Gettysburg; Clouds On The Horizon, June 1863

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Two more pieces from the battle, unknown to the world that early summer- the Herbst name and the all important, Baltimore route. Sometimes 100's of wounded a day were sent by train, to hospitals in Baltimore, Washington DC and anywhere it was possible to receive so many.

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Herbst Barn, notation ' barn burned by rebels ', on era map



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The famous cannon ball, at Sherfy's

The (presumed) Union cannon ball embedded itself in the cherry tree on the north side of the Sherfy house either late on July 2 or on July 3. That very tree was the same one Sergeant Ellis C. Strouss of Company K, 57th Pennsylvania took refuge behind earlier on July 2:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/fi...nnsylvania-veteran-volunteer-infantry.151900/
 
Thank you! 57th at Gettysburg, by the fact Strouss lived to identify that tree, he must have made it through the war? What seems amazing about the regiment is how relatively few casualties were suffered compared to that list of engagements. Not that 160 plus men vanished from the earth is ' few ', you'd have thought it would be decimated.

Now to go find Ellis. Ah. Born in Allentown, was in Crawford county at the time of his death in 1908. Made Captain, according to Find A Grave's memorial. Doesn't seem to have married, ever, unusual- last time I came across that, soldier had been terribly wounded in the war- disfigured, poor nice man must have been self conscious hence shy.

Sorry, for some reason knowing who these men were always seems important.
 
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