Gettysburg Dentist Stories Part 3 Licensed Battlefield Guide Dr. Denny Forwood D.D.S.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Denny Forwood continues our series on Gettysburg Dental stories. In today’s post, his first story is of Secretary of State William Seward who stayed in the Robert Harper home the night of November 1863. The Wills House, where President Lincoln stayed that night is on the left. The Old Masonic Hall, which now occupies the site of the Harper House, is directly behind Dr. Forwood. This view was taken facing east at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide and Dentist, Dr. Denny Forwood, continues our series of Gettysburg related dental stories. In our first dentist post, he gave us a general background of Civil War dentists, and told us specific stories related to the Blocher Farm, and Lewis Paine (Lewis Powell). In our second post he took us to Culp’s Hill, Wright Avenue, and the Rose Farm. In today’s post we visit Gettysburg’s Diamond/Square/Circle, the Maryland Monument, the Peach Orchard, and the Angle for some stories related to dentistry.

Dr. Forwood was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1946. He was raised in Towson and Reisterstown, Maryland. Denny graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1968 with a degree in Microbiology. He graduated from the University of Maryland Dental School in 1972. Dr. Forwood served in the United States Navy from 1972-1974 at the Naval Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island. At that facility he treated hospital patients/hospital staff, and those attending the Navy War College. He has a practice of General Dentistry in Frackville, PA from 1974 to the present.

This map shows the locations of the videos in this series. Video #1 was shot on Chambersburg Street near Christ Lutheran Church. Video #2 was shot north of town near the intersection of Howard Avenue and the Carlisle Road. Video #3 was filmed near the Florida State Monument on West Confederate Avenue. Videos #s 4-5 were shot on Culp’s Hill. Videos #s 6-7 were taken on Wright Avenue, and Videos #s 8-9 were taken on the Rose Farm. Video #10 was taken on Gettysburg’s Diamond/Circle/Square. Video #11 was taken at the Maryland State Monument near the old Cyclorama parking lot. Video #12 was filmed at the 3rd Michigan Infantry Monument on the southeast corner of Sherfy’s Peach Orchard. Video #13 was taken west of the famous “Angle” of the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge. This map was created facing north at approximately 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 19, 2009.

In Video #10 (Videos #s 1-9 were in our previous Dentist posts) Denny Forwood gives us some background on William Seward and Thomas Gunning who designed an dental splint that Seward will be wearing the night that Lewis Paine (Lewis Powell) attacked Seward on the night of April 14, 1865. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

After being driven out of the Diamond/Square/Circle by the brass band we moved to the Maryland State Monument near the old Cyclorama parking lot. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

In Video #11 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Denny Forwood informs us about southerner James Baxter Bean who received a dental degree from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, and who designed an almost identical dental splint to the one that Thomas Gunning designed for William Seward. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Denny Forwood has now moved to the southeast corner of the Peach Orchard by the monument to the 3rd Michigan Infantry Regiment. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

In Video #12 Denny Forwood tells us about the Colonel of the 3rd Michigan, Byron Root Pierce, who was a dentist, and who was severely wounded at Gettysburg. Denny also gives us a little “value added” interpretation by describing fly paper and its relationship with Grand Rapids, Michigan. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Dr. Forwood has now moved west of the famous outer “angle” of the stone wall on Cemetery Ridge. The monument to the 71st Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment is in the background to the right of the tree growing out of the angle. This view was taken facing east at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

In Video #13 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Denny Forwood informs us about dentist Richard Bayley Winder who operated on William D. McIntire of the 19th Virginia Infantry Regiment (Garnett’s Brigade) in 1886. McIntire was operated on because of a wound that he received here on July 3, 1863. This view was taken facing east at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Even while guiding, Dr. Denny can’t leave dentistry far behind. His Licensed Battlefield Guide ID card has his picture on the front… This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

… and a dental message on the back. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 6:00 PM on Friday, June 19, 2009.

To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.