Gettysburg's "witness tree" has fallen due to a recent severe storm. This tree "witnessed" both the battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "On Thursday (August 7) afternoon, a honey locust tree that had stood as one of the last living testaments to the Battle of Gettysburg cracked in a storm and crashed to earth." Read the Inquirer article.
This was reported by the AP on June 25:"Illinois' original manuscript of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address will be back on display next month at the Civil War president's library in Springfield."
"The copy will be displayed on July 1, one year after it was removed from public viewing. It will remain on view until August 20."
"The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum rotates its collection of Lincoln artifacts so several are on display while others are under lock and key."
"Library officials say historical materials such as the Gettysburg Address stay in better condition if they are allowed to rest in a controlled environment rather than remain on constant display."
"There are five original handwritten copies of the Gettysburg Address. Illinois obtained a copy in 1943 through the contribution of pennies by children, plus a donation by Marshall Field III."
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