285-year-old-witness-tree?source=most_viewed. It's fortunate that so many people have been looking out for this tree in recent years.

Cool story! I have sneaked back to the oak (it's on private property) once or twice, and it is a huge, magnificent thing. The branches stretch out from the main trunk really wide. It made me laugh: I too looked for acorns when I was out there, and didn't find any. I didn't know it was quite as old as it is, but it's obvious it's been around a while just from looking at it. It's good that people are taking good care of it now.
 
Cool story! I have sneaked back to the oak (it's on private property) once or twice, and it is a huge, magnificent thing. The branches stretch out from the main trunk really wide. It made me laugh: I too looked for acorns when I was out there, and didn't find any. I didn't know it was quite as old as it is, but it's obvious it's been around a while just from looking at it. It's good that people are taking good care of it now.
I'm curious now, about the acorns, Pam. Goberg4 or John Winn, do you know: Is there a point in an oak's life where it would normally stop producing acorns? If a tree produces none is it a sign of stress or disease?
 
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I'm curious now, about the acorns, Pam. Goberg4 or John Winn, do you know: Is there a point in an oak's life where it would normally stop producing acorns? If a tree produces none is it a sign of stress or disease?
Mr Winn would probably be a better expert on that. I know that there is usually a range in a tree's life span usually in the mature middle where it produces acorns but I bet this fall you will see some it has been a good growing year in the burg with no drought or extremely high temps so far and that means less stress. I wish that more volunteer efforts like to repair the tree from splitting apart by installing bolts and cables would be taken up by the park service. But any effort by them means contract bidding and red tape!
 
The old 90ft poplar tree that was stuck by lightning is on the crest of the hill in the foreground is a witness white ash tree tree just behind Reynolds battery in this 1880s photo

I'm betting one of the trees on the left side of the road next to the Gatehouse in the 1890s picture is the tall hemlock (?) standing next to the Gatehouse in the newer pic.

For some reason, I love that tulip poplar on Cemetery Hill. You can see it in a variety of pics from the time of the battle and beyond.

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I'm betting one of the trees on the left side of the road next to the Gatehouse in the 1890s picture is the tall hemlock (?) standing next to the Gatehouse in the newer pic.

For some reason, I love that tulip poplar on Cemetery Hill. You can see it in a variety of pics from the time of the battle and beyond.

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Yes I believe so but the white ash was of decent size during the battle it was to the south of the union center. So it received little attention there are three large witness ash trees almost in a straight line one at menchys spring and the other which was near the area of the gettysburg address in evergreen cemetery
 
Yes I believe so but the white ash was of decent size during the battle it was to the south of the union center. So it received little attention there are three large witness ash trees almost in a straight line one at menchys spring and the other which was near the area of the gettysburg address in evergreen cemetery

The monument for the 153rd PA, my gggguncle's regiment, is almost across from Menchey's. Which of the trees is the witness tree?
 
The monument for the 153rd PA, my gggguncle's regiment, is almost across from Menchey's. Which of the trees is the witness tree?
The only one left by the sign and the well also the shagbark hickory just before menchys spring by the split rail fence on wainwright ave. the other Lincoln g burg address witness tree is on the other side of the sickles fence and is the largest white ash I gave ever seen it is the last tree of the otiginsl woods the otters are plantings
 
The only one left by the sign and the well also the shagbark hickory just before menchys spring by the split rail fence on wainwright ave. the other Lincoln g burg address witness tree is on the other side of the sickles fence and is the largest white ash I gave ever seen it is the last tree of the otiginsl woods the otters are plantings
Tonight I will post pictures
 
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