1. Major General John F. Reynolds, 1^st Corps Commander, Army of the Potomac, U.S.A.

Early on the morning of July 1, 1863, the battle of Gettysburg opened between General John Buford’s Union cavalry and Confederate infantry west of Gettysburg. Buford attempted to hold off and delay the Confederate attack until Reynolds could arrive with part of his forces. Buford managed to put up resistance between 8 and 10 a.m. The Union First Corps, led by Reynolds, arrived just in the nick of time replacing Buford’s retreating troopers at a place called McPherson’s Ridge. As Reynolds was directing his troops into the woods (which now bear his name) he told them to "hold this grove at all hazards."

Moments later around 10:00 A.M., a Confederate soldier’s bullet pierced Reynold’s skull, killing him instantly. His lifeless form was lowered from his horse and his body was laid-in-state that day at a small stone house along the Emmitsburg Road. On July 4, 1863, while the Confederate army was preparing to retreat from Gettysburg, Reynolds’ body was being buried in his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Reynolds’ greatest contribution in the war was perhaps his decision to engage the Confederate army at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. By doing so he set in motion a series of events that culminated in Union victory two days later. His defense, begun on the western outskirts of Gettysburg, allowed enough time for the majority of the Union army to converge upon Gettysburg, and to defend from the key high ground south of town. Cemetery Hill, Culp’s Hill and the Round Tops became Union positions because of his forward thinking. There is a statue within the Soldiers’ National Cemetery on Cemetery Hill honoring Major General John F. Reynolds.

2. Major General James Ewell Brown (JEB) Stuart, C.S.A.

Jeb survived the Battle of Gettysburg, although his cavalry were engaged in a large cavalry battle on July 3, east of Gettysburg. He continued to serve as General Lee's "eyes and ears," commanding the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia through the rest of 1863 and in to 1864. On May 11, 1864 at Yellow Tavern, Virginia, several miles north of Richmond, Virginia, Stuart engaged Union cavalry under General Philip Sheridan. During the fighting a Union cavalry trooper who was dismounted fired his pistol at Stuart and mortally wounded him. Jeb died the next day. When General Lee learned of his death he was deeply saddened and remarked that Stuart never had brought him a false piece of information.

Jeb Stuart's exploits in the Civil War were legendary. His several rides around the Union army, his capture of Union General John Pope's full dress uniform, his plumed hat and red-lined coat, his jovial, ever-optimistic personality, all made him bigger than life and provided a boost to Southern morale. Above all, he was an excellent soldier. John Esten Cooke, a soldier who knew Stuart well, wrote of his death; "As his life had been one of earnest devotion to the cause in which he believed, so his last hours were tranquil, his confidence in the mercy of heaven unfailing. When he was asked how he felt, he said, `Easy, but willing to die, if God and my country think I have done my duty.'"

3. Brigadier General Henry Hunt, Chief Artillery Officer, Army of the Potomac, U.S.A.

General Hunt arrived at Gettysburg and the first thing he did was survey the Union position on Cemetery Ridge. It was perfect for artillery! General Hunt carefully placed the Union batteries where he felt was their best positions and suggested to the officers where the reserve should go. During the fighting on July 2, Hunt hurried forward several batteries from the artillery reserve and sent them to fill the gaps that had been opened in the Union line. In many cases his gunners were the front line and Hunt was with them. Miraculously he escaped injury. On July 3 at the height of Pickett's Charge, general Hunt was everywhere, directing his 77 guns in the defense of the Union line. When the Confederate infantry charged, the general was near the center of the Union line. Suddenly he was in the middle of the most desperate fighting ever seen during the war. Soldiers shot and stabbed each other at close range. Hunt's horse was shot from under him as he directed artillery fire, but the undaunted general found another mount and continued on through the battle. Amazingly the general was not injured by Confederate shells or rifle fire, though several bullets had pierced his uniform.

General Hunt remained as chief of artillery in the Army of the Potomac until 1864, when General Ulysses Grant appointed him to command all of the Union artillery in the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. Hunt performed with such excellence that he was promoted to the brevet rank of major general of volunteers for his services. With the war's end, General Hunt returned to the regular army and was appointed lt. colonel of the 3^rd US Artillery. He was assigned to army posts in the south, where he was judged as being a fair-minded officer and was often visited by former Confederate officers who had fought against him. General Hunt also wrote extensively after the war and collected many papers and letters from other officers, which are today in the National Archives in Washington, DC.

Henry Hunt retired from military service in 1883 and was appointed governor of the Soldier's Home in Washington. He remained there as a distinguished leader while enjoying the fruits of a happy marriage and large family. General Hunt was a quiet favorite of many former officers and friends and one to whom many new army officers looked up to for advice on the theory of artillery. On February 11, 1889, General Hunt passed away after a long illness. And was buried in the home's cemetery in Washington.

4. Major General John Bell Hood, Army of Northern Virginia, C.S.A.

On July 2, General Hood rode to General Longstreet's headquarters and then to see General Lee. Here he was instructed that his division would lead the march southward to attack the left flank of the Union line near Little Round Top. It was a long, tiring march for his men- nearly 18 miles after which they had little time to rest. They went right into battle. Hood did not like the position where his regiments were sent. He attempted to argue the plan with General Longstreet, but by this time it was too late. As Hood rode into the battle with his troops, a large fragment of a Union artillery shell slashed into the general's arm, tearing away much of the muscle and some of the bone. Pale and weak, the general was taken to a field hospital and doctors decided not to amputate his arm, stating that it may be saved for which Hood was grateful. But the damage was so severe that he never was able to use it again; it hung in a sling for the remainder of his days. General Hood had not fully recovered from his wound when he went east with his troops to Georgia that fall. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, in September 1863, he was severely wounded in the leg. The surgeons could not save his shattered limb and amputated it before infection could set in.

Though he was crippled and suffering, his will to serve the Confederacy had not waned. General Hood was assigned to command a corps in the Confederate Army in Georgia in 1864 and was promoted to command that army when it had become nearly surrounded near Atlanta. Hood attacked the Union army that plagued the city, but to no avail. He was soundly defeated and attempted to draw the Yankee army out of Georgia by invading Tennessee. The resulting battles at Nashville and Franklin were disasters for the Confederates and a dejected Hood asked to be relieved of command. At the end of the war, General Hood surrendered to Federal authorities in Natchez, Mississippi.

John Hood was paroled and signed an oath of allegiance and instead of returning to Texas, the general moved his family to New Orleans, Louisiana where it appeared that he could prosper. He began to practice law and was involved in some land speculation when an epidemic of yellow fever struck the city. His wife and one of their children contracted the disease and both died. On August 30, 1879, yellow fever took General Hood's life as well. He was buried in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans beside his wife and child.

