Gettysburg NMP Goes Green!

Gettysburg National Military Park Is Modifying Operations To Comply with Green Phase

Gettysburg, PA – Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Gettysburg National Military Park is increasing access and services. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.

  Beginning June 12, 2020, Gettysburg National Military Park, in response to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s move to Phase Green for Adams County, will continue to allow Licensed Battlefield Guide operations, commercial operators, and special park uses. Licensed Battlefield Guides, permits, and special park uses are to comply with state reopening guidance and public health guidance which include limiting gatherings to less than 250 people and maintaining social distancing. Park Rangers will provide informal interpretation services through intermittent roves, or visits, to different areas of the battlefield. Public restrooms will begin to reopen throughout the battlefield. Portable toilets are also available throughout the battlefield (see map below) at the following ten locations:

1.     10 at McMillan Woods Campground

2.     1 at Weikert Farm

3.     6 at the Park Amphitheater

4.     1 at Slyder Farm

5.     2 at Big Round Top Parking area

6.     2 at Wheatfield Road near Little Round Top

7.     2 at the PA Monument

8.     2 at the South End Comfort Station

9.     2 at the West End Guide Station

10. 1 at the National Cemetery Comfort Station.

·       The Museum and Visitor Center will remain closed while operational plans are developed to ensure compliance with public health guidance and operational and engineered controls. We are adopting a phased in plan for re-opening, and an announcement detailing our plans and reopen date will be forthcoming.

·       Interpretive programs with Park Rangers will not be offered and the Eisenhower Home and Reception Center remain closed. There is no public parking available at Eisenhower NHS.

·       The David Wills House, observation towers, and the Pennsylvania Memorial observation level remain closed.

·       Gettysburg NMP grounds, roads, trails, and parking areas remain open to the public. Park gates will be opened and closed at their normal times. Formal, scheduled interpretive programs with Park Rangers may be offered in the future where gatherings can be kept under 250 people.

·       The 157th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will be comprised of a series of free VIRTUAL guided walks and talks that discuss, explore, and reflect on this important chapter in our nation’s history. Further details will be released soon.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners.  

While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders for Pennsylvania State Phase Green, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.

The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.  

We have amazing virtual tours of Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS available on our web site for people who are still home schooling or not traveling at this time.

·       Gettysburg NMP Virtual Tour

·       Eisenhower NHS Virtual Tour

Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website at https://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htmand social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

Battlefield “Red Patch” House to be Restored by Jeff and Stephanie Shaara

Battlefield “Red Patch” House to be Restored by Jeff and Stephanie Shaara

“Red Patch” in 1900

June 4, 2020 by Stephanie Shaara, Jeff Shaara, and Charles Stangor

Gettysburg native Stephanie Shaara and her husband, well known historical author Jeff Shaara, are tackling an enormous project that will restore a 120-year old home to its original glory.

The historic home known as “Red Patch,” which sits next to the former Gettysburg National Guard Armory on Southwest Confederate Avenue at the top of Red Patch Avenue in west Gettysburg, towers over the neighborhood below and provides views across the borough to the round tops.

“We’re cleaning out the house,” said Stephanie.

The prior owners, Gail Prezioso and her late husband Sal, bought the house in the late 1990s. When Ms. Prezioso sold the house to the Shaaras, “she left behind an enormous collection of Italian travel and art books that we’re donating to Gettysburg College. There were nearly thirty cases of Civil War books that we have donated to the Adams County Historical Society, and at least ten cases of books have been donated to the Adams County Library,” said Stephanie.

The most recent renovation was by Sharen and John Miller, who owned the house between 1985 and 1997. “The look of the house today, the paint and carpet, and the layout of many of the bedrooms were by the Millers. They did a beautiful job of restoring the home, but now it’s time to do it again. Our goal is to restore the home to its appearance in 1900, when it was built,” said Stephanie

“The things we threw away were not historically relevant, and were certainly not part of the original home. We have given away anything that was salvageable and worthy of donating. A collection of civil war prints has gone to the American Battlefield Trust,” said Stephanie.

