1913 Gettysburg Reunion - information sought

Aimless Lee

Private
Joined
May 18, 2020
Hello gang,

I'm new to the site and doing research on the 1913 Gettysburg Reunion. I'm looking for personal stories, diaries, scrapbooks, postcards, photos or anything off the beaten path regarding this wonderful event.

Here's a list of the resources I currently have:
Photos from the Library of Congress
50th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg Report of the Pennsylvania Commission
No North, No South - James Rada Jr.
Hand Grips - the Story of the Great Gettysburg Reunion - Walter H. Blake
Gettysburg, 1913: the Complete Novel of the Great Reunion - Alan Simon
War, Memory and the 1913 Gettysburg Reunion - Thomas R. Flagel
Pickett's Charge in History & Memory - Carol Heardon
Gettysburg - the Long Encampment - Jack McLaughlin
The Confederate Veteran - Monthly Magazine from 1913 & 1914
And a subscription to Newspaper.com

The resources above has given me a treasure trove of information about the event, but now I'd like to find personal tales from some of the 56,000 veterans in attendance. There was a temporary post office placed in the Great Camp that processed thousands of letters during the event. I would love to read some of the correspondence if possible.

I've seen most of William Tipton's amazing photographs, but there were plenty of other people with cameras at the event also. If anyone knows of other photos, I'd love to see them.

I'd also love to find stories from individuals documenting their trip to the reunion from start to finish. Often times, the newspapers would tell a portion of someones story and never circle around again to hear the conclusion. Such as: Johnny Reb went to Gettysburg to find the Billy Yank who saved his life... And then there's no follow up to say if he ever found who he was looking for.

I just joined this site and have already made a few connections. If anyone else can provide some help, or point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Lee
 
Musician Peter Guibert of Company F, 74th Pennsylvania, carried a brass-shelled snare drum at Gettysburg. He attended the 1913 reunion with this drum, which was 16 inches in diameter, likely made in France or Germany, and used a silver-tipped drum stick. (Source: Those Who Fought, Allegheny Co., Pa. and the Gettysburg Campaign, by Arthur B. Fox, pp. 121-122)

I find occasional references among my files to reunions and will be on the lookout for additional stories regarding 1913.

I would definitely recommend that you peruse issues of The National Tribune, which are available online: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82016187/issues/

I also recall a wonderful book of photographs from the 1913 reunion, from which I took images on my I-Pad. I'll post one here, but I have more if it is not already among your sources:
Gettysburg1913A.JPG
 
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Musician Peter Guibert of Company F, 74th Pennsylvania, carried a brass-shelled snare drum at Gettysburg. He attended the 1913 reunion with this drum, which was 16 inches in diameter, likely made in France or Germany, and used a silver-tipped drum stick. (Source: Those Who Fought, Allegheny Co., Pa. and the Gettysburg Campaign, by Arthur B. Fox, pp. 121-122)

I find occasional references among my files to reunions and will be on the lookout for additional stories regarding 1913.

I would definitely recommend that you peruse issues of The National Tribune, which are available online: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82016187/issues/

I also recall a wonderful book of photographs from the 1913 reunion, from which I took images on my I-Pad. I'll post one here, but I have more if it is not already among your sources:
View attachment 359364

Thanks for the message, Tom!

I do know a bit about Peter Guibert and its an amazing story! Here's what I discovered so far:

"As news of the Grand Reunion spread, many veterans were eager to attend and started making arrangements for the trip. Peter Guibert lived in Pittsburgh and as Pennsylvania resident was offered free passage to Gettysburg; but he turned it down and decided to walk the 200 miles instead.
During the Civil War, Guibert was a drummer for the 74th Pennsylvania Infantry. He served at the Battle of Bull Run and all the way to General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox; during this time he became known as “The Wizard of the Drums.” After the war, Guibert went on to become a well known musician who could play whistles, the harmonica, guitar, fife and drums. When the 50th Reunion came around, Guibert decided to make a trek of it. Guibert was 70 years old at the time and made the journey with his friend, John Conroy, a 62 year old army veteran who had fought in the Indian Wars. They left Pittsburgh on May 26th, almost six weeks before the start of the reunion and took the opportunity to perform at various venues along the way. Guibert and Conroy didn’t make the trip empty handed; they carried a fife and drum, cymbals and if that wasn’t enough, they lugged around a bass drum AND a calliope - which is a piped instrument with a keyboard that you have to see to believe. Even with all of those instruments, they averaged about 15 miles a day, through the rolling hills of Pennsylvania and the summer heat. They walked along the old Lincoln Highway and performed for anyone who would listen, in exchange for food, refreshment and lodging. Their journey lasted 19 days and they arrived in Gettysburg on June 13th. According to the Adams County News: “The men show plainly the results of their exposure to the summer’s sun but apparently have suffered no ill effects from their long journey.” For the next three weeks, Guibert performed at the Walter’s Theater as a ‘one man band’ where he was the opening act for the 1913 silent film: ‘The Battle of Gettysburg.’ During this time, they earned enough money to fund their command board at the City Hotel, where they stayed until the Great Camp opened on June 29th."

