The Development of the National Cemetery

 

_____________ _____________ Year 1869 (Washington, 1870), pp. 175-176. Soldiers' National Cemetery to the gatehouse was to have the identical pattern fencing. Close examination of photographs taken of the gatehouse and cemeteries from the East Cemetery Hill observation tower in or about 1878 reveals the same style of fencing as that erected by Wills in 1865 for the Soldiers' National Cemetery. The iron gates of the Evergreen Cemetery, however, were much simpler and smaller. This fencing was, in reality, exactly like that put up by the Soldiers' National Cemetery corporation, because it was executed also by the corporation. The directors of that corporation were approached by representatives of the Evergreen Cemetery Association at their meeting in the early summer of 1865, with a request that they extend the iron fence along the Baltimore Pike as far as the Evergreen brick gatehouse. The argument presented by Evergreen was that the continuous and identical iron fence would serve the purpose of "thus greatly improving the front appearance" of the Soldiers' National Cemetery.5 The directors regarded the proposition favorably and referred it to their executive committee for appropriate action. _____________ _____________ state's use as a soldiers' cemetery. Because of the conflict of personalities and mutual suspicion by both men, mediation was drastically needed. Other influential men of the town, who "felt a most deep interest in the matter," 10 stepped in to resolve the differences. _____________ Wills accepted this condition and the transaction was made for the State to acquire the acreage.13 _____________ but postal delays prevented Saunders from receiving his invitation and from arriving in Gettysburg until after the transaction was completed. Wills did show the grounds to Saunders, who was "pleased" with the site, but saw room for improvement. He felt that the frontage along the Baltimore Pike was not sufficient for an entrance and primary viewing and access (being only 150 feet), and urged Wills to purchase more frontage there, eventually doubling the line along the Baltimore Pike entrance to 300 feet. In addition, he saw the site as too "angular" and convinced Wills to buy more ground for "straitening out [these] other lines." 16 _____________ _____________
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shrubbery would be planted intermittently along the fence, which would mature, grow together, and form a hedge.23

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