Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association
Encyclopedia
The Gettysburg Battlefield
Memorial Association (GBMA) was an historic preservation membership organization and is the eponym for the battlefield's memorial association era. The association was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
on April 13, 1864, after attorney David McConaughy
recommended on August 14, 1863, a preservation association to sell membership stock for battlefield fundraising.http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5CAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BP4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1064,3588203&dq=mcconaughy+cemetery-hill+gettysburg&hl=en McConaughy transferred his land acquired in 1863 to the GBMA, and the association's boardmembers were initially local officials. The GBMA sold stock to raise money, hired a superintendent at $1000/yr,http://books.google.com/books?id=3hxCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA157 added to McConaughy's land holdings, and operated a wooden observation tower
on East Cemetery Hill
from 1878–95.http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iXhbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IVENAAAAIBAJ&pg=7042,3905909&dq=zeigler+grove+tower+gettysburg&hl=en
The association granted few exceptions to their requirement for placing memorials only on established lines, e.g., the 1887 plaque commemorating Gen Armistead's farthest advance on July 3
and the 1884 2nd Maryland Infantry
monument on Culp's Hill
. In 1880, GBMA officers were Grand Army of the Republic
members from various states, by late 1882 GBMA funds were nearly exhausted, and by the 1890s the GBMA's roads were in disrepair.
authority to locate all Gettysburg monuments including those not on the small portion of battlefield land owned by the GBMA. In July 1888 the GBMA denied the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry
's request to place a statuary monument on the 72nd's private land
at The Angle
, a location previously approved by a commonwealth commission of 5 state officers. The GBMA then had the 72nd's Captain John Reed arrested on December 12, 1888, for trespass
ing after "he had started men at work laying a foundation for the [statuary] monument of the Seventy-second Regiment." In October 1889, Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association v. Seventy-second Pennsylvania Regiment heard testimony regarding the regiment's Pickett's Charge
location(s), and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
"reaffirmed" for the 72nd: "the Commonwealth … has the right to designate the position where any of her regiments specially distinguished themselves" (Justice Sterrett). Although at the July 4, 1891, statuary dedication Edward McPherson
accepted the monument for the GBMA, on August 25, the GBMA Executive Committee recommended a disclaimer marker be placed to indicate the GBMA had "no responsibility for the location of the monument as now placed".
In 1888, the association had trees planted in Zeigler's Grove
, and in 1889 and 1890, the GBMA disapproved John B. Bachelder
's idea for the 1892 High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument
before unanimously approving it in 1891.
steamtrain railroad right-of-way over the battlefield, the GBMA denied right-of-way on battlefield roads to the Gettysburg Electric Railway
in August 1891. The trolley line instead acquired right-of-way on Cumberland Twp
roads, and the GBMA lost a Pennsylvania claim to stop construction when the commonwealth Attorney General ruled in August 1893: "the right of owners of private property…cannot be disputed. …the line itself…has been chosen with a view of affording tourists the best possible means of visiting and viewing this great battlefield and doing the least possible injury to its natural conditions".
The federal Gettysburg Park Commission (GPC) was established by the United States Department of War
on March 3, 1893, for "ascertaining the extent of…the trolley", and former GBMA Superintendent of Tablets and Legends (1883–7), John B. Bachelder
, was 1 of the 3 federal commissioners. Federal acquisition of GBMA land that would become the 1895 Gettysburg National Military Park
began on June 7, 1893, with 9 monument tracts of 25 by 25 ft (7.6 by 7.6 m) each and a larger 10th lot of 1.2 acre (0.4856232 ha) from the GBMA, and on June 16, 1893, Bachelder submitted a complaint to the Secretary of War about railbed construction on private land. As recommended by the 72nd PA Infantry committee
in 1893 ("set aside spots right in the route of the trolley"); the GBMA filed an April 7, 1894, federal Bill in Equity to block trolley use over Hancock Avenue at the steamtrain crossing. After the GBMA's bill and one by the federal Attorney General were dismissed on June 20, 1894, federal legislation was passed to allow payment of the GBMA debts of $1960.46 for the War Department to acquire 124 GBMA tracts totalling 522 acre (211.2 ha) on February 4, 1896.
