JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
With the most haunting, elusive call in all birdom, if not melodious, our whip-poor-will for some reason seems evocative of past, healing voices. Don't ask me why, Helen's songs for wounded that day at Fredericksburg made me think, not of larks or thrush- but this sweet, plaintiff song, calling from Time.
Wounded, in the yard at Mayre's House, from one of the massive tiff's on LoC
We are so familiar with some names, that when stories attached come up maybe our eyes glaze over, a little. It was an awfully big war. We'll gallop off to the next story / event slash gee whiz article. It can pay to back up the bus and listen ( literally ). Moments in time are awesome. Bumping into them makes you wish you'd been there, hopefully not a fly on the wall.
We do not see Helen smiling in photos. This is it, a little, half smile, I think? Dr. Reed, in his account, describes her this way- lucky we have it.
Fredericksburg, Maryre's House. Helen Gilson, niece of Massachusetts Governor Frank Fay was midway through a compassion fueled career, nursing wounded. We had more points of light, through blood drenched years, than stars you could count through a night- Gilson was one. Her story encompasses far too long a war, far too many gifts to wounded men to stuff into one thread. This is one moment, one gift, one day.
I like this LoC photo of Mayre's House best because it's so indicative of what a shambles the whole thing became.
Who knows, if these wounded heard Helen sing? It's an awesome, awful photo. Read somewhere 2/3's of Union casualties occurred in front of this position.
A demoralized, defeated Union Army was stunned, middle of December, 1862, with over 12,000 casualties in a massive battle where 200,000 men clashed. Porter's chickens vanished along with Union troops in front of Maryre's formerly dignified mansion, a horrendous, tragic site, during the battle and post battle. Front line hospitals were like that.
Help poured in, the usual names. Healing help, burying help, comforting help. This single moment has always gotten to me. We move so quickly through our day, turn on the TV or radio, make phone calls, pass time without noticing it. Helen Gilson had been a noted vocalist pre-war. She brought that, too.
' Began to crawl out into the entries ', ' crept on their hands and knees ; , . " Hers was indeed and angel of ministry ".
Her bio is elsewhere or we need a new thread. This is about that moment, in 1862, with 1863 around the corner.