Excerpt from Revised Report Made to the Legislature of Pennsylvania, Relative to the Soldiers' National Cemetery, at Gettysburg: Embracing an Account of the Origin of the Undertaking; Address of Hon. Edward Everett, at Its Consecration, With the Dedicatory Speech of President Lincoln, and the Other Exercises of That Event After the battle of Gettysburg, in which loyal volunteers from eighteen States, including Pennsylvania, were engaged, it ap peared to me proper that all those States should unite in estab lishing a Cemetery, on the spot in which their soldiers who had fallen in that conflict, should be honorably interred. I accord ingly appointed david wills, Esq., of Gettysburg, my agent, and through him, a site was purchased at a cost of 5 87, and the conveyances made to the Commonwealth. On communicat in g with the authorities of the other States, they all readily agr'eed to become parties to the arrangement, and on the 19th day of No vember last, the Cemetery was dedicated, with appropriate cere monies, in the presence of the President of the United States, the Governors of the States concerned, and other high Oficers, State and Natipnal. On the 19th day of December, on the invitation of Mr. Wills, commissioners representing the States interested in the Cemetery, met in Harrisburg, and agreed upon a plan for its improvement and care in the future, and the apportionment of the sum of money required, to the several States, which is here with communicated. The expenses attending the establishment of this Cemetery, including the cost of the site and of removing the bodies of the slain, have thus far amounted to 38, and an appropriation will be required to pay these expenses, and to meet our portion of those attending its future maintenance. It will appear by the proceedings of the commissioners, that their due proportion of the expenses already incurred, are to be refunded by the States on whose account they were made. It is just to say, that Mr. Wills has discharged his delicate and important duties with fidelity and to my entire satisfaction. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.