Wounded in the Valley of Death

Gettysburg Greg

First Sergeant
Joined
Jun 6, 2010
Location
Decatur, Illinois
On the evening of July 2nd, Sergeant Major George Wesley Hancock Stouch of the 11th US Infantry was holding a wall along the edge of the Wheatfield when his unit was hit on the right flank by the Confederates. They were driven back to the rock wall on Day's Hill before retreating into the Valley of Death towards their comrades on LRT. Sgt. Stouch was attempting to carry a wounded comrade when he was captured by the Rebels. He was ordered to take cover behind a large rock in the valley with some other wounded Union men to avoid being hit by fire from their own men on LRT. Sgt. Stouch and the other men remained there until Crawford's counter attack drove the Confederates back to the Wheatfield. During the Confederate retreat a Reb not 50 yards away took several shots at the men behind the rock killing two and severely wounding Sgt. Stouch in the wrist.
Twenty-three years to the day later, Sgt. Stouch and his family returned to Gettysburg where they posed around the rock that Sgt. Stouch would never forget. Today, the rock can be found directly in front of Smith's Battery marker in the Valley of Death. This is a condensed version of the story from a Gettysburg Blog entry from a couple of years ago. If interested in a far more detailed version, check out the blog at: https://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/2015/06/19/sergeant-stouch-returns-to-Gettysburg/
Below is a then and now I put together using photos courtesy of the Gettysburg NPS. Sgt. Stouch is seen leaning on the rock and according to him, he was wounded where his wife is standing at the center of the rock.
slouch rock combo.jpg
 
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