Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr is standing in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery. He is pointing to the graves of Brigadier General Gabriel Paul on the left and Brigadier General Romeyn B. Ayres on the right. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Arlington National Cemetery, overlooking Washington, D.C., has many connections to Gettysburg and to the Gettysburg Campaign. There are many more connections than to only Robert E. Lee’s residence, and John F. Kennedy’s grave. Almost every row in the older sections have someone buried there who had a link to Gettysburg.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr shows us the individuals connected to Gettysburg who are buried at Arlington.
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In our first Arlington post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr explains Robert E. Lee’s connection with Arlington, how the Union Army first occupied the site, and why Union Brigadier General General Montgomery C. Meigs established a National Cemetery at Arlington.
In our second post, Rich Kohr showed us the burial places of some of the first Union soldiers killed during the Gettysburg Campaign, and individuals such as John Gibbon and Hiram Berdan.
In our third Arlington post, some of the Gettysburg Campaign graves we saw included those of Ezra Carman, Roy Stone, and Abner Doubleday.
In today’s Arlington post, we show the graves of Gabriel Paul, Romeyn B. Ayres, J. Irvin Gregg, and Samuel Perry Lee, and James Jackson Purman.
This map shows us the locations taken of videos for our Gettysburg at Arlington series. Video #1, was taken southeast of the Arlington House. Video #2 was taken in front of (east of) the Custis-Lee Mansion. Video #3 was taken behind (southwest of) the Custis-Lee Mansion near the grave of Brigadier-General Montgomery C. Meigs. Video #4 was taken south of Mary Lee’s rose garden, at the graves of two members of the 1st Maine Cavalry Regiment. Video #5 was taken on the eastern slope of the grounds of Arlington at the graves of John Gibbon and Julius Stahel. Video #6 was taken at the graves of Wheelock Veazey and Hiram Berdan. Video #7 was taken the near the graves of Ezra Carman, Henry Van Ness Boynton, and Joseph Wheeler. Video #8 was taken near the graves of Roy Stone and John R. Brooke. Video #9 was taken near the grave of Abner Doubleday. Videos #10 and #11 were taken near the graves of Gabriel Paul and Romeyn B. Ayres. Video #12 was taken near the grave of James Jackson Purman. This map was created facing north at approximately 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 6, 2009.
Brigadier General Gabriel Paul commanded the First Brigade of John Robinson’s Second Division of the First Corps at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. He fought on Oak Ridge. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
In Video #10 (Videos #1 – #9 were shown in our previous Arlington posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr is standing near the monument to United States Brigadier General Gabriel Paul. Paul lost his sight after he was seriously wounded at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. This view was taken facing southeast to south at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
General Paul died “at his residence” in Washington, D.C. at 10 a.m. on May 5, 1886. The listed cause of death was “coma following on an epileptiform convulsion, the result of a wound received at the battle of Gettysburg, Pa.” This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Not far from the grave of Gabriel Paul is the family plot of United States Brigadier General Romeyn B. Ayres. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
More than a few members of the Ayres family are buried here, including at least one Confederate nurse not listed on this monument. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
In Video #11 Licensed Battlefield Guide Rich Kohr is standing near the monument to Brigadier General Romeyn B. Ayres, not too far from the monument to Gabriel Paul. He also shows us the grave of Ayres’ mother-in-law Juliet Ann Opie Hopkins. This view was taken facing northeast to north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Brigadier General Romeyn B. Ayres commanded the division of U.S. Regulars at the Battle of Gettysburg. They fought in the area of Plum Run Valley and the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Juliet Ann Opie Hopkins (1818-1890) was the mother of Romeyn B. Ayres’ second wife. She was known as the “Florence Nightingale of the South.” She was once wounded while rescuing casualties at the Battle of Seven Pines which left her with a permanent limp. She died while visiting her daughter in Washington, D.C. on May 9, 1890. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Other graves we stumbled across in our walk through this area included Union Cavalry Brigade commander, J. Irvin Gregg. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Gregg’s Brigade was lightly engaged at the Battle of East Cavalry Field on July 3, 1863. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Major Samuel Perry Lee of the 3rd Maine Infantry and Major General David Birney’s staff is also buried in this area. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Lee helped lead the reconaissance of the 3rd Maine Infantry and Berdan’s Sharpshooters on Seminary Ridge on July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Lee was wounded in the arm on July 2, 1863, resulting in its amputation at the shoulder. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
Frederick W. Mitchell was a lieutenant with the 12th Illinois Cavalry which fought with Buford’s division at Gettysburg. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
First Lieutenant James Jackson Purman received the Congressional Medal of Honor at Gettysburg for “Voluntarily assisted a wounded comrade to a place of apparent safety while the enemy were in close proximity; he received the fire of the enemy and a wound which resulted in the amputation of his left leg.” Mary Witherow was a Gettysburg resident who nursed him back to health in her father’s home before she became his wife. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
In Video #12 Rich Kohr is standing near the grave of James Jackson Purman of the 140th Pennsylvania Infantry. His unit fought in the Wheatfield on July 2, 1863. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
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