Children at the Battle of Gettysburg - Their Unforgettable Summer

By Robert Jones

The children of the 19th century were no different than today’s kids. They looked forward to summer and enjoying the pleasant weather. However, it wasn’t all fun; most still had their daily chores to do, just as they did during the rest of the year - many farms and orchards were in Gettysburg.
In 1863, America’s Civil War between the Northern and Southern states was in its third year. Most of the fighting was taking place in the south, so Gettysburg and its 2400 residents were spared the devastation which came along with the battles. They were truly aware of the ongoing war; many fathers, sons, and brothers answered the call when President Abraham Lincoln asked the Northern states, as it did of Pennsylvania, to support the Union cause.
For the children of Gettysburg, it would not be their normal summer. There were always rumors about the Confederates coming, but now it all came true and it would indeed be their “unforgettable summer”.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781300879848

Robert Jones

Robert Jones was born in Gloucester in 1957 and read Philosophy and English at Cambridge. He is a director at Wolff Olins, one of the world's best brand consulting firms, and has worked as a consultant in corporate communications for 16 years, with companies such as Andersen Consulting, Cameron McKenna and the National Trust. He lectures at Oxford Business School on marketing.

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Children at the Battle of Gettysburg - Their Unforgettable Summer

Children at the Battle of Gettysburg Their Unforgettable Summer

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By Robert Jones

John King, a young boy who lived in Gettysburg in July 1863, is posing with the bayonet he found on York Street shortly after the battle

ISBN: 978-1-300-87984-8

Dedication

Dedicated to my three children

Jennifer

Rachael

Robbie

And their children

Emily

Patrick

Sydnie

Madison

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.                                        

Aldous Huxley, 1894 - 1963

Introduction

It is 1863 and the Civil War was now in its third year and there was no end in sight. Most of the fighting was taking place in the South, especially in Virginia. However, only ten months prior, the terrible and costly battle of Antietam was fought in Maryland, which was getting pretty close to the northern states. This was only fifty miles from the small Pennsylvania farming town of Gettysburg, where most of this story is taking place.

The town of Gettysburg was made up of brick and wood row houses with dirt streets lined by trees. There were the usual small town shops, several churches, and a Lutheran Seminary just to the north of town. On the outskirts were farms and orchards which spread for miles. There were 2,400 residents but many of the able bodied men went off to serve the country when President Abraham Lincoln put out the call to defend the Union cause. Since the war began back in 1861, it was a common occurrence to hear The rebels are coming! However, these were just rumors and nothing ever became of it until June of 1863 when it was no longer a rumor….the Confederates were actually coming.

When their fathers, uncles, and brothers left to serve the country, they thought this was just a part of everyday life, something adults were expected to do. Most of the children really didn’t know or understand what war was all about or the consequences it could have. Actually, many of them thought this might be something exciting; after all, Gettysburg was a quiet little town and nothing ever happens there. Thousands of soldiers from two separate armies would truly make for some thrilling times….how could it not?

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Charles McCurdy, who was ten years old at the time, ran down the street to join a crowd of other boys like himself, who were watching the Confederate soldiers coming down Chambersburg Street, some were even firing their pistols in the air. Young Charlie said "I waited only for the front line to come into view before making record time for home where I