Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Grand Reunion
"…not the Celebration of a Battle, but the Reunion of a Nation…"
On July 1-4, 1913, the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg was commemorated with the first major reunion for all Union and Confederate veterans, many of whom fought here in 1863.
53,407 veterans attended: 44,713 Union and 8,694 Confederate. A massive encampment of 6,600 tents, spread over 280 acres, was constructed to house and feed them. The "grand reunion" attracted press correspondents from all over the nation and Europe, along with more than 100,000 visitors.
It was anticipated that the event would be, "…not the Celebration of a Battle, but the Reunion of a Nation…" The voluntary meeting of so large a contingent of old foes at the most revered battle site of the war was seen to demonstrate "that the last embers of the former days had been wiped out…and…there should be proclaimed a new… national brotherhood…"
The old foes readily fraternized in the camp, on jaunts around the battlefield and during the formal events and speeches held in "the great tent" set up at the southern edge of the encampment. In the end, they agreed to a future joint reunion.
The correspondent for the London Times summed
this page online
Map courtesy of Gerald Bennett
Blankets for veterans' camps
Baking bread in the wood-fired ovens
A Pennsylvania Department of Health Ambulance
Union veteran
Old foes meet on the steps of the Eagle Hotel.
President Woodrow Wilson attended the 50th reunion.
Hands across the wall: North and South greet each other.
Erected 2024 by Main Street Gettysburg. (Marker Number 48.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Peace • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is July 1, 1913.
Location. 39° 49.2′ N, 77° 14.056′ W. Marker is in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. It is on Steinwehr Avenue (Business U.S. 15) south of Queen
Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Gold Star Mothers Memorial (a few steps from this marker); A Tale of Two Brothers (a few steps from this marker); Culp Brothers Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Better Than a Tent (a few steps from this marker); The Duttera House (within shouting distance of this marker); Second Brigade (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); July 1, 1863 (about 400 feet away); The Last Line-of-Duty Deaths on Gettysburg Battlefield (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.
Other markers no longer nearby. "The Great Peace Jubilee" (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Better Than a Tent… (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); "Four score and seven…" (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 11, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