Stephanie met her husband when she was managing the Greystone History Emporium on Steinwehr Avenue in 1994. “Jeff was just starting his writing career, and had come to town for the release of the movie ‘Gettysburg’ on video. As the years passed, he would visit Gettysburg every summer for book signing events, and we became friends,” said Stephanie.

Construction on Red Patch was started by Union Brevet Major General H.T. Collis in 1898, based on a design of a house in Somerville, NJ. “We have a copy of the January 1894 edition of ‘Carpentry and Building’ magazine featuring the house in Somerville as well as the original contract between General Collis and his local Gettysburg builder, Merville E. Stallsmith,” said Stephanie. “The house was started in 1898 and completed in 1900. General Collis died in 1902.”

Collis is buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. “He has a large white marble marker and the bust of him faces Red Patch,” said Stephanie. “Collis referred to Red Patch as his summer home and club house. Supposedly he had some interesting guests and big parties.”

The house has had several owners, including Elmer Dillman, who used the house as an antique store until 1975. Stephanie remembers shopping there with her father, and her parents still own a few antiques purchased there. When Mr. Dillman died, his family sold the home to the National Park Service, who owned it until 1985.

Jeff and Stephanie intend to restore the house to its original look with clapboard siding on the ground floor and shingle siding on the second and third stories, while also modernizing the interior.

The work will be done by Shawn Smith, owner of the local construction company Knight Builders, Inc. “I’ve known Shawn since high school, and he built a home for us several years ago,” said Stephanie.

Construction will include a new roof, siding, windows, kitchen. and bathrooms. The front porch will be rebuilt and the railings will be replaced. The stone foundation will be repointed and the colors of the original house will be used. The original pine floors throughout the house will be sanded and preserved, and the four original fireplaces will be restored.

“We’ll keep the loop driveway, adding a pebble surface that will be more period,” said Stephanie. “We have a photo of the house from 1900. That will be the look of the property. We’re hoping that when the work is completed, that it will not only be our home, but will also be included on the National Registry of Historic Places. Red Patch deserves that,” said Stephanie.

The attic will be converted to Jeff’s office space and library. The space has original wood beams, a tall peaked ceiling, as well as windows and a balcony with a spectacular view of the battlefield.

The Shaaras have been living close to Philadelphia for the past two years, but when Stephanie saw the home listed for sale on realtor.com they knew it was the right thing to do.

“It’s a piece of land that’s significant to the town and the battlefield. The Millers added so much to the home, but not much has been done since then. It needs some TLC. Maintaining the historical integrity of the home is the highest priority for us. But it will also be our home. I think General Collis would be happy,” said Stephanie.

Virginia governor announces removal of Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond

June 3, 2020
By Barnini Chakraborty | Fox News

story link

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday the removal of one of the country's most iconic monuments to the Confederacy — a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee along Richmond's bucolic tree-lined Monument Avenue.

"We are here to chart a new course in Virginia's history," Northam said. "We are here to be honest about our past and talk about our future."

Northam said Virginia had set "high ideals" in the past 400 years about freedom and equality but had "fallen short" of them.

Taking down the Lee monument is an extraordinary victory for civil rights activists who have long called for its removal. Several efforts in the past to remove the statue have been fought bitterly and failed.

Ahead of the governor's announcement, hundreds gathered around the Lee monument.

Lee's statue will be sent to a storage facility.

157th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg - Virtual Events

July 1-3, 2020

The three day Battle of Gettysburg marked a turning point not only in the course of the American Civil War, but also for the future of the United States of America. Join Park Rangers, Historians, and Licensed Battlefield Guides during the 157th Anniversary for a series of free VIRTUAL guided walks and talks that discuss, explore, and reflect on this important chapter in our nation’s history. These virtual programs will offer visitors unprecedented access to locations and historic structures that have previously never been featured during the Battle Anniversary.

All programs will be streamed LIVE on the Gettysburg National Military Park Facebook Page.

Full schedule details will be updated soon.