However, that's where my knowledge of Guibert ends... He makes it to the reunion and then I lose track of him.

I tried to look up the book you mentioned: 'Those Who Fought, Allegheny Co., Pa. and the Gettysburg Campaign', by Arthur B. Fox and although its a relatively recent book, it seems very difficult to find a copy. I'll keep looking and appreciate the tip!

I checked out the National Tribune link that you posted above and for some reason it only allows me to view the papers up until December 1911 - 2 years before the reunion. But again, I'll spend more time digging.

As far as that photo. I've seen many panoramic photos of the camp and I'm wondering if that was just a small section of one? Regardless, it has some awesome features, such as the huge flag that flew over the camp, the above-ground water basins, the observation tower and the railroad cars. Thank you for the photo!

Can I ask what book you found that in?

If you come across anything else in you travels, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks!!
 
A young Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. was present for the 50th anniversary, but he was apparently not too impressed with the veterans. He wrote the following letter to his wife Beatrice dated July 1, 1913:

Yesterday we were out all morning doing park policeman work and in the afternoon I distributed some 7900 blankets to Vets.
They are a disgusting bunch dirty and old and of the people who "God loves."
One old hound has been beating a drum ever since he got here.
Two others have a small cannon which they fire as often as possible.

(A Cadet's Impression of Gettysburg, Blue & Gray Magazine, February 1990, p. 33, citing The Patton Papers, vol. I: 1885-1940, by Martin Blumenson, published by Houghton Mifflin, 1972)

The same magazine article, pp. 32-33 has two photographs from the 1913 reunion, one of General Hunter Liggett at his Gettysburg headquarters, and the other of four veterans, three of them with drums. The accompanying article states, "From June 29 until July 6 the aged Union and Confederate veterans took part in the celebration honoring their deeds from 50 years before. To appreciate the magnitude of the Army's responsibilities during the reunion, consider the following statistics: camp dimensions - 247 acres; tents erected - 6592; mess kits issued - 54000; meat consumed - 156,410 pounds; telephone wire laid - 90 miles; medical cases treated - 9986."

Recorded temperatures were high during the reunion - on July 2 the heat exceeded 100 degrees.
 
A young Lieutenant George S. Patton, Jr. was present for the 50th anniversary, but he was apparently not too impressed with the veterans. He wrote the following letter to his wife Beatrice dated July 1, 1913:

Yesterday we were out all morning doing park policeman work and in the afternoon I distributed some 7900 blankets to Vets.
They are a disgusting bunch dirty and old and of the people who "God loves."
One old hound has been beating a drum ever since he got here.
Two others have a small cannon which they fire as often as possible.

(A Cadet's Impression of Gettysburg, Blue & Gray Magazine, February 1990, p. 33, citing The Patton Papers, vol. I: 1885-1940, by Martin Blumenson, published by Houghton Mifflin, 1972)

The same magazine article, pp. 32-33 has two photographs from the 1913 reunion, one of General Hunter Liggett at his Gettysburg headquarters, and the other of four veterans, three of them with drums. The accompanying article states, "From June 29 until July 6 the aged Union and Confederate veterans took part in the celebration honoring their deeds from 50 years before. To appreciate the magnitude of the Army's responsibilities during the reunion, consider the following statistics: camp dimensions - 247 acres; tents erected - 6592; mess kits issued - 54000; meat consumed - 156,410 pounds; telephone wire laid - 90 miles; medical cases treated - 9986."

Recorded temperatures were high during the reunion - on July 2 the heat exceeded 100 degrees.


Wow! Awesome find, Tom!!! I knew Patton was at the Reunion, but I've never seen that quote before.

He apparently had two great uncles that died at Gettysburg and I found a message he had wrote to his fiancee in 1909 while visiting the battle: "I walked down alone to the scene of the last and fiercest struggle on Cemetery hill… I walked down to the scene of Pickett’s great charge and seated on a rock just where two of my great uncles died I watched the wonder of the day go out. The sunset painted a dull red the fields over which the terrible advance was made and I could almost see them coming, growing fewer and fewer while around and beyond me stood calmly the very cannon that had so punished them.......I think that it takes an evening like that to make one understand what men will do in battle. It was a wonderful yet foolish battle…”

What's interesting to me is that after finding the above quote from 1909, I would have guessed he would have enjoyed meeting the veterans in 1913, but maybe not so much.

Thanks again! I'm going to see if I can track down the Blue and Gray magazine from 1990.

If you find anything, please share. :smile:

Lee
 
In the North Carolina Digital Collections (online), Reminiscences of Emanuel Arthur Patterson, Company E, 57th North Carolina, Patterson describes his war experiences, including Gettysburg, writing in parentheses: "(I have just returned from attending the fiftieth anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg - I found the place very much changed but was able to locate the place where I fought.)"

 
When the world opens back up again try the Park Service Library. They have tons of sources and the staff is always helpful.

YES! I have been there and had a splendid time chatting with John Heiser and Greg Goodell. They are great guys, who are super helpful and I walked away with a wealth of information.
 
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