3 monuments vandalized at Gettysburg battlefield

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 11:56 AM - Thursday, February 16, 2006 | Milan Simonich

[pittsburgh gop guy]

Vandals hit Gettysburg National Military Park overnight, damaging three Civil War monuments and stealing a 120-year-old sword.

Park spokeswoman Katie Lawhon said the intruders pulled the top stone and sculpture off the 11th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Monument, which was dedicated on Oct. 8, 1885.

They also stole a sword from that monument. Ms. Lawhon said this morning that the sword was taken from a sculpted arm attached to the monument.

Park rangers hope the theft will help them solve the case. A healthy market exists for Civil War-era weapons, particularly from Gettysburg. Many collectors, though, are on the lookout for stolen items.

In addition to the Massachusetts memorial, vandals also damaged monuments to Pennsylvania and New York units that fought at Gettysburg.

They pulled down the bronze sculpture of a Zouave infantryman from the pedestal of the 114th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Monument. It was dedicated on July 2, 1886.

The third monument attacked by intruders also was a bronze sculpture. It featured a Civil War artilleryman from the monument to Smith's battery, also known as the 4th New York Battery.

The Smith's battery monument was dedicated on July 2, 1888.

Gettysburg is patrolled by national park rangers and civilian volunteers, who keep an eye on the battlefield and its 1,400 monuments and markers at night.

Even so, this is third time in 18 months that vandals have damaged Gettysburg monuments.

The battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest of the Civil War. Some 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or vanished in three days of fighting. The battle was waged July 1-3, 1863.

[Texas_Jarhead]

hate crime

[eyespysomething]

You are BAD!

[Cinnamon Girl]

Except now they've had three attacks in the past 18 months, it says, so they need to do something differently before everything is destroyed.

[steelcurtain]

This makes me sick.

Me too. Those pictures made my stomach turn.

[IGOTMINE]

SONSABTICHES!

[groanup]

Hang 'em.

[HostileTerritory]

Actually, they wouldn't have the slightest idea what you are talking about. They wouldn't be able to tell you in what century the war took place, or what it was about.

I'm not buying it. Gettysburg is in the middle of nowhere. If you live there, you drink in this stuff from day one. If you don't, and you don't know about the Civil War, you're not going to drive 50-100 miles to knock over monuments which all happen to be from northern states.

Let's be honest. The most plausible explanation is that a couple of lowlifes who were visiting one of the greatest battlefields of the Civil War decided to celebrate their southern "heritage" by attacking monuments to Yankee soldiers. These people do not reflect on the attitudes of the many southerners who take pride in their ancestors' bravery and dedication to the cause, and to their credit (nearly) everyone posting to this thread has condemned this act of vandalism.

[HostileTerritory]

At least they stuck to the Yankee monuments.

The fact that you're the only person on this thread to express this sentiment should tell you something.

[groanup]

c'mon, no taking sides in this one.

[Potowmack]

I have to wonder what, in a public school history education, would lead young people to attack the monuments of Grand Army of the Republic soldiers.

Why is everyone assuming these perps are young?

[SittinYonder]

You are BAD!

I fully anticipate a lot of Northern Aggression toward that statement.

[Apple Blossom]

Ping.

[Potowmack]

I know the battlefield is huge...we have been there. But, if there ARE volunteers couldn't there be two at every monument?

According to the article:

Gettysburg is patrolled by national park rangers and civilian volunteers, who keep an eye on the battlefield and its 1,400 monuments and markers at night.

[HostileTerritory]

I fully anticipate a lot of Northern Aggression toward that statement.

Bless your heart.

[kalee]

ping

[SittinYonder]

The fact that you're the only person on this thread to express this sentiment should tell you something.

A lot of Yankees on the thread?

I assure you that I'm as outraged as you or anyone else about this, but that doesn't mean I've lost all knowledge of geography. The reason I noticed it is because my father used to point out to me when we went to battlefields - Gettysburg included - that you could always tell who lost the battle because they had the bigger monuments. And it's a fact that I've noticed at every Civil War battlefield I've been to. So I was curious to see if the vandals were going after big monuments or little ones as I read the story.

Besides, it's a pretty good joke.

[Belasarius]

That is freakini awful! That National Park Service is broke, has all kinds of storage problems for historical artifacts, staffing problems etc. I know they don't have money for security systems that would cover 1200 monuments.

I'd guess this is two or three kids drunk, driving around. I'm surprised though that I didn't see it in the Harrisburg paper.
I'm right up the road.

I doubt that they stole the sword to sell. It's just a trophy of a couple of retards with nothing better to do. Hopefully, some cop will spot it in the back seat.

[Pirate21]

Chance Enterprises has its own way of vandalizing Gettysburg -- with a casino!(*&! See No Casino Gettysburg for info. There's a protest march scheduled for April 29; see here and here.

[Paine in the Neck]

"Whoever did this should be flogged..."

Yes. Flogged in the center of Gettysburg, then brought to Antietam and flogged again, then to Chancellorsville for another flogging and so on thru every battle site from that war....then hung!

[YourAdHere]

I'd rule this a hate crime. The media won't though.