JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
Letterman Hospital overlooks Gettysburg in August, 1863. Every home was affected, every family had a story of the Day It All Changed Forever. Young attorney, husband and father in July, 1863, William McClean told his.
Please excuse the length. Thread is probably a big yawn unless ' Gettysburg ' is of interest. Eye witnesses to those awful days left us a small idea of what happens when war washes over a civilian population- as it did during late June and early July- and forever, in Gettysburg. William McClean was only 30, a practicing lawyer like his next door neighbor father Moses. He and wife Fannie had three little girls, Hannah, 5, Olivia, around 3 and 2 year old Fannie.
Somewhere in the forum there must be another thread on this brief account by civilian William McClean. Like quite a few others he did not publish his name- tracked it down through looking up the name he mentioned- a domestic, Anna Leonard living with them in July 1863. William's father Moses, also an attorney lived next door.
Not listed is a child born between the 1860 census and July, 1863. Named Fannie like her mother, William tells us of her death in October, 1863, in the town's diphtheria epidemic. Have a fair idea civilian deaths were numerous post battle. Before the first good frost, Gettysburg's aftermath included a vile combination of putrid air, wells contaminated by decaying flesh and barely buried men. You also begin seeing deaths caused by prolonged contact with chemicals used to preserve the dead- Carrie Shead's sister was one victim.
October 6, 1863
McClean writes of farmers traveling through Gettysburg in the days before the first shot- taking horses to safety as Lee's army advanced. Truncating as much as possible. Editing, starting at ' The battle commenced ".
There do not seem to be any stories of poisoned water but in the panic you could see where wild rumors took hold. Hadn't heard previously that civilians filled buckets to provide water for troops- July, 1863 was horrendously hot here in PA.
General Monaghan- Ewell's Corp had a Col. William Monaghan, 7th Louisiana. Perhaps McClean was not familiar with officer insignia?
Further up Middle Street another man must have been worried about his family and already wrote off the contents of his store- J. L. Schink's store was later made famous by this photo- the Sanitary and Christian Commission depot.
Tough to read, worth it, if you can pick your way through the fading type.
Read another account where a bed was hit, it is beyond amazing only one civilian died- during the battle, anyway.
Posting this far- getting long. Post #2, more of his account.