- Joined
- Jan 16, 2015
Cattle met the same fate as horses, other livestock and humans at Gettysburg, in that many were killed, wounded or captured over the course of the battle, with some dying in captivity (in other words, slaughtered for food) and a few who managed to return home. Others escaped unharmed. (Not included here are the cattle herds both armies drove along to issue as fresh beef "on the hoof.")
David [P. D. W.] Hankey farm, two miles northwest of town. "That night [July 1], the Rebels killed Hankey's cows and calves … and brought them back to be cooked." (The Colored Servantmaid, Battleground Adventures, by Clifton Johnson – the Hankey farm was used as a field hospital.)
Moses McClean farm, one mile northwest of town. "The boys said that when the action opened there were two or three cows between the opposing lines and that their carcasses were afterwards seen riddled with bullets." (Bourne Spooner, 13th Massachusetts, Gettysburg Magazine, vol. 55, p. 19)
Andrew Weikert farm, west of Marsh Creek. The barn was used as a hospital and the family lost five "horned cattle." (Civilian damage claim, Adams County Historical Society)
McPherson farm, one mile west of town. "Near midnight [1 July] … little calf wandered about … bleating and moaning piteously … mother killed by a stray shot during the day … weary stepping of its tired limbs … touched its cold nose to my hand." (Some Stirring Incidents, by Joel A. Walker, Lieutenant, Company K, 45th Georgia, Philadelphia Times, March 17, 188?)
Ziegler family, Lutheran Theological Seminary. "We owned two beautiful white cows which were still alive when we returned home after the battle – the soldiers had seen that they were milked during our absence." ("The Dead and Dying …" by Lydia Ziegler Clare and Hugh Ziegler)
McCreary residence, at the intersection of Baltimore and High Streets. "We had an old cow that had been in the family for years, and the morning of the first day of the fight we had put her in pasture as usual. This pasture was near the edge of town. Of course, we saw nothing of her during the three days of fighting. Often one of us would say, 'I wonder what has become of the old cow.' The general opinion was that we had seen the last of her. On the morning of the fourth [fifth?] day, father, my brother, and I took a walk over the field to see if we could find any trace of her. We saw many terrible sights. Dead soldiers were lying around thick, dead horses, and many cow skins and heads; from this last we came to the conclusion that our cow had been killed for food like the rest, so we gave her up. As we were eating supper one evening a week or more after the battle, we heard a familiar bellowing in the street. Everybody sprang from the table and rushed out. There stood our dear old cow, looking as happy as it is possible for a cow to look at being home again. We petted and hugged her in our pleasure at finding her alive, and soon had her in the stable in her own familiar stall. Then we discovered that she had a bullet hole in her neck and one in her side. She was not severely hurt, however, and both bullets came out eventually. We found out later that all the cows in that particular field had got out and had wandered off about ten miles from town, beyond the firing line. After the battle they all found their way back to town." (Gettysburg: A Boy's Experience of the Battle, by Albertus McCreary, McClure's Magazine, vol. 33, no. 3, July 1909, p. 250)
George Wolf farm, one mile east of Gettysburg. Lost ten milk cows and four young cattle. (Civilian damage claims, Adams County Historical Society)
Between Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth said he was "compelled to take some person's milk cow for dinner for himself and staff." (Surgeon George W. New, 7th Indiana, Bachelder Papers, I:199)
Christian Benner farm, near Culp's Hill. "My people lived in a small stone house, just across Rock Creek from Culp's Hill. … Fencing had been pulled down and some of the neighbor's cows had gotten into our wheat on a hillside. … Our stray cattle were collected in a few days." (Son of Christian Benner, Battleground Adventures, by Clifton Johnson)
Mark's White Church, on the Baltimore Pike. "We were compelled to forage upon the country … We had killed such cattle … as we were enabled to find convenient … and prepared very promptly … a large amount of very excellent and suitable nourishment for our men." (Surgeon George W. New, 7th Indiana, Bachelder Papers, 1:198 – White Church became a field hospital.)
Cemetery Ridge, between the Abraham Brien barn and Angle. On the night of July 3, "a number of shots were heard in quick succession from our picket lines, the men hastily aroused took their places at the wall and waited patiently for orders. Instantly they held themselves in readiness to meet the approaching foe, peering into the darkness, with their weapons in their hands. Several volleys were fired and when morning came, it was found that a white cow had been the cause of all the trouble." (History of the Fourteenth Regiment Connecticut Vol. Infantry, by Charles D. Page, Meridon, CT: The Horton Printing Co., 1906, p. 167 – by the way, Abraham Brien owned a cow.)