Last Person to Receive a Civil War-Era Pension Dies

Last Person to Receive a Civil War-Era Pension Dies

Michael M. Phillips/The Wall Street Journal
June 2, 2020

Irene Triplett, the last person receiving a pension from the U.S. Civil War, has died at the age of 90.

Ms. Triplett’s father, Mose Triplett, started fighting in the war for the Confederacy, but defected to the North in 1863. That decision earned his daughter Irene, the product of a late-in-life marriage to a woman almost 50 years his junior, a pension of $73.13 a month from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ms. Triplett, who suffered from mental disabilities, qualified for federal financial support as a helpless ((CQ)) adult child of a veteran. She died Sunday from complications following surgery for injuries from a fall, according to the Wilkesboro, N.C., nursing home where she lived.

The Triplett family was the subject of a Page One article in The Wall Street Journal in 2014.

Pvt. Triplett enlisted in the 53rd North Carolina Infantry Regiment in May 1862, then transferred to the 26th North Carolina Infantry Regiment early the following year, according to Confederate records. He fell ill as his regiment marched north toward Gettysburg and remained behind in a Virginia military hospital.

He ran away from the hospital, records show, while his unit suffered devastating losses at Gettysburg. Of the 800 men in the 26th North Carolina, 734 were killed, wounded or captured in the battle Pvt. Triplett missed.

Now a deserter, he made his way to Tennessee and, in 1864, enlisted in a Union regiment, the 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry. Known as Kirk’s Raiders, the 3rd North Carolina carried out a campaign of sabotage against Confederate targets in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. The unit was named after Tennessee-born commander Col. George Washington Kirk.

After the war, former Kirk’s Raiders were despised in areas of the former Confederacy. Pvt. Triplett, by then a civilian with a reputation for orneriness, kept pet rattlesnakes at his home near Elk Creek, N.C. He often sat on his front porch with a pistol on his lap.

“A lot of people were afraid of him,” his grandson, Charlie Triplett, told The Wall Street Journal.

Pvt. Triplett married Elida Hall in 1924. She was 34 when Irene was born in 1930; he was 83. Such an age difference wasn’t rare, especially later, during the Great Depression, when Civil War veterans found themselves with both a pension and a growing need for care.

Both mother and daughter suffered from mental disabilities. Irene Triplett recalled a tough childhood in the North Carolina mountains, beaten by teachers at school and parents at home.

“I didn’t care for neither one of them, to tell you the truth about it,” she told The Wall Street Journal in 2014. “I wanted to get away from both of them. I wanted to get me a house and crawl in it all by myself.”

Pvt. Triplett died in 1938 at age 92, days after attending a reunion of Civil War veterans, attended by President Franklin Roosevelt, on the fields of Gettysburg.

Ms. Triplett and her mother lived for years in the Wilkes County poorhouse. Irene later moved through a number of care homes, her costs covered by Medicaid and her tiny VA pension.

She saw little of her relatives. But a pair of Civil War buffs visited and sent her money to spend on Dr Pepper and chewing tobacco, a habit she picked up in the first grade.

“She’s a part of history,” said Dennis St. Andrew, one of Irene’s supporters and a past commander of the North Carolina Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. “You’re talking to somebody whose father was in the Civil War, which is mind-bending.”

The number of what the group calls true sons and daughters of Civil War soldiers is fast heading toward zero. Mr. St. Andrew expects that as word spreads of Ms. Triplett’s death, the Sons of Union Veterans will, as is customary, declare a 30-day mourning period. Members will wear a black band on their membership badges.

Write to Michael M. Phillips at michael.phillips@wsj.com

Two Gettysburg Land Parcels Move to Park Service

Map by Curt Mussleman

May 22, 2020 by Gettysburg Connection

During a visit to Gettysburg National Military Park (GNMP) last week, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt awarded a $573,000 Battlefield Land Acquisition Grant to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) to acquire two tracts for the park.

“The American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) funding will enable the PHMC and project partner American Battlefield Trust (ABT) to acquire the East Cemetery Hill tract and the Vermont tract portions of the Gettysburg battlefield. The tracts were previously held by a private property owner,” said GNMP representative Cynthia Hernandez.