5. Colonel Patrick O'Rorke, Commanding Officer, 140^th New York Infantry, U.S.A.

On July 1, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the 140^th New York Infantry, and the other units of the Union army's 5th Army Corps marched to Hanover, Pennsylvania, about 15 miles east of Gettysburg. Patrick and the men of his regiment had already marched 10 miles and were looking forward to a chance to rest; but news of the fighting at Gettysburg arrived and orders were issued to resume the march. One member of the 140^th recalled that "we were, physically, as worn out a set of men as I have ever seen," but they were needed at Gettysburg, so they moved on. As the soldiers trudged along through the afternoon and evening of July 1, they were greeted by civilians who emerged from their houses to cheer them and give them food and water. About midnight the march finally ended, about two miles east of Gettysburg, and Patrick told his men they could rest for two hours, but he did not sleep. Instead, he and one of his captains sat up and spoke about what might lie in store for them on July 2. To the captain, Patrick seemed to have "foreboding anticipations."

At an early hour on July 2, the weary soldiers were awakened and ordered to fall in. The 140^th marched to a point near Power's Hill, not far from Culp's Hill. Here they halted and Patrick read an order to his men from the army commander, General Meade, which emphasized the importance of the impending battle to the fate of the nation. Patrick was not known as much of a speechmaker, but after the order was read to the men, one of them remembered that Patrick "said that we were about to meet the enemy; he wanted every man to do his duty; every man that started to run, be he private or officer, let him die the death of a coward - shoot him on the spot."

The morning of July 2 was quiet. The weather was warm and humid. Some men sang songs to pass the time. Others probably wrote letters, slept, or checked their equipment. Around 3 P.M., the roar of artillery sounded to the west, beyond the two hills called the Round Tops. The firing continued, rising furiously and orders came to march in the direction of the firing. Patrick ordered his regiment of over 400 men to fall in, and they moved off with thousands of other troops of the 5th Corps - toward the battle.

Due to the humid weather, the men could only hear the booming of cannon as they marched along. They could not hear the deadly and heavy fire of musketry, which indicated that the infantry of both armies were engaged with one another. The 140^th followed other units of the 5th Corps up a farm road today called the Wheatfield Road, that climbed up a hill. Unknown to Patrick or his men, this was the northern slope of Little Round Top, where at that very moment a desperate battle was going on. When Patrick and his regiment reached the crest of the ridge General Gouverneur K. Warren, the Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac met them. General Warren was very excited and shouted to Patrick that the enemy were advancing unopposed up the opposite side of the hill and that he needed his regiment to stop them. Patrick did not have to obey General Warren, since he was not his commanding officer, but he sensed that this was an emergency and there was no time to check with his own officers. Patrick ordered his men to leave the road and start up the north slope of Little Round Top. When they reached the summit they were awed by the panoramic view beneath them. One of Patrick's men described it:

Patrick moved his men quickly across the boulder and rock strewn summit of Little Round Top. Beneath him, on the southern slope of the hill, other Union soldiers were being pressed hard by Confederate soldiers, who could be seen working their way up the western slope of the hill. Patrick's regiment had moved so quickly to this point that they had not had time to load their rifles. Bullet began to buzz about them as the Confederates spotted them forming into line and began to fire at them. While his men quickly worked to load their rifles, Patrick dismounted from his horse, tossed the reins to his sergeant major, pulled out his sword and shouted, "Down this way, boys." As they rushed down the slope, over and around rocks and boulders, one man in the regiment heard Patrick call out, "Here they are men! Commence firing!" They were his last words. An instant later a Confederate soldier put a bullet through Patrick's neck and he fell dead without a sound.

Patrick's regiment continued on without him and managed to stop the Confederate attack. But the cost was high. Besides Patrick, 25 other men in the 140th were killed, 89 were wounded, and 18 were missing in action, probably captured. Lieutenant Porter Farley, the acting adjutant (an officer who was like an assistant to the commanding officer) of the regiment, had loved his colonel like a brother. Now, as the battle subsided, he gazed down upon his lifeless body. "Up to that time in my life I had never felt a grief so sharply, nor realized the significance of death so well as then," he recalled later; "for him to die was to me like losing a brother, and that brother almost the perfection of the manly graces."

Clara O'Rorke, Patrick's childhood sweetheart and wife of just day's less than one year, waited in tense anticipation after hearing of the fighting at Gettysburg. On July 6, the New York Herald newspaper carried a report that Colonel O'Rorke was killed. The next day news arrived that confirmed his death. We can only imagine the grief Clara must have felt. Patrick's body arrived in Rochester on July 14. After a service at St. Bridget's Church in Rochester, Patrick was buried in a Catholic cemetery on Pinnacle Hill. Clara never remarried. She entered a convent and lived and worked in Providence, Rhode Island until her own death in 1893.

The monument to the 140th New York Infantry still stands today on the summit of Little Round Top. We encourage you to visit it one day and remember what Patrick O'Rorke gave to this country.

6. Brigadier General J. Johnston Pettigrew, Army of Northern Virginia, C.S.A.

General Pettigrew was appointed to command the division after the wounding of his immediate commander on July 1^st. On July 3^rd, he fought valiantly in the famous infantry assault now known as Pickett’s Charge, though he was severely wounded in the hand. Though his left hand was shattered and he was in great pain, he continued to lead his soldiers until it was obvious that the attack had failed. Only then did he rally his men and order a retreat. At this point, General Robert E. Lee himself rode up to him and said, "General, I am sorry to see you are wounded; go to the rear." With a painful salute, the handsome officer walked to the rear to find a surgeon's tent and get medical assistance.

General Pettigrew led the division during the retreat to the Potomac River and eleven days later found himself in a skirmish with Union cavalry at Falling Waters, Maryland. His command was one of the last Confederate units north of the Potomac River, when the Union troopers closed in. The general was directing his soldiers when he was shot by a Union cavalryman at close range, the bullet striking him in the chest. He was immediately carried to the rear and across the Potomac River. James Pettigrew died three days later near Bunker Hill, Virginia. A greatly saddened General Lee remarked, "The army has lost a brave soldier and the Confederacy an accomplished officer." General Pettigrew's body was returned to North Carolina and interred at his family estate in Tyrrell County.

7. Major Edwin B. Wight, 24^th Michigan Infantry, U.S.A.

At Gettysburg, Edwin and the rest of the Union First Corps pushed back the initial Confederate attacks along McPherson Ridge during the morning of July 1, 1863. There was a break in the fighting from about noon until 2:30 p.m. when the Michigan boys gathered and braced themselves for a much larger afternoon assault from the Southerners.

Under the weight of the renewed afternoon Confederate attack, the 24^th Michigan began to grudgingly retreat making six distinct and bloody stands between McPherson Ridge and Seminary Ridge. Upon the third stand, Edwin (now acting as Lieutenant Colonel) "was thrown completely down and supposed by the men to be killed, but recovering himself he was forced to leave the field. He had permanently lost sight in his right eye." Fortunately, he survived to return to Gettysburg 26 years later when he delivered the keynote address at the dedication of his regiment’s monument (In Reynold’s woods on McPherson Ridge) on June 12, 1889.

