{"id":1639,"date":"2013-07-01T04:14:00","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T04:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1639"},"modified":"2014-12-24T17:10:47","modified_gmt":"2014-12-24T17:10:47","slug":"former-enemies-come-together-at-gettysburg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/07\/01\/former-enemies-come-together-at-gettysburg\/","title":{"rendered":"Former enemies come together at Gettysburg"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"Maj. <\/a>
Maj. Meicajar Weiss, of Beaver Brook, NY, was the oldest to attend. He listed his age as 112. Youngest was Col. J.L. Clem, 61. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Gen. <\/a>
Gen. Dan Sickles, who lost a leg at Gettysburg, arrived in a wheelchair. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Secretary <\/a>
Secretary of War Lindley M. Garrison with veterans from the North and South. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Former <\/a>
Former enemies trade stories in camp. (Photo credit: Unknown) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Pittsburgh <\/a>
Pittsburgh Press coverage of the event. <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

The white-haired men came together with the enthusiasm of young boys on a vacation, according to an account in The Pittsburgh Press. They laughed with giddy abandon, flung their arms around each other and made silly jokes.<\/p>\n

But as the sun began to set, the men remembered they were old. They remembered how, as young men, they had tried to kill each other on the very ground on which they stood now. They remembered the dying and the suffering, the courage and cowardice. The men then grew somber and talked in whispered tones.<\/p>\n

A century ago this week, veterans who\u2019d fought in the greatest battle ever waged on this continent gathered to commemorate the event\u2019s 50th anniversary. Thousands of old soldiers descended on Gettysburg. At first, they overwhelmed the small town and the government\u2019s efforts to care for them. Stooped men exhausted by long train journeys hobbled from camp to camp, looking for places to rest, only to discover all tents were occupied. Many could find nothing to eat. The heat was merciless. During the gathering, nine died from heat exhaustion and heart ailments.<\/p>\n

But these were men accustomed to hardship. They\u2019d survived the battle, the war and the half century that had passed since then. Now in their final years of life, they were determined to see this thing through. They knew it would be the last great gathering of those with memories of the horrors unleashed in places such as Little Round Top, Devil\u2019s Den, Culp\u2019s Hill and the Wheatfield.<\/p>\n

Over the next few days, these former enemies tottered arm-in-arm over the fighting ground, pointing out the locations of regiments and brigades, sharing stories and memories. \u201cBrother,\u201d they called each other. Blue and gray.<\/p>\n

In time, death would take them all. But they would leave behind proof that men once charged with destroying each other could, years later, achieve not just forgiveness, but something close to grace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about the Gettysburg battle in a PG special interactive presentation.<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(Top picture: Survivors of Pickett\u2019s Charge reenact the event)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They laughed with giddy abandon, flung their arms around each other and made silly jokes.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesFormer enemies come together at Gettysburg<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1640,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[948],"tags":[955,1048],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/tumblr_mp2f7p0AKX1rr5swxo2_1280.jpg?fit=1080%2C567&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1634,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/07\/03\/at-gettysburg-it-was-horrible-horrible-horrible\/","url_meta":{"origin":1639,"position":0},"title":"At Gettysburg, ‘it was horrible-horrible-horrible’","date":"July 3, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"The letter, written in precise script, is now held at the Heinz History Center\u2019s Detre Library and Archives.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/tumblr_mp2tppoylI1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C821&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2147,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/01\/11\/may-2-1932-the-trial-of-pittsburgh-mayor\/","url_meta":{"origin":1639,"position":1},"title":"The trial of Pittsburgh Mayor Charles Kline","date":"January 11, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Charles Kline (he\u2019s the one smoking the cigarette) can be remembered for many things.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-12.04.12-AM.png?fit=1200%2C571&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7656,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2017\/05\/25\/willie-stargell-fun-father-of-the-family\/","url_meta":{"origin":1639,"position":2},"title":"Willie Stargell, fun father of The Family","date":"May 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Now there's a squabble over the auction of Pops' memorabilia.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Pena1982-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C831&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/11\/26\/black-fridays-of-the-past-long-before-macys-and\/","url_meta":{"origin":1639,"position":3},"title":"Black Fridays of the past","date":"November 26, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Black Fridays of the past, based on the photos we found, looked suspiciously civilized.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/tumblr_nfmdszhT4a1rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C703&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":535,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2014\/06\/23\/the-freedom-trains-journey-through-pennsylvania\/","url_meta":{"origin":1639,"position":4},"title":"The Freedom Train\u2019s journey through Pennsylvania","date":"June 23, 2014","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Fifty-two railroads shared the task of taking the Freedom Train on its 33,000-mile journey.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/tumblr_n7dqfdKlMq1rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C969&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8227,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2017\/10\/18\/the-ku-klux-klan-and-a-family-photo-album\/","url_meta":{"origin":1639,"position":5},"title":"The Ku Klux Klan and a family photo album","date":"October 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"During a visit to his parent\u2019s home in Bridgeville this past summer, Paul Ludwick sat in a living room and pulled open the worn cover of an overstuffed photo album. 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