Martinsburg Dedicates Memorial to Gettysburg Veterans

On Nov. 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, and noted orator Edward Everett, spoke at a ceremony dedicating a portion of the Gettysburg battlefield as the final resting place for those who perished in the three days of fighting that previous summer.

Lincoln's 272-word speech took around two minutes to deliver while Everett spoke for nearly two hours, and when both were done, they left behind a permanent memorial frozen in time, one that would be visited throughout the generations, ensuring that those who died in battle would never be forgotten.

On Saturday afternoon, Oct. 9, another speech dedicating a memorial to those who fought the battle of Gettysburg was given in Martinsburg. While Randy Stoltz' speech exceeded Lincoln's in length and time and fell far short of Everett's 120 minutes, Stoltz's words, like Lincoln's and Everett's, marked the opening of a sacred place of remembrance.

Stoltz was the driving force behind the Morrisons Cove Gettysburg Memorial, a six-foot tall black marble tribute to the 70 men from the Cove who fought in the battle of Gettysburg.

For Stoltz, a Civil War historian, the dedication of the memorial completes two years and countless hours of work.

"To finally get to this day is very gratifying," Stoltz said.

While more than 1,000 Cove men fought in the war, the monument that stands in front of Morrisons Cove Memorial Park is dedicated specifically to the 70 who found themselves in Gettysburg on July 1, 1863.

The battle claimed the lives of 3,155 union soldiers, two of whom came from the Cove.

Saturday's ceremony was attended by nearly 200 people. Proof, Stoltz said, that people not only appreciate the history of the area, but also have a respect for the soldiers that time can't diminish.

"I am very pleased with the turnout," Stoltz said. "It shows how much people appreciate the sacrifices made by those who came before us."

Martinsburg Mayor Richard Brantner said Stoltz's efforts have cemented a permanent place to honor the past, ensuring the names on the monument will be remembered throughout future generations.

"It is an honor to be here today to honor these brave men from the Cove," Brantner said.

For Stoltz, preserving history is an important way not only to honor the past, but to also learn from it.

"At a time when Civil War monuments are being removed from public places, it is gratifying to see one going up," he said. "They teach us about the past and help us learn from our mistakes."

Nearly 160 years and 90 miles separate the Martinsburg of today from the Gettysburg of yesterday, but the two eras connected on Saturday with the names of long-gone soldiers from the Cove etched in the black marble, ensuring that every time a visitor reads those names, they will not have died in vain.