Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak is the host for our Gettysburg Hospitals series. He is standing near the Taneytown Road (behind the camera) at the Sarah Patterson Farm. The Sarah Patterson Barn is in the background above the sign. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak retired after spending 37 years working for the United States Postal Service. Phil first came to Gettysburg in 1999 and had Paul Cooksey as his guide. Phil became a self-described “Gettysburgaholic,” and decided to study to become a Licensed Battlefield Guide. He passed the December 2004 exam, and was licensed in November of 2005. He started as a part-time Guide, but became full time when he retired in January, 2007.
To contact Phil Lechak, click here to reveal his email address.
To see Phil Lechak’s previous series on Camp Letterman, click here.
To see the previous posts in the Gettysburg Hospitals’ series, click here.
In today’s Gettysburg Hospitals’ post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak shows us the sites of a couple of hospitals on the Taneytown Road, including the Sarah Patterson Farm.
This map shows the location of the videos we shot at for this post. Videos #1-13 were shown in our previous Gettysburg Hospitals posts. Video #14 was taken at the entrance to the Sarah Patterson Farm. Video #15 was taken on the lane/driveway to the Sarah Patterson Farm. This map was created facing north at approximately 5:00 AM on Saturday, October 15, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak is standing on the east side of the Taneytown Road. The Granite School House Lane is behind the cameraman. He is pointing towards our destination, the Sarah Patterson Farm. The site of the Michael Frey Farm is the large yellow house in the left background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak is standing by the sign marking the site of the Michael Frey Farm. The Frey Farm was used as a Third Corps Hospital, and possibly a hospital for the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac. This view was taken facing east at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
At the first large curve south of the Michael Frey Farm is the location of the Jacob Swisher Farm. This is currently the site of Artillery Ridge Campground. This was probably the site of a hospital for the Third Division of the Second Corps (Alexander Hays’ Division), Army of the Potomac, as more than a few dead from this division were found buried on this site following the battle. The photo was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
The Sarah Patterson farm buildings sit farther from the Taneytown Road than the original Frey buildings and Swisher buildings. This was the hospital for the Second Division of the Second Corps (Gibbon’s Division), but other Second Corps divisions, Third Corps units, and Confederates were also cared for in this location. The photo was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
In Video #14 (Videos #1-13 were shown in our prevous posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak shows us the location of the Sarah Patterson Farm. This view was taken facing southeast to north to southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Surgeon Justin Dwinell of the Second Corps wrote the following about the Sarah Patterson Farm: “The Hospital of the Second Division was located… at the stone barn and orchard of Miss Sally Patterson on the Taneytown Road immediately in the rear… of the… Corps. At night the wounded occupied the large barn and the ground under the trees in the Orchard…. As near as I can judge we had five hundred wounded men that night (July 2nd) most of whom belonged to the Second Division.” The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
We’ll start walking down the lane to the Sarah Patterson farm buildings. The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
The white sheds in the left background are post Civil War structures. According to the current property owners, the barn was built in 1830. The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak is standing in the Sarah Patterson Farm Lane. The barn is in the center background. The house on the site (out of sight, in the trees behind the barn) is probably a post Civil War structure. The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
In Video #15 Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak reads Surgeon Justin Dwinell’s description of this site. This view was taken facing southeast to south at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
The 1860 federal population census shows that Sarah Patterson was a Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania resident, who used the Gettysburg Post Office. The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
The census shows that she was 32 years old, and that she was born in Pennsylvania. The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Phil Lechak is standing by the “front” of the Sarah Patterson Barn. The photo was taken facing facing southwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
The 1860 census also shows that Sarah Patterson was “white,” and that she lived in the same dwelling and was part of the same family with Julia A. Patterson (1787-1863), born in Pennsylvania… The photo was taken facing northwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
… Elizabeth Epley (1779-), born in Pennsylvania… This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
…Samuel Grove (1851-), born in Pennsylvania… The photo was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
…Clara Virginia Musser (1858-1861), born in Pennsylvania… The photo was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
Sarah Patterson’s real estate had a value of $1000… The photo was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
…and her personal estate had a value of $300. The photo was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:00 PM on Friday, August 5, 2011.
The text for all of the Corps Hospital markers. For a pdf version, click here.
Dr. Jonathan Letterman’s Official Report of the Battle of Gettysburg. For a pdf version, click here.
Greg Coco’s book, A Vast Sea of Misery
is available from Thomas Publications.
is available from Thomas Publications.
Roland Maust’s book, Grappling With Death, the Union Second Corps Hospital at Gettysburg. For ordering information click here.
.To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.