He said that day, "And as we now fall in and, seeking to live over again our soldier experiences, begin to call the roll – how slowly and how sadly come back the responses and what long waits there are between the answering voices."

8. Major Edward Croft, 14^th South Carolina Infantry, C.S.A.

During the terrible fighting on July 1, Major Croft and his regiment came face to face with General John Reynolds' First Corps positioned on Seminary Ridge. "We sustained the entire fire of Reynolds' Corps," wrote one of the major's soldiers. The Union fire staggered the advance of the 14^th, but they pressed on. Colonel Abner Perrin wrote, "This regiment, under the lead of Lt. Colonel Brown and Major Croft most gallantly stood its ground." As the Union army retreated, Croft and his regiment chased after the fleeing soldiers and marched into Gettysburg.

Throughout July 2 and July 3, the 14^th South Carolina was under constant artillery fire. The 14^th was assigned picket duty in the fields just east of Seminary Ridge and skirmished with soldiers of the 1^st Delaware and 14^th Connecticut Infantry. The 14^th was ordered forward to push the Union skirmishers back, "which was done in a most gallant style, (while) losing some valuable officers and men. Lt. Colonel Brown and Major Croft of the 14^th were here severely wounded." Colonel Perrin went on to report that that Croft proved himself to be worthy of his rank, "throughout the engagements around Gettysburg." This was the second time that Edward Croft had been wounded, for he was first injured during the Seven Days Battles near Richmond in 1862. For his gallantry, Major Croft was promoted to Lt. Colonel of the 14^th South Carolina, and after a short time to recover, he returned to his regiment and led them through many of the army's battles in 1864 and 1865. On April 12, 1865, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia marched its last parade at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. At the head of the 14^th South Carolina rode Edward Croft- exhausted, mud spattered and rain soaked; yet proud to be a soldier under Lee and proud to be with his regiment to the last.

Edward Croft returned to South Carolina where he raised a family, became involved in local politics, and became an active member of the United Confederate Veterans or UCV.

9. Sergeant Ezra Brown, 4^th Michigan Infantry, U.S.A

As part of Colonel Jacob B. Sweitzer’s brigade, the 4^th Michigan guarded the "stony hill" portion of the Wheatfield for only a brief interim of time (during the late afternoon of July 2) before falling back and being replaced. Then in the later stages, and perhaps most dangerous part of the struggle, they went back into the Wheatfield to slow down the Confederate pursuit. Finding themselves in a deadly cross fire, the 4^th Michigan began to be "chewed-up." Only the conspicuous new flag could be seen above the fog of smoke that surrounded the regiment. While in this predicament, a rebel seized that flag before Jeffords shot him with his revolver and regained the banner. Immediately though, another Confederate, " . . . with a bayonet thrust ran the Colonel through the body, inflicting a mortal wound." The Confederate in turn was shot through the brain and the flag recovered and saved as had been promised. Jeffords had kept his word to the governor and senator and died clutching the flag.

Nearby, Sergeant Ezra Brown was wounded as well, but the Confederate progress had been slowed in time for Union reinforcements to arrive and secure the Union left flank. Ezra survived his wounds and recovered enough to complete his three-year enlistment. His term expired on June 28, 1864 while he was stationed in Detroit, Michigan. He had survived the war and would be able to return home. Perhaps his thoughts were similar to those of a poet who described the losses of the 4^th Michigan during the war this way:

10. Lieutenant William Cannon, 9^th Alabama Infantry, C.S.A.

The 9th Alabama Infantry reached the Gettysburg area late on the afternoon of July 1, just as the fighting of that day was subsiding. The now familiar signs of hard fighting, hundreds of wounded men limping or being carried to the rear, would have warned William that hard times lay ahead. There were also thousands of Union prisoners, a sign that events were going well.

On the morning of July 2, the 9th Alabama and the other regiments of their brigade, known as "Wilcox's Brigade" after their commander, Brigadier General Cadmus Wilcox, were ordered to take position along Seminary Ridge. As they approached a body of woods on the ridge, known today as Pitzer Woods, U. S. Sharpshooters, and the 3rd Maine Infantry were encountered. A short, bloody fight ensued, and the Union soldiers withdrew. After getting into position, William was ordered to lead his platoon of D Company forward to the skirmish line. Skirmishers were men who were the extreme advance of an army. They fought like modern soldiers, in dispersed formations, and taking whatever cover they could find. It was dangerous work and many men disliked it. Another officer in William's company recalled that when they took position in front of the brigade, "We immediately opened fire on the enemy's line of sharpshooters and succeeded in making them withdraw some distance and causing some of the more daring, or obstinate ones, to bite the dust, and this too without any loss on our side."

At 4 P.M. the battle reopened with great fury as Confederate troops launched attacks against the Union army. Around 6 P.M., it was the turn of Wilcox's men to advance. William and his comrades were veterans and knew what to expect, but that did not diminish the fear that all of them must have felt. The 9th Alabama and the other regiments of the brigade advanced. An officer in the regiment recalled, "the roaring of the artillery, grape and canister that came plunging through our ranks, bullets thick as hailstones in winter, men falling on every side as leaves fall when shaken by the rude blasts of Autumn, is terrible, yet our men falter not." William survived the fighting of July 2, but many of his comrades did not. In his entire brigade of 1,726 men, 577 were killed, wounded or captured.

William and his regiment were again called to go into battle on July 3, as part of the attack known as "Pickett's Charge." The attack failed. It proved particularly disastrous to Wilcox's men. 200 more men were killed, wounded, or captured, making 777 the total loss in the battle. William's regiment was luckier than some of the others in Wilcox's Brigade. They lost 8 killed, 32 wounded and 76 captured. This was about one-third of the men in the regiment, but many other regiments lost more.

After Gettysburg, William participated in many more battles with his regiment during 1864 and 1865; the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, North Anna, Cold Harbor, Richmond, Petersburg. Somehow he survived this terrible ordeal, but he lost many of his friends and comrades in the almost constant fighting. By 1864 he was promoted to captain, commanding Company D. On April 9, 1865 Captain Cannon and 52 other men, all that were left of the 9th Alabama, surrendered at Appomattox Court House. For William, the Civil War was over. He started for home a destitute, but ambitious man.

Apparently, Lauderdale County, Alabama did not offer many employment prospects for William for he moved to Artesia, Mississippi, borrowed some money and started a business. While living in Artesia, he met Mary E. Phillips. They were married in 1867. Their marriage produced nine children. Five years later he moved to McKenzie, Tennessee, where he started another business that he ran until 1881. He returned to Alabama, moving to Sylacauga, which is in the central part of the state, where he maintained a farm and served on the board of the Peoples Bank of Sylacauga. While living in Sylacauga, Mary died in 1889. One year later, William married Kathryn Louise Crumpler. This marriage produced seven more children. Family reunions at the Cannon household must have been lively, considering the number of children William had fathered. In 1898 he was elected to the Alabama State Legislature. William died on August 9, 1920, at the age of 81. He is buried in Sylacauga, Alabama.