The East Cemetery Hill Tract consists of .7 acres along Baltimore Pike and is contiguous with land previously preserved through ABPP funding awarded to the PHMC. “The Trust plans to restore the property to its 1863 appearance to enhance the public’s understanding of the military actions that occurred there. The land will be protected in perpetuity with a conservation easement held by the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC),” said Hernandez.

The 47 acre Vermont Tract in the south part of the park abuts the Gettysburg National Military Park on two sides and its acquisition will prevent development that might obscure views of Big Round Top.

ABT will acquire the tracts with the funding awarded to PHMC. The Commonwealth will work with ABT and the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) to create a permanent preservation easement that will protect the historic resources of this nationally significant property in perpetuity.

The goal of ABPP is to “assist citizens, public and private institutions, and governments at all levels in planning, interpreting, and protecting sites where historic battles were fought on American soil during the armed conflicts that shaped the growth and development of the United States, in order that present and future generations may learn and gain inspiration from the ground where Americans made their ultimate sacrifice,” said Hernandez.

“If for some (highly unlikely) reason the ABT decided to sell the property in the future, LCAC has an obligation to make sure that future owners understand and comply with the terms of the conservation easement, keeping it as intended by the Trust,” said LCAC spokesperson Sarah Kipp.

“Battlefields such as Gettysburg are sacred sites where Americans gave the last full measure of devotion,” said Bernhardt. “These grants enable us to partner with communities and organizations to preserve these places and connect visitors with their historical importance.”

“ABPP grants create partnerships among state and local governments and nonprofit organizations to act quickly and proactively to preserve and protect nationally significant battlefields, such as Gettysburg,” said National Park Service Deputy Director David Vela, exercising the authority of the director.

Gettysburg NMP Begins Phased Reopening

Gettysburg, PA – Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Gettysburg National Military Park is increasing access and services. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.

Beginning May 22, 2020, Gettysburg National Military Park, in response to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s move to Phase Yellow for Adams County, will begin to allow Licensed Battlefield Guide operations, commercial operators, and special park uses. Licensed Battlefield Guides, permits, and special park uses are to comply with state reopening guidance and public health guidance which include limiting gatherings to less than 25 people and maintaining social distancing. Park Rangers will provide informal interpretation services through intermittent roves, or visits, to different areas of the battlefield. Portable toilets are available at ten locations throughout the battlefield.

  The Museum and Visitor Center, Eisenhower National Historic Site buildings, Wills House, public restrooms, observation towers, and the Pennsylvania Memorial observation level remain closed. Park grounds, roads, trails, and parking areas remain open to the public. Park gates will be opened and closed at their normal times. There is no public parking available at Eisenhower NHS. Formal, scheduled interpretive programs with Park Rangers will not be offered. Landscaping and preservation activities have resumed in accordance with public health guidance.   

  The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, our operational approach will be to examine each facility function and service provided to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners.   

While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and services may be limited. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders for Pennsylvania State Phase Yellow, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.

  The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We will continue to monitor all park functions to ensure that visitors adhere to CDC guidance for mitigating risks associated with the transmission of COVID-19 and take any additional steps necessary to protect public health.  

  We have amazing virtual tours of Gettysburg NMP and Eisenhower NHS available on our web site for people who are still home schooling or not traveling at this time.

·       Gettysburg NMP Virtual Tour

·       Eisenhower NHS Virtual Tour

Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted on our website at https://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htmand social media channels. Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

American Battlefield Trust Annual Conference Postponed to October

(Washington, D.C.) — With the announcement that Gov. Ralph Northam had issued a “stay-at-home” order for the Commonwealth of Virginia through June 10, 2020, the American Battlefield Trust has accordingly postponed its 2020 Annual Conference. The event had originally been scheduled to occur June 3–7, in Chantilly; other public events and tours through May 15 had previously been postponed until later dates.

Instead, the organization is planning to expand an already scheduled October event into a “Fall Conference” and hold the Chantilly event next year. When conveying the news to Conference registrants, Trust director of events Melissa Sadler sought to focus on the positive. “First and foremost,” she wrote, “We’ve decided to move the Chantilly conference to 2021 — tours, historians and all, lock, stock, and barrel. We’re already working with the hotel to find a mutually agreeable date.”

