Evergreen Cemetery (Adams County, Pennsylvania)

For the notable interments in this cemetery, see Evergreen Cemetery burials.

Evergreen Cemetery (Adams County, Pennsylvania)
Citizen's Cemetery
256px Six Parrott rifled cannons of the Fifth New York Light Artillery were positioned inside Evergreen Cemetery during the Battle of Gettysburg. The Soldiers' National Monument, inside the adjacent National Cemetery, appears at the top center.
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Adams
Township	Cumberland
Part of	Gettysburg Battlefield
Borders on	4  - E: Baltimore Pike  - SSE: motel  - S & SW: Gettysburg National Military Park  - NW & N: Gettysburg National Cemetery
Historic District Nearest town	Gettysburg (75000155) Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Location	799 Baltimore Pike
- coordinates
Original area Current area	17.65 acres (7.1 ha) 0 acres (0 ha)
Incorporated	1854 March 3
- Gatehouse	1855
- Lodge	1885
- Expansion
- ACW memorials	1901: Jennie Wade 1904: John L. Burns 2002: Women's Memorial
Presidents	1854: David McConaughy 1869: J. L. Schick 1880: Robt. G. McCreary 1885: Dr. J. A. Swope …
Keepers, Caretakers, & Superintendents	1862: Peter Thorn 1863: Elizabeth Thorn 1973: Howard Kitzmiller 1980: Arthur L. Kennell 1991: Brian Kennell
Find A Grave CRid	44774 (19 famous interments)

Evergreen Cemetery is a 29.12 acre, private, historic, rural cemetery on a ridge in Gettysburg Borough and Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania. Founded nine years before the Battle of Gettysburg and the adjacent Soldiers' National Cemetery, Evergreen became the eponym for Cemetery Hill, a landform most noted as the keystone of the Union position during the epic Battle. While giving the dedication address in 1854, Reverend John H.C. Dosh asked about the Cemetery, then known as Ever Green, "Could a more lovely spot have been chosen?"

Contributing ground to an "inevitable artillery platform" and receiving Confederate artillery fire in return, Evergreen experienced three days as battlefield, and its temporary condition inspired a Union officer to lament: "A beautiful cemetery it was, but now is trodden down, laid a waste, desecrated. The fences are all down, the many graves have been run over, beautiful lots with iron fences and splendid monuments have been destroyed or soiled, and our infantry and artillery occupy those sacred grounds where the dead are sleeping. It is enough to make one mourn." Four and a half months later, the Gettysburg Address was delivered from a platform in Evergreen Cemetery.

History

File:Evercemadams battle july2.JPG

Immediately after a counter-attack at 'double-quick' by Carroll's "Gibraltar Brigade", Early's assault on East Cemetery Hill ended.

  Evergreen Cemetery

  Union artillery

  Union infantry

Following a November 29, 1853, meeting to establish the Evergreen Cemetery Association of Gettysburg, the members' 1st payments were due April 3, 1854. Opening ceremonies on November 7, 1854, included the "Sale of Lots" (118) after the 1st interment on October 29. The association managed the property and oversaw selection of its caretakers (the gatehouse was the caretaker residence.)

During the Battle of Gettysburg, "Federal soldiers in the Cemetery laid many of the tombstones on the ground" to limit damage, and some of the XI Corps batteries and infantry used the grave monuments "for shelter from the enemy's fire". Two Confederates mortally wounded during the battle were buried in Evergreen cemetery, and the speaker's platform that was used by President Abraham Lincoln to deliver his Gettysburg Address at the Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg was located on the grounds of the Evergreen Cemetery. From 1893 to 1916, the Gettysburg Electric Railway operated along the east and south of the cemetery. After the trolley railway was razed in 1917, Evergreen Cemetery expanded southward.

In 1972, the "Evergreen Cemetery archway house" was designated an historic district contributing structure by the Gettysburg council (1 of 38 outside of the borough). Civilian remains in 1992 at the site of the 1804 Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church cemetery were reinterred at Evergreen Cemetery.

Photo Gallery

• Evercemadams gatehouse.jpg

  Gatehouse

• 

  The only published photographic analysis places the site of the platform for the Gettysburg Address at the graves of George Kitzmiller, Israel Yount and John Koch.

• 

  Ginnie Wade, lone civilian casualty of the Battle of Gettysburg

• Evercemadams burns.jpg

  John L. Burns, geriatric civilian combatant at the Battle of Gettysburg

• Evercemadams culp.jpg

  Esaias Jesse Culp's headstone shows battle damage.

• Evercemadams huber.jpg

  Frederick Huber's headstone shows battle damage.

• Evercemadams maurey.jpg

  Maurey headstone shows battle damage.

• Evercemadams mcpherson.jpg

  McPherson's obelisk was laid over by Union troops.

• Evercemadams smyser.jpg

  Smyser's obelisk was laid over by Union troops.

• Evercemadms battcas usa.jpg

  Some 69 Union battle casualties remain permanently.

• Evercemadms battcas csa.jpg

  Confederate casualty cenotaphs. Due to local outrage, the remains were re-located to unmarked locations.

• Evercemadams thorns.jpg

  At six months pregnant, Elizabeth Thorn acted as caretaker in her husband's absence and buried more than 100 casualties. Peter Thorn served in the 138th PA Volunteers.

• Evercemadams wills.jpg

  David Wills organized and executed the adjacent National Cemetery.

• Evercemadams gh w cannons.jpg

  Stewart's Battery straddled the Baltimore Pike, just north of the Gatehouse.

External links

• Evergreen Cemetery Tour is a seventeen-part, comprehensive, audio-visual introduction to this subject by Debra A. Novotny, who has served both as a Licensed Battlefield Guide and as a boardmember of the Evergreen Cemetery Association.