On July 2, 1863, Oren's regiment was placed behind a stone wall on the edge of a woods and a large wheatfield. This would soon become known at Gettysburg as "The Wheatfield," for it would see some of the fiercest fighting during the entire Battle of Gettysburg. During the course of the fighting that afternoon a bullet struck Oren in the chest. Despite the fact that most chest wounds were considered mortal by army surgeons, Oren survived his serious wound. He was no longer fit to serve in the army, however, and on August 21, 1863 he received an honorable discharge from the army on account of his wounds. He returned to his family farm in Waterford, Maine to recuperate. Surgeons had noted on his records that they considered Oren so badly wounded that he was not even capable of serving in the Invalid Corps (a unit of men who were disabled for active field service but could still do light duty for the army).

Despite the severity of his wound, Oren either became restless or found it necessary to start doing more and more chores around his farm. His system was not ready for such exertion though, and on October 29, 1863, nearly four months after the Battle of Gettysburg, while working on his farm, his wound burst and he bled to death, adding one more name to the terrible toll exacted by the battle.

12. Private Isaac Reed, 7^th Georgia Infantry, C.S.A.

Isaac Reed was in the center of the regimental line on the afternoon of July 2 when the 7^th Georgia was ordered to attack the end of General Sickles Union line between the Wheatfield and Devil's Den. His Georgia brigade advanced just behind the Texas Brigade and became caught up in the heavy fighting around the base of the hill at Devil's Den. Isaac's regiment advanced three times and were thrown back with heavy losses, but on the last charge they broke the Union regiments near the Wheatfield and fell exhausted at the field's edge as night fell. The 7^th Georgia was lucky compared to the rest of the brigade, with only 15 men wounded. Isaac and his brothers escaped the battle without a single injury.

In November, 1863, the 7^th Georgia was sent to Tennessee with the rest of General Longstreet's Corps and fought around Knoxville. "On November 29," he wrote, "I was wounded… by three gun shots, one in the leg, one in the arm, and one in the breast. The third shot passed through my right lung and lodged against my shoulder blade." He was taken prisoner and spent the rest of the war in prison camp hospitals. He was finally released on November 12, 1865 in Virginia. Isaac's brother James had surrendered with the army at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, and was already home by this time, but Andrew, the fourth brother, had died of wounds he received in October 1864. Andrew is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond. Isaac made his long, sad journey home and took up family farming again. He thrived and fully recovered from his wounds and his prison camp experience. He lived to be 85 years old before he died on October 1, 1925. Isaac died in Roswell, the hometown that he never left except to serve his state for the war.

The 2^nd New Hampshire Infantry was ordered forward at about 1 'clock on the afternoon of July 2. The officers, waving swords and shouting commands, directed the men toward the edge of Joseph Sherfy's peach orchard. The men lay down as Union artillery behind them fired shells over their heads. Confederate guns responded and the men hugged the ground attempting to escape the storm of iron that flew inches above them. As a brigade of South Carolina soldiers approached, the shaken New Hampshire men rose and fired their first rounds into the gray shadows ahead of them. David stood at his post directly behind his men, encouraging them to keep up their fire. Sometime during the fighting, Sgt. Colburn was at his post when he was struck in the head and died within seconds.

The regiment was forced to retreat, leaving their dead and wounded behind and to the mercy of the Confederates. His comrades never recovered David Colburn's body, though his remains probably lay in the Gettysburg Soldiers National Cemetery as an unknown. He was just 21 years old.

14. Corporal James Meredith, 3^rd Virginia Cavalry, C.S.A.

By the time Stuart’s Cavalry arrived to join the Confederate army at Gettysburg, the second day of battle was over. On the morning of July 3, the 3^rd Virginia Cavalry deployed along a ridge 3 miles from the town of Gettysburg after spotting the enemy. The 3^rd Virginia was held in reserve during the day’s fighting, witnessing the terrible clash and eventual defeat of the engaged Confederate cavalry troops. With the defeat at Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia left northern soil. The remaining years of the war brought hard fighting to James and his comrades, but eventually the Confederate army surrendered.

The war was over for James, and he was a survivor. Although he had survived the war, he faced an uncertain future with his farm in shambles and his crops destroyed. He eventually rebuilt his farm, married a local girl, raised a family and became a prominent citizen. At the age of 69, James Meredith died and was buried in the family cemetery in Ford, Virginia. His descendants still live in and around Petersburg, Virginia today.

15. Private Phillip Bennetts, 7^th Wisconsin Infantry, U.S.A.

As the battle of Gettysburg began early on July 1, Phillip and the 7^th Wisconsin were six miles away from the town. When word reached them of the fight, the men of the Iron Brigade moved into position to support weary Federal cavalry troops who were being pushed back towards the town. Sharp-eyed Confederates spotted the uniforms of the first reinforcements and shouted "It's those black-hatted fellows! That ain't no militia! It's the Army of the Potomac!"

During the course of the fighting on July 1, the 7^th got a little help from an unlikely source. John Burns, an old man approached the colonel and asked for permission to fight with the soldiers against the Confederates. Though uncertain of this new recruit's ability, they let him stay. Mr. Burns continued to fight until he was wounded three times. We can only wonder what Phillip Bennetts must have thought of this feisty old fellow with a musket who stood side by side with these young men from Wisconsin. John Burns recovered from his wounds, but Phillip would not recover from his. He was hit by a Confederate bullet and seriously wounded during the fighting around the woods and fields of the McPherson Farm on July 1. He made his way back to a field hospital where he fell into the care of a Union surgeon who did what he could to save the young soldier's life. Private Phillip Bennetts quietly slipped away and died on the Fourth of July, 1863. His remains rest in the Wisconsin section of the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg.

16. Private Lucas Meredith, 3^rd Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.

Lucas Meredith marched to Gettysburg from Chambersburg and may have thought that because they were arriving on the battlefield so late that their duty may not be quite so dangerous. He nor any of his friends could not have known that his regiment, his brigade, and his division, would be the focus of the next day's battle. On the afternoon of July 3, Lucas lay in a field of wheat near the Henry Spangler house. The whole brigade was there in battle line. Some of the men dozed while others picked green apples off of nearby trees and playfully tossed them at each other. Suddenly at one o'clock, over 150 Confederate cannon opened fire with a thunderous blast. The shells flew over the heads of Lucas and his friends, but the Union guns responded with their own cannon. Those shells landed amongst the 3^rd Virginia, blowing dirt, wheat, and soldiers into the air. It was sheer terror, lying under a hot sun while the big guns dueled back and forth. At three o'clock, his regiment was called to their feet, fixed bayonets, and then moved forward. Across the fields of wheat and corn they strode, east toward the Union line that suddenly exploded with smoke and fire. The men stumbled and crowded together and they cleared the road and moved closer to the blazing line, following their flags. Lucas was among the crowd, leaning forward as if bracing himself against a driving storm. The Confederates reached the Union line and briefly broke through, only to be forced out. Many of the southerners retreated, some without rifles or equipment, hats or cartridge boxes. Others silently walked back to where they had begun, shocked and stunned. Among them was Lucas Meredith who had miraculously escaped harm, even though he was in the center of the greatest charge that either army had ever seen- "Pickett's Charge".

