Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing near the grave of Jennie/Jenny/Ginnie Wade in Evergreen Cemetery. See our previous post on the Jennie Wade’s death on March 6, 2009. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
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 our host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg’s civilian cemetery.
In the first Evergreen Cemetery post, Deb showed us the headstones damaged during the battle. In our second post she introduced us to the cemetery, and showed us the statue of Elizabeth Thorn and the plot where some soldiers killed during the battle are buried. In today’s post she shows us the grave of Virginia “Ginnie/Jennie/Jenny” Wade, Jack Skelly, James Gettys, and the Thorn boys.
This map shows the location of where our Evergreen Cemetery videos were produced. Video #1 was at the stone of Frederick Huber. Video #2 was taken at the gravestone of Esaias Jesse Culp. Video #3 was at the Maurey headstone. Video #4 was at the shaft for the family of George Smyser. Video #5 was at the shaft for the family of Edward McPherson. Video #6 was taken on East Cemetery Hill across the Baltimore Pike from the Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse. Video #7 was taken on East Cemetery Hill by Stewart’s Battery B, 4th U.S. Artillery position and near the Hancock Statue. Video #8 was taken at the Elizabeth Thorn Statue. Video #9 was taken at the plot where some United States and Confederate States soldiers killed during the battle are buried. Videos #10 and #11 were taken near the grave of Ginnie/Jennie/Jenny Wade. Video #12 was taken near the grave of Jack Skelly. Video #13 was taken near the Major-General Oliver O. Howard Monument on East Cemetery Hill. Video #14 was taken near the grave of James Gettys. This map was created facing north at approximately 5:30 PM on Thursday, June 25, 2009.
In Video #10 (Videos #s 1-9 were in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny gives us the story of Jennie Wade. The sound you hear in the background was made by the contractors stripping the “Sickles Fence” of its paint. This view was taken facing southeast to south at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
The parents of Jennie Wade were James Wade (1813-1872) on the left, and Mary Ann Filby Wade (1820-1892)on the right. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Jennie Wade’s uncle, Thaddeus Filby, was killed in 1864 near Petersburg, Virginia. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
The Women’s Relief Corps of Iowa became involved in the erection of the monument to Jennie Wade after Jennie’s sister, Georgia Wade McClellan, moved there in 1867. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny has now moved to the southeast of the Jennie Wade Monument so we can get another view of the monument and the flagpole. The tallest statue in the left background is the Soldiers’ National Monument in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
In Video #11 Deb Novotny tells some stories of the flagpole at Jennie Wade’s grave. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Deb is now standing by the marker to Johnston H. “Jack” Skelly Jr. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
In Video #12 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny discusses the relationship between Jennie Wade, Jack Skelly, and Wesley Culp. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Deb is standing by Jack Skelly’s grave, pointing to the statue of Jennie Wade, which is the tallest whitest object among the green trees. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Jack Skelly was first buried in Winchester, Virginia, where he died. He was reburied here in November, 1864. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
The writing on Corporal Jack Skelly’s headstone is fading… This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
…so this plaque was created to clearly show the inscription. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Elizabeth and Peter Thorn, the caretakers of Evergreen Cemetery had two young sons at the time of the battle. They are both buried in Evergreen Cemetery, and fairly close to each other. Deb is standing near the grave of Fred Thorn… This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
…and she’s now standing near the grave of George Thorn. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Fred Thorn was seven years old at the time of the battle. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
George Thorn was five years old at the time of the battle. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Deb has now moved to the statue of Oliver O. Howard on East Cemetery Hill. See our previous post on the Howard Statue on April 1, 2008. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
The base of the statue of Oliver O. Howard is on the right of this view. The statue to Winfield Scott Hancock is in the left background. The red bricks of the Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse are visible in the background, just to the left of Deb. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
In Video #13 LBG Deb Novotny tells us how one of the Thorn boys got on the nerves of Major General Oliver O. Howard on July 1, 1863. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
By the way, the left (north) side and the right (south) side of the Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse are not connected so that individuals could move within the arch. They had to go outside. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
We have now moved to the grave of Gettysburg founder James Gettys. The tall monument in the background is the New York State Monument in the Gettysburg National Cemetery. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:15 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2009.
A closer view of the inscription on the James Gettys (1759-1815) Monument. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
A likeness of James Gettys is on his monument. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
In Video #14 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny gives us a history of James Gettys and how his grave eventually ended up in Evergreen Cemetery. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny shows us the relationship of the monument to James Gettys to the marker for his son, Robert Gettys. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
The inscription on Robert Gettys’ (1809-1827) gravestone includes the following: “Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so shall you be. Prepare for death & follow me.” This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
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