Emmitsburg road, near the Peter Rogers farm. "A herd of thirteen of fourteen cows was quietly grazing upon the field" [prior to the opening of the battle on July 2]. (Three Years in the Army of the Potomac, by Henry N. Blake, 11th Massachusetts)
Klingle farm, Emmitsburg road. After the battle, "Mr. Klingle strolled all around on the battlefield to find his two cows and a calf. Found the hide of one cow, with part of the front quarter of meat attached to it, on the Trostle farm. … One month after the battle, Mr. Klingle heard where his other cow and calf were, about two miles northwest from his place. Every place he inquired for his cow the folks got angry at him; said they had lost all their cattle, too. He got the cow and calf, and Mr. Sherfy got his quarter of veal" [which had been promised to him just prior to the battle]. (The Klingle Farm at Gettysburg, by Timothy H. Smith, Crossroads to History, Winchester, VA: March 1999, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 1-8)
Abraham and Catherine Trostle farm. Animals killed or taken away included three cows, two heifers and a bull. (Civilian damage claim filed after the battle by Catherine Trostle)
Near Stony Hill. [Late on the afternoon of July 2] "A flock of cattle … came running down the hill in front of the Confederates. The entire drove was soon either killed or disabled." (Captain J. C. Hamilton, Company C, 110th Pennsylvania, National Tribune, October 7, 1909)
Near Stony Hill. "Two sergeants and many others tell me they saw two or three cows. Sergeant George Small says one of the cows had a bell on – the cows did not disappear until after the Pennsylvania regiment got behind the boulders on our right flank." (Captain George W. Verrill, 17th Maine, Bachelder Papers, 2:1066)
Near Devil's Den. In the afternoon of July 4 after the rain stopped, "a cow came into our line, and I milked her without any trouble. Three or four of us got all the milk we wanted. The cow was wounded in the right front leg, and on the right side of her face, below the horn." (B. F. Johns, Company A, 49th Pennsylvania, National Tribune, April 18, 1901, p. 3)
David [P. D. W.] Hankey farm, two miles northwest of town. "That night [July 1], the Rebels killed Hankey's cows and calves … and brought them back to be cooked." (The Colored Servantmaid, Battleground Adventures, by Clifton Johnson – the Hankey farm was used as a field hospital.)
Moses McClean farm, one mile northwest of town. "The boys said that when the action opened there were two or three cows between the opposing lines and that their carcasses were afterwards seen riddled with bullets." (Bourne Spooner, 13th Massachusetts, Gettysburg Magazine, vol. 55, p. 19)
Andrew Weikert farm, west of Marsh Creek. The barn was used as a hospital and the family lost five "horned cattle." (Civilian damage claim, Adams County Historical Society)
McPherson farm, one mile west of town. "Near midnight [1 July] … little calf wandered about … bleating and moaning piteously … mother killed by a stray shot during the day … weary stepping of its tired limbs … touched its cold nose to my hand." (Some Stirring Incidents, by Joel A. Walker, Lieutenant, Company K, 45th Georgia, Philadelphia Times, March 17, 188?)