Lucas retreated with the shattered remains of General Pickett's Division to Virginia where the old 3^rd received several new recruits, but the regiment was never the same after Gettysburg. Lucas survived the battles of 1864 only to be captured at Five Forks, Virginia on April 1, 1865. How he must have worried while being in a prisoner of war camp- the country around him being fought over for so long with homes destroyed, farms trampled, and lives forever changed. But he survived his imprisonment and was paroled on April 16 to return home with his brother who had also survived. Lucas returned home and lived out his days, quietly making his livelihood as a Virginia farmer and proud that he was a veteran of "the old 3^rd Virginia". Lucas Meredith passed away on May 31, 1927 at the age of 85 years.

17. Sergeant Conrad Mehne, 27^th Indiana Infantry, U.S.A.

At Gettysburg, the 27^th Indiana formed a portion of the 12^th Corps positioned to defend Culp’s Hill. During the early morning hours of July 3, a mistaken order was brought to the section of the line involving the 27^th Indiana Infantry and the 2^nd Massachusetts Infantry, ordering both units to advance. This pushed them into well-defended Confederate positions near Spangler's Spring. In spite of doubts about the order, both commanders obeyed it, with tragic consequences. At some point during the charge and subsequent fighting on the morning of July 3, Conrad was killed instantly by an exploding shell. His shattered body was interred on the battlefield near the spot where he fell. We know that his remains were later removed for burial in another cemetery, and perhaps the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg is where he now rests as one of several hundred "unknowns".

18. Private John Howard Roberts, 5^th Texas Infantry, C.S.A.

At the battle of Gettysburg, John and his comrades charged into an area later known as "The Valley of Death" at the foot of Big Round Top. Just ahead lay the smaller hill called Little Round Top. John's officers pointed their swords at the smoking Union line atop the hill- "Forward, boys! Take those heights!" The 5^th Texas charged up the hill three times on the afternoon of July 2^nd. During one of the charges, John was shot through both legs. Obviously John could not walk, so he was forced to lie on the ground as bullets whistled overhead and kicked up dirt around him. A few Union soldiers, seeing the poor Confederate’s predicament, crawled down and "built a barricade of rocks" around his body. John was so thankful for this act of kindness that he shared his tobacco with the Yankees. He lay on the battlefield for several hours until Union soldiers carried him to the rear for treatment. He survived his wounds and was paroled, returning to the Confederacy, but not in any condition to be a soldier. He was discharged from the Confederate Army on June 1, 1864.

After the war, John went to many Confederate reunions to visit with old friends and patriots. He became an active member of the United Confederate Veterans or UCV, and enjoyed these reunions, reliving the good memories and the bad. Being only 15 when he joined the army, John Roberts was one of the last surviving veterans of the 5th Texas Infantry.

19. Private Henry F. Long, 17^th Pennsylvania Cavalry, U.S.A.

On the morning of July 1st, the 17^th Pennsylvania Cavalry was formed west of Gettysburg and the troopers were immediately engaged with the advance of Confederate soldiers from Cashtown. Henry and his comrades helped to hold off the Confederate advance long enough for the Union infantry to arrive on the field. They then took position on the infantry’s southern flank in order to protect it from enemy infantry. Later in the day, the regiment took position South of Gettysburg near the Peach Orchard. Around 11:00 A.M. on July 2, they were relieved and ordered to march to Westminster, Maryland. During the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg to the Potomac River, the regiment participated in daily skirmishes with Confederate cavalry. Henry survived the fighting at Gettysburg, and was probably very relieved that he had been so lucky. He was not so lucky the following year. His regiment was near Cold Harbor, Virginia on May 31, 1864, when they became involved in a heavy fight with Confederate cavalry and infantry. Henry and his comrades were ordered to go into the fighting dismounted, and while he was in the act of taking a position, Henry was struck twice in the left arm by Confederate bullets. His arm was so badly damaged and broken that surgeons had to amputate the limb that night. Henry survived the nightmare of this surgery and possible infection, healed quickly and then went home on furlough to recover. On November 7, 1864, he was formally discharged from service due to his injuries. After the war, he joined Post 58 of the Grand Army of the Republic, and spent the next 37 years preaching the gospel.

20. Sergeant Samuel Holland, 9^th Virginia Infantry, C.S.A.

Unbelievably, Samuel and his brother survived Pickett’s Charge on July 3^rd, the final day of the 3-day battle of Gettysburg. They were neither wounded nor captured. His personal good luck held through Gettysburg, but luck was running low for the Confederate army as they retreated back to Virginia. Throughout the remaining two years of the war, Samuel and Robert suffered hard winters in camp and more battles. With the new year of 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia continued its decline. Few of the original 1861 enlistees remained in the ranks of the 9^th Virginia Infantry; battles and desertions had taken their toll. On April 1, the regiment clashed with the Union army at the battle of Five Forks, and there Samuel Holland was taken prisoner. Two days later, Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, fell to Union troops. Robert Holland and a tiny remnant of the 9^th escaped only to hobble toward Appomattox Court House. General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army there on April 9, 1865.

With the end of the war, Robert was free to return home to his family farm in Isle of Wright County, but Samuel was not released as a prisoner until June 20, 1865. He left Hart’s Island, New York and began the long journey home. Now almost 22 years old and his health suffering, Samuel settled back into civilian life and tried to pick up where he had left off in 1861. He eventually went back to farming, got married and raised children and grandchildren. Often, though, he would think about all of the friends he had lost in the war.

21. Private Alonzo C. Hayden, 1^st Minnesota Infantry, U.S.A.

On the afternoon of July 2, 1863, the Confederate attack, which had started in the area of Devil’s Den and the Round Tops (the left flank of the Union army) had reached the area of the present day Pennsylvania Monument on Cemetery Ridge. A Confederate brigade of about 1700 men was advancing toward a weak spot in the Union line. Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, commanding the Second Corps, was able to find only one Union regiment in position to try to stop this attack. When he asked what unit it was, he was told it was the First Minnesota (about 330 men). Hancock’s orders were simple, "Charge those lines!" It was reported that there was "no hesitation, no stopping to fire, though the men fell fast at every stride before the concentrated fire of the whole Confederate force."

The First Minnesota charged the Confederate brigade, stopped it and then, with help from other units, drove it back. The regiment paid a heavy price for stopping the attack though. Of the 330 men who went into action, at least 160 (and perhaps 173) men were casualties. Between 38 and 51 were killed and 122 were wounded. Among the killed was Alonzo C. Hayden. Originally buried on the field, Private Hayden now rests in Section A, Row 2 of the Minnesota Plot of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

22. Private William Mays, Parker's Battery, Virginia Light Artillery, C.S.A.

William Mays left the fields of Gettysburg unharmed, and the men of Parker’s Battery were then transferred briefly to Tennessee during the fall and winter of 1863-64. The Battery returned to Virginia to fight in the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor campaigns of 1864. Through all of these engagements, William served faithfully in the Confederate army, and his captain even referred to him as "a good friend and a good soldier."

