Gettysburg’s Wills House: David Wills’ Law Office Part 2
June 4, 2009
An original broadside requesting bids for the removal of the bodies of United States’ soldiers to the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. The winning bid was $1.59 per body. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
We continue our tour of the interior of the Wills House by viewing the east wall of David Will’s Law Office. The office doesn’t have much in floor displays, but the displays on the east wall are interesting.
We are concluding our visit to the first floor of the David Wills House. Today we’re in Judge David Wills’ Law Office, which is labeled “Gallery Two, David Wills’ Law Office.” This map is from the Wills House brochure which was scanned while we were facing south at approximately 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
David Wills’ Law Office is a space with few displays. The far (east) wall has some interesting displays, however. There are three displays on the east wall. We will begin today’s tour with the display on the left. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The heading for the left display on the east wall of David Wills’ Law Office. Edward Everett, a former Governor of Massachusetts, President of Harvard University, and Secretary of State in the Millard Fillmore administration was to be the primary speaker at the dedication ceremonies. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 1:30 PM on Tuesday, February 17, 2009.
Here is the left display on the east wall. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
This is a commission from Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin to David Wills… This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
…designating Wills as Curtin’s official agent… This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
… to facilitate the creation of the National Cemetery. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The other item in this display is a letter from Edward Everett to David Wills on October 2, 1863. Wills had invited Edward Everett to make the dedicatory speech at the National Cemetery on October 23, 1863. In this letter, Everett replied that he would like to make the speech, but that he could not do so before November 19, 1863. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The center display on the east wall also contains two items. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The first letter dated either October 4, 1863 or October 7, 1863 contains Pennsylvania Governor Curtin’s request to David Wills to help a gentleman find the remains of a member of the 1st Minnesota Infantry regiment. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The second letter in the middle display is from Captain A.G. Feather of the 138th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment. It is dated November 20, 1863. Feather is asking Wills to recommend to Governor Curtin, Feather’s promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
The right display on the east wall. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
In the display case we have already showed you the large broadside in the first photo for today’s segment. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
This December 15, 1863 from Edward Everett to David Wills discusses the introduction for a book containing Edward Everett’s Gettysburg Address. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
This is a letter of December 8, 1863 from David Wills to Isaac Fisher of Bridgeville, Delaware. Fisher’s son, William Fisher, was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863 while serving as an officer in the 10th United States Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
In our next Wills House post we’ll exit the law office, and come out the parlor which is the door on the left at the bottom of the stairs. We will then enter the center hallway and actually make our way to the second floor. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday, February 18, 2009.
See the following related posts:
Gettysburg’s Wills House: David Wills’ Law Office Part 1 on May 15, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House Parlor: The South Wall on May 2, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House Parlor: The West Wall on April 23, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: The Other Middle Display on March 19, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: The Misleading, Mislabeled Diorama on March 10, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Wills Parlor North Wall on March 7, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Wills Parlor East Wall on March 2, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Entrance and Ticketing Information Area on February 20, 2009.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: Another Exterior View on February 18, 2009.
Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 18, 1863: 145 Years Ago This Evening on November 18, 2008.
Gettysburg’s Wills House: White Stenciling Completed on West Side on November 5, 2008.
Stenciling, railing, steps, and shutters of the Wills House on October 31, 2008.
Stenciling progressing well on the west side of the Wills House on October 28, 2008.
Completion of the white stenciling on the north side of the Wills House on October 21, 2008.
White stenciling appearing on the north side of the Wills House on October 14, 2008.
Wills House needs a new manager on September 12, 2008.
First coat of red paint completely covering the north side of the Wills House on September 4, 2008.
Red paint beginning to cover the north side of the Wills House on September 3, 2008.
Only the west side of the Wills House still had red paint on August 19, 2008.
West side of the Wills House started to be painted red on August 13, 2008.
Wills House’s sidewalk construction on July 21, 2008.
The Gettysburg Railroad Station on March 6, 2008.
