Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
"The Great Peace Jubilee"
Photographed by F. Robby, May 11, 2009
1. "The Great Peace Jubilee" Marker
On July 1-4, 1913, the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg was celebrated with the first joint 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 huge encampment of 6,600 tents, spread over 280 acres, was erected to hyour and feed them.
The "grand reunion" attracted press correspondents from all over the nation and Europe, and 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 extreme of the encampment. In the end they agreed to a future joint reunion.
The correspondent for the London Times summed
this page online
All photos courtesy Gettysburg National Military Park archives. Veterans camp map courtesy Gerald Bennett.
[Captions:]
Map of the Great Camp, showing where veteran guests from each state were located.
Old foes meet on the steps of the Eagle Hotel.
President Woodrow Wilson attends the 50th reunion.
Baking bread in wood-fired ovens.
Blankets for the vetans camps.
A Pennsylvania Department of Health ambulance.
Hands across the wall, North and South greeting.
Erected by Main Street Gettysburg.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Peace • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #28 Woodrow Wilson series list. A significant historical month for this entry is July 1820.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 49.198′ N, 77° 14.06′ W. Marker
Photographed by F. Robby, May 11, 2009
2. "The Great Peace Jubilee" Marker
Regionally, this marker was in South-Central Pennsylvania. It was also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found 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 location: The Grand Reunion (here, next to 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); The Last Line-of-Duty Deaths on Gettysburg Battlefield (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Second Brigade (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gettysburg.
Other markers no longer nearby. "Four score and seven…" (was within shouting distance of 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).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker.
Also see . . .
1. 1913 Gettysburg reunion. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on April 1, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Peace Jubilee Marker in Manassas, Virginia. The marker on this page indicates this 1913 event was the first jointly-attended Peace Jubilee. However, the marker at this link indicates the first was held in 1911 in Manassas, VA, where President Taft was a featured speaker. (Submitted on December 15, 2009, by Thomas Madden of Manassas, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2009, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,284 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 16, 2009, by F. Robby of Baltimore, Maryland.