When the army reached the vicinity of Petersburg, Virginia, William was detailed to the commissary department. This meant that he would be in charge of procuring supplies for the battery. Captain Parker was very pleased when William was able to obtain much needed tallow (wax) for making candles. The artillerists converted the tallow into candles by means of gigantic candle molds. The ready access of candles allowed the men of Parker’s Battery to have sufficient light at night.

William Mays surrendered with Lee’s army at Appomattox, Virginia on April 9, 1865, in effect ending the Civil War. The young soldier returned to Richmond, Virginia after the war. William was employed at the Richmond Gas Works and was still a happy, handsome veteran in 1896.

23. Sergeant Charles H. Phelps, 5^th New Hampshire Infantry, U.S.A.

On the afternoon of July 2, the 5^th New Hampshire, part of Colonel Edward R. Cross’s brigade, entered the Wheatfield. As the brigade neared the south end of the Wheatfield, Colonel Cross was shot by a Confederate soldier hiding behind an immense boulder located directly in front of the 5^th New Hampshire. Colonel Hapgood noted the flash of the gun and called Sergeant Phelps’ attention to it. Phelps soon sighted the Confederate soldier and shot him. Shortly afterwards, Sergeant Phelps was shot in the back and died in a military hospital on July 4, 1863.

On July 22, his remains were returned to Amherst. The next day, the Lawrence Engine Company attended the funeral in full uniform. On Sergeant Phelps’ stone are the words "A Young Man, but an Old Soldier." The spot where Colonel Cross fell is now marked by the monument to the 5^th New Hampshire Infantry.

24. Captain Isaac Stamps, 21^st Mississippi Regiment, C.S.A.

Isaac found himself leading the 21^st Mississippi into a Peach Orchard on July 2, 1863 outside of the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His charge was to find and attack the Union line located there. According to an official report, he made it far into the Union line and actually helped a Union officer even after he himself was wounded. His regiment continued the attack and pounced upon a Massachusetts Battery- the 9^th Massachusetts Battery- near the Trostle House. Isaac Stamps could not help or lead his men, as he was so seriously injured that he knew he had to get to the rear and find a surgeon.

We don't know how he made his way back to the Confederate lines, but Isaac was cared for and treated through the night of July 2. He was one amongst hundreds of wounded men who could do little but sit or lie at the overcrowded field hospital- a farmer's house or barn, under the shade of a tree, by a slow moving creek. Isaac never recovered. He died on July 3, and was buried by men who knew him near the spot where had spent his last agonizing hours. Despite much difficulty and with great perseverance, Mary was able to bring her husband’s body back to Mississippi where she buried him next to their two infant children.

25. Private John Paris, 1^st Delaware Infantry, U.S.A.

On July 2, shortly after daylight, John and his regiment arrived on Cemetery Ridge, near the very center of the Union army's position. The 1^st Delaware were immediately ordered to deploy as skirmishers (which meant that the men spread out five paces apart from each other, much like modern soldiers fight) and advance and occupy the large farm of William Bliss, which sat almost mid-way between Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Ridge. As the men advanced, Confederate soldiers began to fire at them. John and his comrades were used to being shot at, but that did not mean they were not scared, for as one soldier wrote, "only fools are not afraid in battle." John survived the advance across the open fields and found himself among the Peach trees of Mr. Bliss's orchard. The fighting was unlike the image most people have of a Civil War battle. The men took cover or concealed themselves as best as possible and the enemy only exposed themselves to view for an instant to fire, then they would disappear in the tall grass meadows. More and more Confederate soldiers began to advance against John and his comrades.

John and his comrades loaded and fired as fast as possible, but they were heavily outnumbered and the Confederates managed to work their way around the right end of the 1st Delaware's skirmish line. John was cut off from the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge. He and several others of his regiment had no choice but to surrender. The men who captured John were from Mississippi and they would have taken his weapon and any other equipment they could use. Then he and the others captured would have been marched off to a point west of Gettysburg where the Confederate army was holding thousands of Union prisoners, who they had captured on July 1. After the battle, the Confederate army marched John and nearly 5,000 other Union prisoners nearly 100 miles to Staunton, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. From Staunton, John was moved by train to Belle Isle prison in Richmond, Virginia. Conditions in all prison camps, both North and South, were extremely unhealthy, and Belle Isle was no exception. John contracted Typhoid Fever and Scurvy (due to a lack of vegetables and fresh fruit). His scurvy became so serious that at one point his right ankle came out of the socket, so John was forced to walk on the side of his foot.

Somehow, John survived the diseases that attacked his body and his experience as a prisoner of war. He was paroled (which meant that the Confederate army released him from prison after John signed a parole that pledged that he would not take up arms against the Confederacy for a defined time period) on May 8, 1864. John was so sick that he remained in a hospital at Camp Parole, Maryland from July 1, 1864 until June 9, 1865. At last, he was discharged from the army and returned home. He went back to his former occupation of making shoes. Despite his wounds and the disease that had attacked his body, John lived a long life, living into the early 20th Century.

26. Sergeant William John Turner Hutchenson, Company E, Phillip's Georgia Legion, C.S.A.

We do not know with any precision William’s experiences in the attack of the peach orchard during Pickett’s Charge on the 3^rd day of the three day battle of Gettysburg. We do know that the Union soldiers in the Peach Orchard were overrun by Confederates, and that during the advance William’s captain was killed and three men in his company were wounded. William passed through the bloody encounter without a scratch.

The defeat at Gettysburg and the constant hardships of soldiering may have discouraged William, for he wrote to his wife on September 2, 1863, " . . . I knead money jest about as bad as I am going to. As to clothes, I can make out without you making me any at all I guess the government is able to furnish them and when it get so it is not able to do that I am going to come home." Following a disastrous attack of a Union fort at the end of November, combined with bad food and inadequate clothing to face the colder weather, William decided to leave the army and go back home. Imagine how bad things must have been and how homesick he was, for a good soldier like William to leave his comrades and his duty.

Sometime in 1864 William returned to the Legion. He took part in the Battle of the Wilderness in early May. Then at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House on May 12, 1864, William was wounded in the hand, and his middle finger was amputated. Towards the end of the war, as General William Tecumseh Sherman began fighting his way across Georgia to capture Atlanta, William never returned to the Phillip’s Legion and was listed as AWOL (absent without leave) on their rolls.

After the war, William ran a grocery store and owned a gold mine (gold was mined in the hills near his home, at that time). He also served as a tax collector in Lumpkin County for five years. William was proud of his service in the Confederate army and Robert E. Lee’s famous Army of Northern Virginia. He even named one of his children, Rebel Lee. He died on April 8, 1922.

