April 26, 2017

** This blog published Mondays and Wednesdays **

This monument to Company K of the 1^ST Pennsylvania Reserves (30^TH Infantry) is located near Lincoln Square. The men of that particular company were locally-recruited, and some had the misfortune of fighting a battle in their own hometown. One Company K man, Pvt. William McGrew of Mummasburg, was mortally wounded during the fight. He died of his injuries on the 26^TH of July and was later buried in what would become Gettysburg’s Soldiers National Cemetery. As is easy to tell, this monument is fairly new, and is somehow easily missed unless you’re walking rather than driving.

**HONORED TODAY**

CPT. EDWARD ANTONIESKI

 

Born c. 1826 --- Died July 1863 at age 37

Co. A, 58^TH New York Infantry

Cpt. Antonieski enlisted in May 1863 and was thrown right into the fray, receiving a mortal wound in the right leg at Gettysburg and dying either on the 15^TH or the 25^TH in a Baltimore hospital. He was married to Julia and appears to have been childless. Cpt. Antonieski was buried at Mitchell City Cemetery in Mitchell, Indiana. A photo can be found here.

(c) 2012-2017 Skies of Blue and Gray

April 24, 2017

** This blog published Mondays and Wednesdays **

Thanks to the complete historical renovation of this site, the view from the Mary Thompson house (Gen. Lee’s headquarters) is much more in line with how it would have appeared in 1863. There’s nothing to be done about the modern road, the modern vehicles, and the modern traffic lights, however. I do wonder if the Thompsons ever walked along Chambersburg Pike to visit their neighbors the Slentz family (tenant farmers residing on Edward McPherson’s property). You can see that it wouldn’t be a very long way to walk, as the McPherson barn is visible at center left. On a calm day and without the noise of traffic to which our modern ears are accustomed, they could probably hear each other shout, even if they couldn’t make out the words.

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. LEVI MORELAND

Born 1838 --- Died July 03, 1863 at age 25

Co. C, 33^RD Virginia Infantry

Pvt. Moreland enlisted in April 1861 and was described as being 6’ tall with blue eyes and dark hair. His place of burial is currently unknown. A brother, William, was killed in June 1862 in the battle of Gaines’ Mill.

(c) 2012-2017 Skies of Blue and Gray

April 19, 2017

** This blog published Mondays and Wednesdays **

This dapper gentleman stands atop a monument to Pennsylvania Batteries C & F in the infamous Peach Orchard, keeping a silent vigil for over 120 years. The Peach Orchard is one of those places I’ve only begun exploring in detail in the past few years, and there’s certainly a lot of information to discover. I’ve been unable to determine the identity of the man used as a model, but have heard that in some cases, battlefields monuments depict actual battle casualties or veterans of the units they represent.

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HARTLEY

Born 1836 --- Died July 17, 1863 at age 27

 

Co. E, 75^TH Ohio Infantry

Pvt. Hartley enlisted in August 1862 and was a coal miner in civilian life. He was married to Margaret and together they had two children, William born in 1860 and Sedalia or Sedelia born in 1861. Records show that he “suffered a compound fracture of the lower third of the right leg on July 1”, an injury from which he never recovered. He's buried at Gettysburg’s National Cemetery.

(c) 2012-2017 Skies of Blue and Gray

April 17, 2017

** This blog published Mondays and Wednesdays **

There are some monuments in Gettysburg which have always touched my heart, not because they’re particularly big or grand or beautiful but because there’s something about their aestheticism that I like. The 147^TH Pennsylvania Infantry monument on Culp’s Hill across from Pardee Field is one of these. This particular photo really captures the appeal of Gettysburg in the spring, I think . . .still few enough leaves on the trees that the ancient boulders can be easily seen, but a few sprigs of redbud here and there in the background. This monument dates from 1885, and the star has special significance . . . the Twelfth Corps, to which the 147^TH belonged, had a star for its symbol.

**HONORED TODAY**

3^RD LT. JULIUS ERWIN BATES

Born 1841 --- Died July 1863 at age 22

Co. K, 12^TH Alabama Infantry

3^RD Lt. Bates’ death date is given as both July 3^RD and July 4^TH. He enlisted in August 1861. Interestingly, his brother John was killed 19 Sep 1863 at the battle of Chickamauga, and soon after that date, their father offered his services to the Confederate army. 

(c) 2012-2017 Skies of Blue and Gray