Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is the host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery. She is standing by the front door of the Michael Jacobs House located on Middle Street. On July 4, 1863, sixteen year old Mary Jacobs stood in the door to warn United States soldiers about Confederates farther down Middle Street in the area of the white construction truck. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is a retired American History Teacher from Gettysburg High School. She has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1975 and serves on the board of the Evergreen Cemetery Association. She is the host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg’s civilian cemetery.
To contact Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny, please click here to reveal her email address.
See the previous parts to the Evergreen Cemetery tour here
In today’s post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny describes some actions by Mary Jacobs on July 4, 1863, presents Pennsylvania Hall where Michael Jacobs helped Union soldiers into the cupola, and shows us Jacobs’ grave in Evergreen Cemetery.
We would like to thank Bobbie Phillips and John Phillips whose law firm, Phillips & Phillips, now occupies the Michael Jacobs House, for allowing us to visit and to take the images that we are able to produce in this post.
This map shows the location of where our Evergreen Cemetery videos were produced. Videos #1-#47 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts. Videos #48 was taken at the Michael Jacobs House at the intersection of High Street and Washington Street. Video #49 was taken at Pennsylvania Hall on the campus of Gettysburg College. Video #50 was taken at the grave of Michael Jacobs in Evergreen Cemetery. This map was created facing north at approximately 6:15 AM on Saturday, September 9, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing in the doorway of the Michael Jacobs House on the northwest corner of Middle Street and Washington Street. She is pointing to the area where Union soldiers marched on Washington Street towards this direction. Sixteen year old Mary Jacobs stood in the doorway and warned Union soldiers when to cross Middle Street to avoid Confederate fire to the west. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
In Video #48 (Videos #1-#47 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is at the Michael Jacobs House at the intersection of Middle Street and Washington Street. She explains the actions of Mary Jacobs in this location on July 4, 1863. This view was taken facing northwest to southeast to south to southwest to northwest to southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
The owners of the Jacobs House discovered this original mantel that was located in the house at the time of the battle. It is now located in this chimney at the eastern side of the Jacobs House. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Some details of the mantel include an open book at the center of the mantel piece, possibly representing Michael Jacobs profession as a professor. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
More details of the mantel. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
More details of the mantel. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
More details from the mantel. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
More details from the mantel. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
More details from the mantel. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is on the campus of Gettysburg College. Behind her is Pennsylvania Hall. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
In Video #49 Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the campus of Gettysburg College. She explains how Professor Michael Jacobs provided access to the cupola on Pennsylvania Hall to Union soldiers. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
A closer view of the cupola on Pennsylvania Hall. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing on the south side of Pennsylvania Hall near a plaque explaining that it was used as a Union signal station during the Gettysburg Campaign. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Deb Novotny is standing in Evergreen Cemetery near the grave of Michael Jacobs. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
In Video #50 Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing in Evergreen Cemetery by the grave of Michael Jacobs. She explains some contributions of Jacobs including his experiments with canning fruits. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is holding a book written by Professor Michael Jacobs on the Gettysburg Campaign. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
The book, Notes on the Rebel Invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania and the Battle of Gettysburg is considered the first book on the battle. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
On the bottom section of page 25, Jacobs describes allowing Union officers to have access to the cupola at Pennsylvania Hall. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
If you can find it for a decent price, the best book on Evergreen Cemetery is by the current Superintendent of the Cemetery, Brian Kennell. It is titled Beyond the Gatehouse: Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery. For ordering information from Amazon (again probably not the best price), click here.
To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.