Ziegler family, Lutheran Theological Seminary. "We owned two beautiful white cows which were still alive when we returned home after the battle – the soldiers had seen that they were milked during our absence." ("The Dead and Dying …" by Lydia Ziegler Clare and Hugh Ziegler)
McCreary residence, at the intersection of Baltimore and High Streets. "We had an old cow that had been in the family for years, and the morning of the first day of the fight we had put her in pasture as usual. This pasture was near the edge of town. Of course, we saw nothing of her during the three days of fighting. Often one of us would say, 'I wonder what has become of the old cow.' The general opinion was that we had seen the last of her. On the morning of the fourth [fifth?] day, father, my brother, and I took a walk over the field to see if we could find any trace of her. We saw many terrible sights. Dead soldiers were lying around thick, dead horses, and many cow skins and heads; from this last we came to the conclusion that our cow had been killed for food like the rest, so we gave her up. As we were eating supper one evening a week or more after the battle, we heard a familiar bellowing in the street. Everybody sprang from the table and rushed out. There stood our dear old cow, looking as happy as it is possible for a cow to look at being home again. We petted and hugged her in our pleasure at finding her alive, and soon had her in the stable in her own familiar stall. Then we discovered that she had a bullet hole in her neck and one in her side. She was not severely hurt, however, and both bullets came out eventually. We found out later that all the cows in that particular field had got out and had wandered off about ten miles from town, beyond the firing line. After the battle they all found their way back to town." (Gettysburg: A Boy's Experience of the Battle, by Albertus McCreary, McClure's Magazine, vol. 33, no. 3, July 1909, p. 250)
George Wolf farm, one mile east of Gettysburg. Lost ten milk cows and four young cattle. (Civilian damage claims, Adams County Historical Society)
Between Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. Brigadier General James S. Wadsworth said he was "compelled to take some person's milk cow for dinner for himself and staff." (Surgeon George W. New, 7th Indiana, Bachelder Papers, I:199)
Christian Benner farm, near Culp's Hill. "My people lived in a small stone house, just across Rock Creek from Culp's Hill. … Fencing had been pulled down and some of the neighbor's cows had gotten into our wheat on a hillside. … Our stray cattle were collected in a few days." (Son of Christian Benner, Battleground Adventures, by Clifton Johnson)
Mark's White Church, on the Baltimore Pike. "We were compelled to forage upon the country … We had killed such cattle … as we were enabled to find convenient … and prepared very promptly … a large amount of very excellent and suitable nourishment for our men." (Surgeon George W. New, 7th Indiana, Bachelder Papers, 1:198 – White Church became a field hospital.)
Cemetery Ridge, between the Abraham Brien barn and Angle. On the night of July 3, "a number of shots were heard in quick succession from our picket lines, the men hastily aroused took their places at the wall and waited patiently for orders. Instantly they held themselves in readiness to meet the approaching foe, peering into the darkness, with their weapons in their hands. Several volleys were fired and when morning came, it was found that a white cow had been the cause of all the trouble." (History of the Fourteenth Regiment Connecticut Vol. Infantry, by Charles D. Page, Meridon, CT: The Horton Printing Co., 1906, p. 167 – by the way, Abraham Brien owned a cow.)
Emmitsburg road, near the Peter Rogers farm. "A herd of thirteen of fourteen cows was quietly grazing upon the field" [prior to the opening of the battle on July 2]. (Three Years in the Army of the Potomac, by Henry N. Blake, 11th Massachusetts)
Klingle farm, Emmitsburg road. After the battle, "Mr. Klingle strolled all around on the battlefield to find his two cows and a calf. Found the hide of one cow, with part of the front quarter of meat attached to it, on the Trostle farm. … One month after the battle, Mr. Klingle heard where his other cow and calf were, about two miles northwest from his place. Every place he inquired for his cow the folks got angry at him; said they had lost all their cattle, too. He got the cow and calf, and Mr. Sherfy got his quarter of veal" [which had been promised to him just prior to the battle]. (The Klingle Farm at Gettysburg, by Timothy H. Smith, Crossroads to History, Winchester, VA: March 1999, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 1-8)
Abraham and Catherine Trostle farm. Animals killed or taken away included three cows, two heifers and a bull. (Civilian damage claim filed after the battle by Catherine Trostle)
Near Stony Hill. [Late on the afternoon of July 2] "A flock of cattle … came running down the hill in front of the Confederates. The entire drove was soon either killed or disabled." (Captain J. C. Hamilton, Company C, 110th Pennsylvania, National Tribune, October 7, 1909)
Near Stony Hill. "Two sergeants and many others tell me they saw two or three cows. Sergeant George Small says one of the cows had a bell on – the cows did not disappear until after the Pennsylvania regiment got behind the boulders on our right flank." (Captain George W. Verrill, 17th Maine, Bachelder Papers, 2:1066)
Near Devil's Den. In the afternoon of July 4 after the rain stopped, "a cow came into our line, and I milked her without any trouble. Three or four of us got all the milk we wanted. The cow was wounded in the right front leg, and on the right side of her face, below the horn." (B. F. Johns, Company A, 49th Pennsylvania, National Tribune, April 18, 1901, p. 3)
Forum Host
Sorry...I couldn't resist. 
Bringing the