March 17, 2014

A shout-out to the Irish Brigade today – Happy St. Patrick’s Day, boys in blue!

On my most recent trip to Gettysburg, I realized I had no photos of the McPherson barn except for the typical view from Reynolds Avenue, so I set out to capture some different angles. I stopped along Stone-Meredith Avenue to snap a photo that shows how little Gettysburg has changed since 1863. Except for one modern building to the left of the barn, everything appears to be authentic to the period. The side of the Leister house / Gen. Lee’s headquarters can be seen at left. The Lutheran Seminary cupola, which resembles the original, towers above the trees at right.

The second view is broader, showing the barn at right. Though little is visible besides fencing and trees, there are two monuments, or rather one monument and a flank marker. I haven’t been able to identify the flank marker, but the monument at far left is the 149^TH Pennsylvania Infantry, known as the “Bucktails.”

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. WILLIAM D. HUDSON

Co. H, 32^ND Massachusetts Infantry

Born January 26, 1838 --- Died July 03, 1863 at age 25

Pvt. Hudson gave up a life of farming to join the Union army in July 1862, but he survived less than a year. He was wounded on the second of July while repulsing Confederates at Stony Hill (the 32^ND’s monument is shown in last Friday’s post) and died on the third. Pvt. Hudson was buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery and has a memorial stone at the Old Burying Ground in Framingham, Massachusetts.


(c) 2013-2014 Skies of Blue and Gray

March 14, 2014

**I’ll forego Antietam in favor of Gettysburg for this week, since I miss Gettysburg so much!**

Here we have two random photos of Stony Hill, a place I’ve recently been studying due to my interest in the Irish Brigade. This is a nice part of the battlefield, usually quiet, and rather overlooked in the grand scheme of things. The “tent” monument is sacred to the memory of the 32^ND Massachusetts Infantry, while the faithful soldier represents the Massachusetts Andrews Sharpshooters.

Being a details sort of person, and spying two monuments on the road in the background, I set to work identifying them :-) At the far right of the sharpshooter photo you can see a portrait statue hidden behind a yellow bush. This is the 110^TH Pennsylvania. Directly above the 32^ND’s “tent” is the 8^TH New Jersey. And the headquarters marker visible further to the left showcases the deeds of Burling’s Brigade, consisting of men from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire.

**HONORED TODAY**

2^ND LT. SIDNEY R. CARTER

Co. A, 14^TH South Carolina Infantry

Born May 28, 1832 --- Died July 1863 at age 31

Lt. Carter marched off to war a married man, leaving his children Ida (six), Horace (four), and Minnie (two) and in their mother Ellen’s care. Some sources name two other children, Elizabeth who would have been eight, and Caroline who would have been four. I’m not sure which of their children are correct, or if all of them are. Lt. Carter, who had lost a brother at Chancellorsville in May 1863, is one of the Confederate soldiers accidentally interred in Gettysburg’s National Cemetery meant only for Union casualties. His stone simply says, “S. Carter, Co. A, 15^th Conn.”


(c) 2013-2014 Skies of Blue and Gray

February 28, 2014

** Hi all! I’m going on vacation (not Gettysburg this time!) and my next post will be Friday, March 14. **

Apart from being part of Antietam National Battlefield, I’m not sure where the following photos were taken, but I think they speak volumes about the park’s natural beauty. The combination of wooden fences, dipping roads, fields, and mountains makes Antietam very special. The first photo shows one of many tour roads bordered by iconic fences and greenery. No, those aren’t ghosts coming up the road . . . they’re bicyclists :-)

In the second view, what I like best is the timeless view. There’s nothing in this photo that the soldiers of 1862 would not have seen, and if they paused at this exact spot, the scene doubtless would have been the same. There’s something special about the mountains that form a natural barrier around the battlefield; whether they’re highlighted with clouds or wreathed in fog, they’re always photogenic.

 

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. SAMUEL GAULT, JR.

Co. E, 12^TH New Hampshire Infantry

Born 1830 --- Died July 03, 1863 at age 33

Pvt. Gault was doing his duty along Emmitsburg Road, helping to push back the Alabamians under Gen. Wilcox, when a merciless artillery shell struck him in the leg. He lingered but briefly and died on the 3^RD.


(c) 2013-2014 Skies of Blue and Gray

February 26, 2014

Pennsylvania’s state monument is the largest on the Gettysburg battlefield, and though it’s a handsome memorial in entirety, the details are what make it great. The first photo shows one of many plaques that showcase particular Pennsylvania regiments and their most valorous moments on the field. This scene brings the 150^TH Infantry, the “Bucktails” to life. Note the McPherson barn in the background.

 

The figure standing high atop the monument represents peace, a fitting tribute on a field where peace was once the last thing on anyone’s mind. (Though one has to wonder exactly how peaceful it is to hold a sword over one’s head in a menacing fashion . . .) The second photo features the same relief but is clearer and shows more of the monument underneath.

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. LEMUEL COOLEY

Co. B, 47^TH North Carolina Infantry

Born 1847 --- Died July 14, 1863 at age 16

If Pvt. Cooley had lived in this time, he would have been barely old enough to drive, still considered a child in many ways, yet at age 16 he gave his life for his cause on a battlefield hundreds of miles from home. He enlisted in March 1862 and fought his way through various conflicts until his regiment met its match at Gettysburg. Wounded during the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge, he was taken prisoner and died eleven days later. Pvt. Cooley was buried at Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery.


(c) 2013-2014 Skies of Blue and Gray

February 24, 2014

Albert Woolson Then and Now

  

Okay, this isn’t a super-exciting “then and now” involving photos from the 19^TH century, but I guess nine years apart will have to suffice. I was recently struck by the difference in my two photos of Albert Woolson, the last remaining Union soldier (who died in 1956, or so the story goes). The view from 2005 shows the Cyclorama building, with which locals and tourists alike had either a love or a hate relationship . . . there wasn’t much of a middle ground :-) The 2013 photo, albeit shaky (taken from the car) shows Mr. Woolson and --- hold your applause --- no Cyclorama! I’ve got to say I appreciate the modern view much more.

**HONORED TODAY**

PVT. SETH WILLIAM HARPELL

Co. C, 74^TH New York Infantry

Born November 1818 --- Died July 02, 1863 at age 44

Pvt. Harpell began his life in Nova Scotia and relocated to America at the age of seven.  He married a lady named Martha and had eight children, all but the eldest under the age of 21 when he was killed at Gettysburg. During that fateful battle, Jeanette was 21, John was 19, George was 18, David was 16, Thomas was 14, Ann was 12, Sarah was 9, and Arabelle was 1. It’s highly likely that if the three eldest boys didn’t join the war effort, it was certainly on their minds. Pvt. Harpell was later buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery.


(c) 2013-2014 Skies of Blue and Gray