LEAT CHAMBERSBURG

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 9, 20 June 1884, Page 5

L E AT CHAMBERSBURG

SS i \h EE ' a3 sat upon his horse in the public sqnaieof our town, looked every inch a soldier. He was at that time about fifty, two years of age, stout built, of medium height, hair strongly mixed with gray and a rough gray beard. He wore the Confederate gray e °T me -S-* at L Ol i aboutthecollarof his coat > which dlsig. thin t hi % a batwas a soft black, without ornament othfr than the chord around the crown. Anyone who had ever seen his ESS r° UU H ld haV 180l B 0 ? ffiC u Ulty iQ Bin e llD S him out »» * crowd £b seemed to have not only the most profound respect of his menofficers and priyates-but their admiration and love. The men com, posing his staff were a splendid-looking body. Finely mounted, neatly dressed and excellent in horsemlnship, they presented an mSSSF* Wh ° witnessed ifc wil * be uUy ever to r£ n tnnH G T eral fJ Jee M ele ? te i for hi 9 nead q«arters a grove which r then stood along the pike leading to Gettysburg, near the eastern edge of I^lX 11 ' -^u? 1^ k , nown as "^better's Woods," but afterwards «h« i ';r mi . ths W °° ds >" afcer thelate George ß. Messsrsmitb, Esq.. who at the time referred to owned it. It was for many years the place where picnics and Fourth of July celebrations were held. The Centennial Anniversary of American Independence, on July 4, 1876, was held there. The grove has recently been cut down, and the fei 8 wV« U * vated field - Jt w «* * beautiful location, and from JJiiday, June 26. to Tuesday morning, 30th, General Lee and his staff tamed there There he held his councils of war, there he received reports from the various parts of his vast army and there he planned and ordered an attack on the capital of our State, and there on the night of Monday, 29th when Longstreefs scout brought information i?aJ?i°? Of the Atm y° £ the Stomach! recalled that order and decided to cross the South Mountain and fight a battle