The second element of the Trust’s rescheduling plan is to transform the annual Grand Review weekend — a small gathering typically reserved for major donors — into a large-scale public event for which anyone can register. That event will take place October 22 – 25, 2020, in Richmond, Va.
Click here for details.

For Sadler, the reasoning behind such a shift is simple: “Two years is far too long to wait and see our Conference family.”

Those who had already registered for the Chantilly event can request a full refund or apply their registration fee toward either the Richmond or future Chantilly event. Alternately, they may choose to direct that fee as a donation toward the Trust’s operating expenses during these uncertain times.

The latest details on rescheduling of postponed events and the status of future gatherings will be posted online at www.battlefields.org/events.

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 52,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

History Channel Presents Mini-Series on GRANT beginning Memorial Day

 Three-Night Miniseries Event Premieres Memorial Day at 9/8c

About the Series. https://www.history.com/shows/grant

  At the time of his death, Ulysses S. Grant was the most famous man in the world and stood alongside men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in the pantheon of American heroes. However, today Ulysses S. Grant is largely forgotten, his rightful legacy tarnished by a fog of myth, rumor and falsehood.

  Grant tells the remarkable and quintessentially American story of a humble man who overcomes incredible obstacles, rises to the highest ranks of power and saves the nation not once, but twice. With a seamless blend of dramatic scenes, expert commentary and beautifully enhanced archival imagery, this three-part miniseries uncovers the true legacy of the unlikely hero who led the nation during its greatest tests: the Civil War and Reconstruction.

  Born into a humble family of abolitionists, Ulysses S. Grant was never destined for greatness. At a time when the nation is being ripped apart over the issue of slavery, Grant marries into a slave-holding family and is forced to confront his own feelings about equality. As the country falls apart around him, Grant bounces from job to job, at one point selling firewood on the streets to buy food for his family. Just a few years later, this quiet, unassuming man is in command of a million men, and it is his ingenious strategy and bulldog determination that wins the Civil War, re-unifies the Nation and helps bring freedom to 4 million former slaves.

  Widely regarded as the greatest general of his generation, Grant is called to duty again to serve as president. In the face of huge obstacles, Grant reunifies a fractured nation, battles the KKK and emerges as a champion of civil rights and equality for all Americans. Grant’s meteoric rise is one of the unlikeliest stories in American history, but it wasn’t luck, it didn’t just happen by accident and it wasn’t easy. With gritty depictions of brutal battles, risky gambles, crushing setbacks and triumphant victories, Grant will take the viewer inside the moments that defined Grant and forever changed our nation.

Gettysburg National Military Park launches Virtual Tour of the battlefield

Gettysburg, PA – Gettysburg National Military Park is excited to announce the release of a new Virtual Tour.

This free virtual tour allows all visitors the opportunity to experience the battlefield, no matter where they are. This web-based tour provides an in-depth overview of the entire Battle of Gettysburg through 18 videos and follows the Auto Tour that encompasses much of the July 1-3, 1863 battlefield.

“I’m very proud of our staff for producing a timely and valuable virtual access for the public to visit the park. This new virtual tour will allow visitors to have an in-depth experience with knowledgeable Park Rangers at their fingertips.” said Superintendent Steven D. Sims.

Although this project took nearly four years to complete, the final public release came during National Park Week, from April 18-26, and coincided with the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic. “At a time when many of our employees, volunteers, and partners are unable to provide public programming, the park virtual tour is a great opportunity to experience the battlefield with a Park Ranger. Our education team is also using this virtual tour to help with their ongoing ‘At Home Civil War Lessons’ which provides educators an opportunity to expand their curriculums.” said Superintendent Sims.

The new Virtual Tour can be found on the Gettysburg National Military Park website at www.nps.gov/gett or at this link.

Jason Martz
Visual Information Specialist, Public Affairs Officer
Gettysburg National Military Park & Eisenhower National Historic Site