27. Corporal Cornelius Gerrit Hendrick Bennink, 74^th New York Infantry, U.S.A.

Cornelius survived the battle unhurt, though he saw horrible combat when Confederates attacked his regiment near the Peach Orchard on July 2. Cornelius wrote in his diary that this fight was a "hot time." Another Union soldier described this conflict in more detail, writing "for an hour or more, the dreadful crash of battle resounded; the rattle of musketry, the bursting of shells, the roar of cannons, mingled with the cries of the wounded, and with the cheers and yells of the determined" enemy. Eighty-nine of Cornelius’s comrades in the 74^th were killed or wounded during the battle. Though they had won a great victory, Cornelius probably summed up the feelings of most of the Union army when he wrote in his diary on July 4 (Independence Day), "No celebration here to day."

Cornelius served with his regiment for another year, being in ten more battles, including the Wilderness (May 5-7, 1864) where he was wounded. His good service earned him a promotion to sergeant by the time he was mustered out (released from the army) on June 19, 1864. He had served his country through three years of war, surviving 24 battles.

After the war, Cornelius returned to Cambridge, where he opened a store. He was just as successful a citizen as he had been a soldier, for Cornelius was eventually elected Mayor of Cambridge and later to the Massachusetts Legislature. Success followed him to California where he became Mayor of Ontario and then a member of the California Legislature. Cornelius died at the age of 75 on August 4, 1917. He had served his adopted country almost his entire life, as a courageous soldier in war and as a productive citizen in peace.

28. Lieutenant William E. Harris, 45^th North Carolina Infantry, C.S.A.

William's regiment arrived upon a wooded hill, now called Oak Hill, about two miles northwest of Gettysburg, around noon on July 1. Rumors passed down the column that there had been heavy fighting earlier in the morning. Orders were called out to form into line, the fighting formation. William's place in the line would have been immediately in rear of the two rank line of battle. His job as a 1st Lieutenant was not only to supervise the men of his platoon, but also to act as a file closer. This meant that if someone was shot it was William's job to close up the files to prevent disorder in the ranks. The 45th North Carolina, and the other regiments of General Junius Daniel's brigade of over 2,000 men, took cover in some woods behind a rise of ground. [Colonel Daniel had been promoted to general by this time of the war]. William would not have seen any enemy soldiers although Confederate artillery nearby were firing away at targets beyond his line of sight. Around 1:30 p.m., General Daniel received orders to advance. William may have felt confidence if he looked down the lines of the long lines of gray-clad infantry like an irresistible wave. They emerged from the woods into open ground. Fences were encountered and either knocked down or climbed over. Commands of "Close Up!" "Steady Men!" were probably repeated over and over by William and other officers. To the left, and out of sight, furious musketry fire broke out, a sound that sent chills down even the bravest man's spine. The 45th North Carolina continued to advance. Still, no enemy soldiers were visible, although shells from their artillery came hurtling over with a terrifying scream. Another rail fence was reached. Suddenly, the enemy were seen - hundreds of them, in position along a road over 100 yards distant. The Yankee line seemed to explode as they fired their muskets. Men were struck and fell dead and wounded along the line, creating confusion that William would have attempted to prevent by pushing and shoving men to close up gaps in the line. The surprise and confusion created by the Yankee bullets was too great and the 45th North Carolina fell back under the cover of a hill to reform their lines and prepare to renew the attack.

While attempting to restore order in the regiment, Union artillery continued to fire shrapnel [cannon shells that explode above the target and scatter dozens of lead balls that kill and wound] and canister [like a giant shotgun shell, but it was effective for only about 400 yards]. The shrapnel would have burst in the air, above the heads of the men in the 45th, with a stunning explosion followed by the whirr of shell fragments and shrapnel balls. Canister whipped through the air with a sound like the quick wing beats of a bird. For the men of the 45th, unused to being under artillery fire, it must have been a terrifying ordeal. At 2 p.m. a shell burst, or iron canister ball, found its mark in Company F and killed William Harris.

Eventually, the 45th North Carolina, along with many other Confederate units, drove the Yankees from the fields west of Gettysburg. Of the 605 men in the regiment, 63 men were killed, 156 wounded, and an un-reported number were missing or captured. William was buried on the battlefield, possibly by Sam and James. We do not know where William was buried, but there were many Confederate burials near the scene of the 45th's fight. His grave may have been marked, but over time all identification was effaced, and when the bodies on this part of the field were removed to the South in the early 1870's, William was another unknown soldier of the battle.

On the morning of July 3, the 45th North Carolina was again engaged in fierce fighting upon the slopes of Culp's Hill. Among the casualties was Sam Harris, who was badly wounded in the arm and breast. He apparently fell near the Union lines for he was removed to the George Bushman farm, a Union field hospital. Young James may have been captured with his brother, for sometime during or immediately after the battle, he became a prisoner of war. On July 15, 1863, Sam Harris died of his wounds. The cruel reality of war must have descended upon James when he learned this news. Gettysburg had taken the lives of two of his brothers. He was a prisoner. Surely he saw no adventure or romance in war. James was imprisoned at various places until exchanged in September 1864. For nearly six months he recuperated at home in Rockingham County. He returned to duty in March 1865 and was wounded and captured in action near Petersburg, Virginia. This time he was sent to the Union prison camp at Elmira, New York. He was released on July 3, 1865.

Of four sons the Harris family gave to the war, only one returned.

29. Sergeant Philip J. Kuhn, 26^th Wisconsin Infantry, U.S.A.

Sergeant Philip J. Kuhn was wounded in the fighting on July 1, but was able to evade capture by Confederate pursuers and made his way to a Union field hospital where he was treated. Philip recovered from his wounds and rejoined his comrades of the 26^th Wisconsin Infantry, who had been sent west with the remainder of the 11^th Corps to join the Union army commanded by General William Tecumseh Sherman. Sherman’s army opened a campaign in 1864, marching on Atlanta. There were several terrible battles along the way and the 26^th Wisconsin saw heavy fighting outside of the city. The regiment participated in the much-celebrated "march to the sea," where Sherman’s army then turned northward and went through the Carolinas.

Philip was with his regiment at the last battle of that army near Bentonville, North Carolina on March 21 and 22, 1865. After the surrender of the Confederate Army at Durham Station, North Carolina, the 26^th marched to Washington and participated in the Grand Review.

Philip returned to civilian life and moved to Chicago, Illinois where he married and had five children

30. Private William Fletcher, 5^th Texas Infantry, C.S.A.

At Gettysburg, William was astonished that men of his regiment were expected to scale a steep and rocky hill that became known as Little Round Top. He said of the charge "Our tried and true men were being shot down like dogs." He himself was wounded during the charge and then later transferred to a Texas cavalry unit. At some point during General William Tecumseh Sherman’s raid across Georgia, William Fletcher was taken away to the north as a prisoner of war, but in 1864 he escaped from the prison and began to make his way back to the south.