The monument memorializing the GBMA's effors was completed in 1908, the GBMA treasurer record was found in the Methodist Church archives in 1941, and in 1982, the 1872-1895 minutes of the GBMA Board of Directors were transcribed (computerized in 1997).
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
Memorial Association (GBMA) was an historic preservation membership organization and is the eponym for the battlefield's memorial association era. The association was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on April 13, 1864, after attorney David McConaughy
David McConaughy
David McConaughy was a noted attorney, cemetery president, and civic leader in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as well as a part-time intelligence officer for the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a driving force behind the creation of the Gettysburg National Cemetery following the Battle...
recommended on August 14, 1863, a preservation association to sell membership stock for battlefield fundraising.http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5CAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BP4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1064,3588203&dq=mcconaughy+cemetery-hill+gettysburg&hl=en McConaughy transferred his land acquired in 1863 to the GBMA, and the association's boardmembers were initially local officials. The GBMA sold stock to raise money, hired a superintendent at $1000/yr,http://books.google.com/books?id=3hxCAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA157 added to McConaughy's land holdings, and operated a wooden observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
on East Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill
Cemetery Hill is a Gettysburg Battlefield landform which had 1863 military engagements each day of the July 1–3 Battle of Gettysburg. The northernmost part of the Army of the Potomac defensive "fish-hook" line, the hill is gently sloped and provided a site for American Civil War artillery...
from 1878–95.http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iXhbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IVENAAAAIBAJ&pg=7042,3905909&dq=zeigler+grove+tower+gettysburg&hl=en
The association granted few exceptions to their requirement for placing memorials only on established lines, e.g., the 1887 plaque commemorating Gen Armistead's farthest advance on July 3
The Angle
The Angle is a Gettysburg Battlefield area which includes the 1863 Copse of Trees used as the target landmark for Pickett's Charge, the 1892 monument that marks the high-water mark of the Confederacy, and several other Battle of Gettysburg monuments...
and the 1884 2nd Maryland Infantry
2nd Maryland Infantry
The 2nd Maryland Infantry was an American military regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It should not be confused with the 2nd Maryland Infantry, CSA, which was composed of Maryland volunteers who fought for the Confederacy during the war....
monument on Culp's Hill
Culp's Hill
Culps Hill is a Battle of Gettysburg landform south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with a heavily wooded summit of . The east slope is to Rock Creek , 160 feet lower in elevation, and the west slope is to a saddle with Stevens Knoll with a summit lower than the Culps Hill summit...
. In 1880, GBMA officers were Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
members from various states, by late 1882 GBMA funds were nearly exhausted, and by the 1890s the GBMA's roads were in disrepair.
"72nd Penn'a Regiment Case"
After being chartered by the commonwealth, the GBMA subsequently claimed to have the exclusive zoningZoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
authority to locate all Gettysburg monuments including those not on the small portion of battlefield land owned by the GBMA. In July 1888 the GBMA denied the 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry
72nd Pennsylvania Infantry
The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the famous Philadelphia Brigade. They wore a very americanized zouave uniform...
's request to place a statuary monument on the 72nd's private land
72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument
"72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument" is the name of 2 American Civil War monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield: and a larger 1891 statuary memorial...
at The Angle
The Angle
The Angle is a Gettysburg Battlefield area which includes the 1863 Copse of Trees used as the target landmark for Pickett's Charge, the 1892 monument that marks the high-water mark of the Confederacy, and several other Battle of Gettysburg monuments...
, a location previously approved by a commonwealth commission of 5 state officers. The GBMA then had the 72nd's Captain John Reed arrested on December 12, 1888, for trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
ing after "he had started men at work laying a foundation for the [statuary] monument of the Seventy-second Regiment." In October 1889, Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association v. Seventy-second Pennsylvania Regiment heard testimony regarding the regiment's Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
location(s), and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
"reaffirmed" for the 72nd: "the Commonwealth … has the right to designate the position where any of her regiments specially distinguished themselves" (Justice Sterrett). Although at the July 4, 1891, statuary dedication Edward McPherson
Edward McPherson
Edward McPherson was a prominent Pennsylvania newspaperman, attorney, and United States Congressman. As a director of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association, he effected efforts to protect portions of the Gettysburg Battlefield.-Early life and career:McPherson was born in Gettysburg,...
accepted the monument for the GBMA, on August 25, the GBMA Executive Committee recommended a disclaimer marker be placed to indicate the GBMA had "no responsibility for the location of the monument as now placed".
