The "Other" Trostle Shell Hole

[Gettysburg Greg]

Most Gettysburg buffs are quite familiar with the famous shell hole in the Trostle barn seen in O'Sullivan's July 6th image of Bigelow's dead artillery horses. Were you aware that there was also a shell hole in the unfinished Trostle summer kitchen next to the house? This one was recorded in O'Sullivan's photograph of fallen horses in front of the Trostle house. Unlike the damage to the barn, this hole was repaired when the summer kitchen was finished. The repair job can be seen today as shown in the photo below on the right. On the left is a highly magnified detail of the 1863 image focused on the hole in the summer kitchen. Below that I will include O'Sullivan's uncropped image.

 

[Tom Elmore]

Nice work!

(from Civil War News article, July 2014) Catherine Trostle, whose farm is on United States Avenue, filed a compensation claim. She said her husband Abraham had become insane and was in a lunatic asylum. 16 dead horses near the house and an estimated 100 dead animals on the farm. Itemized losses included 27 acres of wheat, 9 of corn, 8 of oats, 4 of barley, 1 acre of flax, 1 acre of potatoes, 32 acres of grass and 20 tons of hay from the barn. The house and barn were damaged by shells and had been used as hospitals. Beds and bedding, two barrels of ham and shoulders, clothes and household and kitchen goods were taken. Animals killed or taken away included three cows, two heifers, a bull, a large hog and sheep, 50 chickens and two hives of bees. She did not receive compensation.

 

[Warren]

Catherine Trostle's husband, Abraham, was a resident of the Alms House.

 

[PeterT]

Excellent!

 

[Northern Light]

Catherine Trostle's husband, Abraham, was a resident of the Alms House.

Was he insane before the battle or did it drive him to insanity?

 

[Warren]

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/f...y=2241&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=14692076&df=all&

From Gettysburg Daily: "The Trostle Farm was owned by Peter Trostle, and leased to his son, Abraham Trostle, for 15 years in 1849. Abraham Trostle, his wife, Catherine, and their children stayed at the farm until the fighting was too close. They then abandoned it, and were not present during the battle."

According to Catherine's claim that was notarized October 20th, 1868 which she signed (by making her mark) she stated in part, "That her husband, Abraham Trostle, has become insane and is now in the lunatic asylum..."

I believe this was from her claim submitted with the state. Her Federal claim was submitted in 1874.

From this, I would believe that he went insane after the battle. I think that the devastation to the family's farm upon their return after the battle did not help his mental condition. Whether or not it was the cause of his being committed I don't know.