The journey back to the south was less than exhilarating, for William was starving and it was very cold hiding in the snow-covered hills of Tennessee. He knew that he had to carefully make his way through enemy lines to avoid recapture. During the journey he became quite depressed and began to understand how men could leave their post and desert their units. One day he was so hungry that he stopped and begged a frightened farmer for some food. This farmer turned him out into the cold, and William later learned that that man was in fact his father’s brother. At his worst point, William almost gave up on life.

Soon however William ran into a North Caroline regiment and followed them. His experiences made him determined to fight even harder and help to bring an end to the war so that he could return home. William Fletcher did finally return home after the war ended in 1865, and his determined spirit stayed with him. In fact, by 1908 he had become a millionaire. He also wrote down his experiences, and some say that it was from these memoirs that author Margaret Mitchell created he epic novel "Gone With the Wind". Private William Fletcher died in 1915 and is buried in Texas.

31. Private Charles Beard, 33^rd Massachusetts Infantry, U.S.A.

Charles was as exhausted and worn as his fellow soldiers when they arrived at Gettysburg on July 1. Luckily the 33^rd Massachusetts was placed in reserve near Cemetery Hill just south of the town and did not have to face the Confederate onslaught that afternoon. The following day, the regiment was placed at the base of Cemetery Hill. Apart from some scattered shots from enemy pickets, the position offered good cover and a cool spring ran close by. That night, Louisiana and North Carolina troops attacked the hill. Though the Union line gave way on the left, the 33^rd Massachusetts men held their portion of the stone wall and fought back furiously. Charles was in the middle of the fighting, loading and firing at gray shadows when a bullet struck him. Surprised and shocked, he looked down at his left leg where he thought the bullet had hit. Luckily, it struck his canteen full of water and only caused a severe bruise.

Charles survived the battle and accompanied his regiment in the battles for Atlanta and the March to the Sea. On June 11, 1865, he was mustered out of service. He returned to Massachusetts and peacetime pursuits of farming until he married and decided to get into the ice business. Beard opened an ice house near Wenham Lake, Massachusetts and became a successful businessman. Beard was active as a member of the Massachusetts chapter of the GAR and well liked around his community. He died at the ripe old age of 84 and is buried near Wenham Lake.

32. Private Isaac Taylor, 1^st Minnesota Infantry, U.S.A.

As you heard during our broadcast, Isaac Taylor was killed on July 2 during the charge of the 1^st Minnesota Infantry against Wilcox's Alabama Brigade. He was buried on the field by his brother Henry who wrote to his parents:

"Dear Parents,
I scarcely dare write you that my dear brother who has shared many privations with me on more that one battlefield has fallen. He was killed by a shell about sunset on the 2nd, instantly on the field of Gettysburg, and was buried by two of my comrades and myself at 10 o'clock a.m. 3rd. The shell took off the back part of his head, passed out back cutting his belt in two- instantly killed. A few moments before, he, with the rest of our Regiment charged the enemy, and all of our Company officers were lost, and I was left in the command of the company.
"Our Regiment lost over two-thirds of its number during the two days' fight; but thanks be to God the victory is ours. I have Isaac's things and will send most of them home but I shall keep his watch with your permission. He wished Father to have his diary. Isaac has not fallen in vain. I cannot express to you my sorrow at his loss. I feel as though I was all alone.
Yours and my country's,
Henry"

Isaac Taylor is buried in the Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg, though the exact location of his grave is unknown. By the time his body was exhumed for re-burial, all identifying marks were gone. Isaac rests among hundreds of his fellow soldiers whose identities are "unknown but to God."

33. Private James Melvin Pittard, 14^th Alabama Infantry, C.S.A.

As you heard during the broadcast, James was seriously wounded in the side by a Yankee bullet on July 3. He was able to pull the bullet out of his wound and kept it as a souvenir of his participation in the battle. He returned to his home in Alabama and lived out his life, proud of his participation in the Civil War and as a member of the 14^th Alabama Infantry. His descendants still have and cherish the bullet that almost took his life at Gettysburg.

34. Private Joseph Pierce, 14^th Connecticut Infantry, U.S.A.

Joseph survived the Battle of Gettysburg unhurt, though 68 of his comrades were killed or wounded. On the final day of the battle his regiment was directly in the path of the final Confederate assault, "Pickett’s Charge." We can only imagine the thoughts he must have had as he watched over 12,000 Southern troops marched directly towards him. Another member of his regiment recalled this sight, "As far as the eye could reach could be seen the advancing troops, their war flags fluttering in the gentle summer breeze, while their sabers and bayonets flashed and glistened in the midday sun . . . the line moving forward like a victorious giant, confident of power and victory."

Despite this overwhelming scene, Joseph and his comrades stood firm and in a hail of cannon and rifle-fire repulsed the Confederate attack with great loss. For his good conduct he was promoted to corporal on November 1, 1863. Joseph survived the war and was officially released by the army when his regiment disbanded on May 31, 1865.

Returning home, Joseph became an engraver in Meriden, Connecticut and on November 12, 1876 he married Martha Morgan. Together they had four children (two sons and two daughters). Joseph supported his family well and continued to work until he was 72 years old. He died two years later on January 3, 1916. Though he had died far from his native land, he was buried in his adopted country, a country he had helped to save.

35. Bugler Charles Reed, 9^th Massachusetts Battery, Artillery Reserve, U.S.A.

"Congratulate me on passing through the severest battle of the war in perfect safety." So wrote Charles Reed to his mother just after the Battle of Gettysburg closed. "I must say I was surprised at myself," he continued, "in not experiencing more fear than I did as it seemed more like going in some game or a review." Yet it was more serious of an event and even the noise was overpowering. "Such a shrieking, hissing, seething I never dreamed was imagine able. It seemed as though it must be the work of the devil himself." Reed's battery was ordered to hold their position near the Peach Orchard and then retreated in the face of overwhelming numbers of Confederates. Caught near the Trostle Farm House, the men fought for their lives as the 21^st Mississippi Infantry swept into them, capturing the guns and shooting down man and horse alike. Within a matter of minutes, Reed lost 28 of his comrades and 60 horses were killed. The battery lost four of the six guns. Among the wounded was Captain John Bigelow, Charles Reed's commander. Reed disregarded his captain's instructions to be left behind, steadied Bigelow on his horse, and remained with the injured captain as they rode slowly from the field. Four months before the battle, Charles thought his captain a tyrant; yet at Gettysburg, he disobeyed orders and risked his life to save his commander. For his deed, Charles Reed would receive the Medal of Honor.

Charles served throughout the remainder of the war with the 9^th Massachusetts Battery and in the Topographical Engineers. He left the army on June 6, 1865 and took to his first love of art. His artistic talents gave him employment in drawing illustrations for many books, including several about the Civil War. His most famous book is Hardtack and Coffee,or the Unwritten Story of Army Life, which he wrote and illustrated in 1888. His energy and enthusiasm allowed him to work well into his later years and he died on April 24, 1926. His wartime experiences had a profound effect on him and he never forgot his battery mates who fought so nobly that warm July afternoon at the Battle of Gettysburg.