Gettysburg witness in critical condition

Believe it or not, even though the Battle of Gettysburg was fought way back in July 1863--145 years ago--there are still a handful of living witnesses in the area.

Of course, they're not of the human variety.

They're all trees.

Anyway, one of them was severely damaged in a storm last Thursday night, and experts are offering a pretty grim prognosis.

The honey locust in question stood on Cemetery Hill at the right of the Union lines during the high water mark of the Confederacy, bearing silent witness to the carnage of the three-days of fighting.

Then, too, it stood just 150 feet from the platform where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.

It's amazing that a living thing that bore witness to two great moments in American history survived into the 21st century, and its loss should be felt by all ye socks with any appreciation for the past.