Civil War Veterans Come Together One Last Time at Gettysburg, 1938

By | May 6, 2017

In 1938, Civil War veterans gathered together for the Battle of Gettysburg's 75th anniversary. The gathering included approximately 25 Gettysburg battle veterans and had totals of 1,359 Federal and 486 Confederate attendees of the 8,000 remaining war veterans. The veterans averaged 94 years of age.

Transportation, quarters, and subsistence was federally funded for each and their attendant, who the veterans were instructed to bring (an attendant, e.g., a Boy Scout, was provided if needed).

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's July 3 reunion address preceded the unveiling of the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, and a newsreel with part of the address was included in the Westinghouse Time Capsule for the 1939 New York World's Fair.