Picking Green Beans Even During Battle

[donna]

38 - CIMG1598
Susan Slater / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Sarah Broadhead, resident of Gettysbury was terrified. There were soldiers in her town and a battle was going on. She was scared for her and her husband and 4 year old daughter.

She was very terrified for her husband. He must get the green beans picked. So in the midst of sharpshooters, bullets, distant volleys and artillery thunder, her husband decided to harvest the green beans.

It was the beginning of July and the beans were ready. He didn't want them to go to waste. Mr. Broadhead went out in the backyard and proceeded to pick the beans. From the doorway, Sarah watched and hoped he would be safe.

He did get them picked and returned to the house. He had his pan full with beans ready to snap and cook.
From Sarah Broadhead's, Journal.

 

[JOHN42768]

Kind of sounds like they were away from the battle area. " distant volleys and artillery thunder, ". Still makes one want to think real hard before attempting.

 

[frontrank2]

Neat story. Thanks for posting it.

 

[donna]

They lived at 217 Chambersberg St. not far from the Lutheran Seminary. Her diary is "The Diary of a Lady of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania from June 15 to July 15, 1863."
Sarah's dates 1831 to 1910. Her diary has been called the most comprehensive written document on the role of women in the Civil War. From Amazon.

 

[lupaglupa]

My husband is outside picking beans right now

He did wait until the thunderstorm passed.

 

[Viper21]

Cool story..!

Been a great year for green beans at my place..! With the couple dozen jars that haven't made it to the pantry yet, probably have a 2 year supply just from this years harvest. Still picking some too.

 

[Mrs. V]

Love the fresh greener beaners..for some reaosn we don't get that good of a harvest in my area. I'll blame soil and weather. We are planning a garden for next year, and are "interviewing" plants to include. We know we want tomato..slicers, roma, cherry. Thinking about swiss chard and maybe eggplant..Seedless cucumber..I've been pushing for garden space for years, and now that I made him take over the mowing, he's decided he could do with less grass..*smirk*

 

[donna]

Enjoyed seeing your jars. They look so good.

 

[Peace Society]

I always have trouble growing green beans. Someone always eats the plants before they can produce.

 

[donna]

Deer and rabbits love them. I remember them eating beans in my Granny's gardens.

 

[JPChurch]

My great grandma (her pap was at Gettysburg) taught me how to snap green beans when I was a child. I remember that fondly.

Growing them here is hit or miss. They don't tolerate too much rainfall. Nor do they like an unusual heavy frost despite being covered in October. I've had entire rows cleaned out by deer/rabbits overnight when the sprouts were small. But when I get lucky, they're fantastic. I put in the bush/string- less/snap variety. All my Fall seeds will go in Sept 1rst, green beans included. Wish me luck!!!!

 

[Gettysburg Guide #154]

The bean picking took place on July 2, according to Sarah. They had been hiding in their cellar during the morning, and came out only when the noise of cannonading ceased. They then came into the light and tried to get something to eat. Sarah tells us, "My husband went to the garden and picked a mess of beans, though stray firing was going on all the time, and bullets from sharpshooters or others whizzed about his head in a way I would not have liked. He persevered until he picked all, for he declared the Rebels should not have one." It is a fair question to ask as to just where the bullets would be coming from on Chambersburg Street on July 2, but just hearing the sound of shots being fired would be enough to make a person imagine the worst and fear for the safety of a loved one. With her husband back inside, Sarah felt secure enough to bake a pan of shortbread and boil some ham. Although she said it was the last they had, it was shared with some neighbors who joined them for "the first quiet meal since the contest began." Sarah provides an excellent account, including providing the reader with an inkling of the fear that she felt. Several events that she relates coordinate very nicely with the history of the battle as we know it, and she has not political career to advance. Accordingly, I credit her account with a high degree of veracity.

 

[lupaglupa]

I always have trouble growing green beans. Someone always eats the plants before they can produce.

We have a rabbit fence around the bed where the beans are and a deer fence (7 feet tall!) around the whole garden. We could not grow anything if we didn't fence aggressively.

 

[JPChurch]

We have a rabbit fence around the bed where the beans are and a deer fence (7 feet tall!) around the whole garden. We could not grow anything if we didn't fence aggressively.

The deer are fleeting and only appear sporadically. I haven't seen any in like over a year. The rabbit population has diminished quite a bit. The red foxes have taken care of that since they moved in and set up a cozy den under one of the sheds around here somewhere. You ottta hear the mom scream assembly for the kits in the middle of the night. Sounds like a Boris Karloff/Vincent Price movie

 

[mofederal]

They really must have liked those green beans is all I can say. Give me tomatoes instead.