In 1888, the association had trees planted in Zeigler's Grove
Zeigler's Grove
Zeigler's Grove is a Gettysburg Battlefield location that was the location of a wooden observation tower until the late 1890s and a Cope Truss tower until the 1960s; as well as both the demolished Electric Map building and the now closed Richard Neutra's Cyclorama Building that each served as the...
, and in 1889 and 1890, the GBMA disapproved John B. Bachelder
John B. Bachelder
John Badger Bachelder was a portrait and landscape painter, lithographer, and photographer, but best known as the preeminent 19th century historian of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War...
's idea for the 1892 High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument
High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument
The High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument identifies the Confederate units of Longstreet's assault on a large bronze scroll, as well as the Union's "respective troops who met or assisted to repulse Longstreet's Assault."...
before unanimously approving it in 1891.
Trolley case
After granting the 1884 Round Top BranchRound Top Branch
The Round Top Branch was an extension of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad from the Gettysburg borough across the Gettysburg Battlefield to Round Top, Pennsylvania...
steamtrain railroad right-of-way over the battlefield, the GBMA denied right-of-way on battlefield roads to the Gettysburg Electric Railway
Gettysburg Electric Railway
The Gettysburg Electric Railway was a borough trolley that provided summer access to Gettysburg Battlefield visitor attractions such as military engagement areas, monuments, postbellum camps, and recreation areas...
in August 1891. The trolley line instead acquired right-of-way on Cumberland Twp
Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania
Cumberland Township is a township in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,718 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
roads, and the GBMA lost a Pennsylvania claim to stop construction when the commonwealth Attorney General ruled in August 1893: "the right of owners of private property…cannot be disputed. …the line itself…has been chosen with a view of affording tourists the best possible means of visiting and viewing this great battlefield and doing the least possible injury to its natural conditions".
The federal Gettysburg Park Commission (GPC) was established by the United States Department of War
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...
on March 3, 1893, for "ascertaining the extent of…the trolley", and former GBMA Superintendent of Tablets and Legends (1883–7), John B. Bachelder
John B. Bachelder
John Badger Bachelder was a portrait and landscape painter, lithographer, and photographer, but best known as the preeminent 19th century historian of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War...
, was 1 of the 3 federal commissioners. Federal acquisition of GBMA land that would become the 1895 Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery...
began on June 7, 1893, with 9 monument tracts of 25 by 25 ft (7.6 by 7.6 m) each and a larger 10th lot of 1.2 acre (0.4856232 ha) from the GBMA, and on June 16, 1893, Bachelder submitted a complaint to the Secretary of War about railbed construction on private land. As recommended by the 72nd PA Infantry committee
72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument
"72nd Pennsylvania Infantry Monument" is the name of 2 American Civil War monuments on the Gettysburg Battlefield: and a larger 1891 statuary memorial...
in 1893 ("set aside spots right in the route of the trolley"); the GBMA filed an April 7, 1894, federal Bill in Equity to block trolley use over Hancock Avenue at the steamtrain crossing. After the GBMA's bill and one by the federal Attorney General were dismissed on June 20, 1894, federal legislation was passed to allow payment of the GBMA debts of $1960.46 for the War Department to acquire 124 GBMA tracts totalling 522 acre (211.2 ha) on February 4, 1896.
End of the era
In 1894, a committee was appointed to inquire into the feasibility of transferring the remaining GBMA property to the US government, and the GBMA's last meeting was May 22, 1895.http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=7_FrD3gH8REC&dat=19460523&printsec=frontpage&hl=en After the GBMA had expended over $680,000, the 320 monuments and ~17 miles of roads at the end of the memorial association era were substantially increased during the 1895-1927 Gettysburg Battlefield commemorative era.The monument memorializing the GBMA's effors was completed in 1908, the GBMA treasurer record was found in the Methodist Church archives in 1941, and in 1982, the 1872-1895 minutes of the GBMA Board of Directors were transcribed (computerized in 1997).