Destroying the trees on the Gettysburg Battlefield (vanity)

Old Lady ^ | March 18, 2005 | Old Lady

[Old Phone Man]

If you care about the Gettysburg battlefield, drive out to Devil's Den and look at the beautiful old trees. You won't find many because the park service just cut most of them down.

Some of these trees were over a hundred years old. Some were "witness trees" when the Civil War veterans came back to dedicate their monuments.

The trees provided a place of shady contemplation in the hot summer sun for thousands of visitors. Many of us who care about the battlefield are sickened by their loss.

The park service plans to make the landscape look like 1863 so rangers can point to a hill and say "they came from there" without annoying trees getting in the way.

Would we allow the park service to go into the Gettysburg National Cemetery and destroy all the trees planted after Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address? No, we wouldn't, and we shouldn't allow them to do that to the park.

When Congress established the Gettysburg National Park in the 1800's, they did not intend the park to be a war college, frozen in time so we could all study battle tactics. That was NEVER the purpose of the park.

Civil War veterans came back over decades to dedicate their monuments and to attend reunions, and they NEVER asked that whole forests be destroyed to make the landscape look like 1863.

The park has a deeper purpose--a place to honor the dead and reflect on war, a place of peace, healing and contemplation. That is why we have the monuments, the Peace Light Memorial, and why the veterans came for reunions.

The people behind the current plan to cut down thousands of trees don't understand this or don't care.

Later this year, the park service plans to cut down a large area of woods behind Devil's Den, which will be a terrible tragedy. Please find out about the park service's plans, complain to your representative in Congress or become active in other constructive ways before our woods are devastated.

I have plenty of photos but don't have a website to post them from onto Free Republic.

[taxesareforever]

However, I am opposed to those actions that try to simulate the past.

Do you want the whole park to return to being one large overgrown forest?

And there is some problem with that?

[FreedomCalls]

>>Do you want the whole park to return to being one large overgrown forest?

>And there is some problem with that?

Yes there is. Overgrown forests are available anywhere in the country you want. I can see one if I step out my back door. But Gettysburg, the battlefield, is available in one place and one place only. It's not just another overgrown forest.

Do you want to see it turned into a a housing subdivision with tract houses on quarter-acre lots? The change would be the same as letting it get overgrown -- neither is as it was in 1863.

[Rodney King]

Do you want to see it turned into a a housing subdivision with tract houses on quarter-acre lots? The change would be the same as letting it get overgrown -- neither is as it was in 1863.

I would actually prefer the former to the latter. If it is not going to be preserved as a battlefield, then let it be put to economic use. People can hike in jellystone park if they want wilderness.

[FreedomCalls]

Actually, the Battle of the Crater (July 30, 1864) at Petersburg, Virginia was what was portrayed at the beginning of 'Cold Mountain.'

The Crater, then and now.

[devolve]

  "An American Trilogy"   

"Dixie" - "Battle Hymn Of The Republic"

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[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Hey, those are great images! I have a funny story. When my wife was doing some research on the Episcopal Church in Civil War Virginia, she went to Petersburg and had the opportunity to visit the park there. I've never been to Peterburg (shame on me), but she said that its trails were not as prominently marked as, say at Gettysburg or Antietam, and she ended up getting lost in the woods. After spending a couple of hours wandering around, she climbed over a fence and suddenly somehow found her self at the bottom of what she thought was a ravine. Turns out that she had stumbled straight into the crater. After climbing out, she took a good look at it, returned home, and categorically declared, "Yep, It's a big hole in the ground!" :)

At least it was funny when she first told me about it...

[Old Phone Man]

I would be very careful before hurling insults at him as you have done.... Tack on his old lady, too. All she needs is a whip. Ha ha.

[Old Phone Man]

Post 104, like I say, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Thanks for that.

I have many digital pictures of the Gettysburg tree-cutting but don't have a website to post them from to here.

[FreedomCalls]

That's pretty funny!

[muleskinner]

I have to agree with Virg. Ridgerunner and Strategerist. The sense of reverance, honor and wonder at the deeds of those who fought there can be better understood if the park is returned to it's battle-day state.
Antietam is better is some sense, as it remains very close to the way it was in 1862. The Miller's still own "The Cornfield". Imagine that.

Cut'em down, let God sort'em out.

[TheBattman]

That's what I said....

[FreedomCalls]

I have many digital pictures of the Gettysburg tree-cutting but don't have a website to post them from to here.

YourIMG works really well. Just go there, browse to where your picture is on your computer, press the "host it" button and it will give you the url to paste into your FreeRepublic post. Choose the fifth option down (Your Image in HTML) and that is the exact code needed for FR.

Here's a sample:

[FreedomCalls]

Antietam is better is some sense, as it remains very close to the way it was in 1862. The Miller's still own "The Cornfield". Imagine that.

I too, have been to Antietam and really enjoyed the experience. I was stunned to see "The Cornfield" was still there and still planted in summer corn! It was a tremendous experience all around because of the preservation there.

[Old Phone Man]

Thanks.

Here's a test photo (don't know if this will work)

http://hosted.yourimg.com/05/77/18/DevilsDen4.jpg

[Old Phone Man]

How did you get it to appear as a photo and not a link? Thanks.

[Old Phone Man]

Test photo:

[Old Phone Man]

http://www.yourimg.com/?page=05/77/18/DevilsDencedarover100yearsold.jpg Cedar over 100 years old (counted the rings)

[Old Phone Man]

Devil's Den, Gettysburg

[Fester Chugabrew]

At least they didn't mess with the boulders that have been there "billions of years."

[Old Phone Man]

Triangular Field, Gettysburg