April 08, 2015

** This blog now published Mondays and Wednesdays **

My family and I are creatures of habit, which explains why, nearly every time for the past decade or so, we turn left when coming off Stevens Knoll from Culp’s Hill instead of turning right onto Wainwright Avenue. For some reason we decided to go right this time. Did you know there’s another spring on the Gettysburg battlefield besides Spangler’s? I’d heard of it, but I’d never seen it . . . and right there it was, situated in the sloping meadows that roll into East Cemetery Hill.

The biggest difference between Menchey’s and Spangler’s springs is that Menchey’s is still open, and still flows much as it did in 1863. A new Gettysburg website I just discovered (gettysburglocal.blogspot.com) says that human remains were discovered here in 1915 and were determined to be that of a soldier from New York. The spring was documented as having been used by Union troops during the battle.

**HONORED TODAY**

2ND LT. JACQUES SEPTIME VAY

Co. A, 8th Louisiana Infantry

Born August 08, 1842 --- Died July 02, 1863

2nd Lt. Vay was born to an Italian father and a Louisiana-born mother of French ancestry. He used the Anglicized name “James” and was a clerk in Baton Rouge before the war; he enlisted in June 1861. His duties included working as General Court Martial Clerk in the last months of 1862.He was killed at Gettysburg on the second day of battle, likely during the assault on East Cemetery Hill.

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