Witness Stump A

How to Find Witness Stump A

This witness tree stump stands just a few feet in front of the cast iron tablet for the Purcell Artillery, whose guns can be found just to the south of those of the Letcher Artillery.

Stump A

This 205-year-old witness tree, a white oak, had been slowly dying since the summer of 2023. The NPS finally had the tree removed on September 10, 2024. 

The stump, however, remains. I counted at least 205 rings on the stump, which means the tree was 205 years old, at a minimum. We can tell from the rings that the tree was 6 inches in diameter at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg.

<–go to Witness Tree 01               go to Witness Tree 02 –>

Then-and-Now Comparison

Witness Tree A appeared in a 1902 William Tipton photograph, together with its nearby mate Witness Tree 02. I included this photograph in my June 2024 publication – before Tree A was felled – A Field Guide to the Witness Trees of Pickett’s Charge, in which I estimated that Tree A, a rather smallish white oak, with its diameter of but 28.5 inches, was 200 years old.

It turns out my reckoning was quite accurate, the stump revealing at least 205 rings.

Other Photos: Tree A Before it was Felled

These photos from the summer of 2024 clearly show that Tree A was on its last legs. Even after it was completely dead, it could have stood for years before nature would blown it down in a storm.                <–go to Witness Tree 01               go to Witness Tree 02 –>

September 10, 2024: The Removal of Tree A and the Remaining Stump

During the summer, the NPS marked the trunk of the tree with a large, orange, spray-painted dot, to indicate that it is destined to be cut down. Each pin in the third photo represents 10 rings, or years.