A ghostly finger?

[hoosier]

If you visit the Devil's Den at Gettysburg, you can find the monument to the 4th NY Artillery on the west side of the rocks (i.e., the side facing away from Little Round Top). The monument is topped by a statue depicting an artilleryman with his long sponge ramrod in hand.

On either side of the monument, you can find the unit's flank markers. Just a few feet from the 4th NY's left flank marker is a large, flat rock, in which is clearly carved the name "P. Noel."

Legend has it that, back around 1890 or so, a young woman named Paulina Noel was riding in a carriage nearby. The carriage overturned and Paulina was killed. Shortly thereafter, the name appeared, and there are those who say that Paulina's shade returned to the site long enough to engrave those letters with her ghostly finger.

An interesting yarn, despite the fact that the Adams County records contain no mention of a resident named Paulina Noel or that such a person ever died in an accident in that area.

What the Adams County records do show, however, is that a gentleman named Park Noel was born in Gettysburg in 1868 and lived there for a number of years. He was quite well known, at one time serving in the sheriff's office.

At the age of 20, Mr. Noel found employment with one of the crews engaged in erecting monuments around the Gettysburg battlefield. This was in 1888, 25 years after the battle, so it was a big year for monument dedications at Gettysburg.

If you compare the lettering of "P. Noel" as carved in the rock with the lettering in the 4th NY's left flank marker, you will notice that the styles are amazingly similar.

Were those letters written by Paulina's ghostly finger? Or by young Park, who decided to borrow the engraving equipment just used on the flank marker to try to leave his own mark for posterity?

(Message edited by Hoosier on October 27, 2003)

[dadaken]

I believe I like the second more plausable story about Park Noel carving his name. Than the "ghostly finger" of poor Pauline. However, here is an item of interest. I know of a woman named Pauline who was thrown from a horse and buggy when her horse was "spooked". This story very much grounded in fact
took place in Pennsylvania but not in the Adams county area. It happened in the 1870's in the Lancaster area at least this is where I think.. Her name was Pauline Noel Pyle formerly of Plyesville, she was not young but a woman of greater age and a mother of 12 children and a grandmother of dozens (not to mention
of which she was my grandmother's grandmother of whom a sister was named) Could one legend have grown from a local story of intrest? Or just a cowinkie****? Good question.