GDG- Jenny Wade, the Heroine of Gettysburg

[Richard M Kadas]

Might it not be more accurate in line with th historical reality of her death to categorize it as collateral damage. 
  Dick

Ginny Gage <lewandginny at emailmv.com> wrote:
  Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:


>From the Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser &shy; December 1, 1863:

The country has already heard of John Burns, the hero of Gettysburg‹of how
the old man sallied forth, a host within himself, ³to fight on his own
hook,² and how he fell wounded after having delivered many shots from his
trusty rifle into the faces and the hearts of his country¹s foes. John
Burns¹ name is already recorded among the immortal, to live there while
American valor and patriotism have an admirer and an emulator. But there
was a heroine as well as a hero of Gettysburg. The old hero Burns still
lives‹the heroine, sweet Jenny Wade, perished in the din of that awful fray,
and she now sleeps where the flowers once bloomed, and the perfume-laden air
wafted lovingly over Cemetery Hill. Before the battle, and while the
national host were awaiting the assault of the traitor foe, Jenny Wade was
busily engaged in baking bread for the national troops. She occupied a
house in range of the guns of both armies, and the rebels had sternly
ordered her to leave the premises, but this she as sternly refused to do.
While she was busily engaged in her patriotic work, a Minnie ball pierced
her pure heart, and she fell a holy sacrifice in her country¹s cause.
Almost at the same time a rebel officer of high rank fell near where Jenny
Wade had perished. The rebels at once proceeded to prepare a coffin for
their fallen leader, but about the time that was finished the surging of the
conflict changed the position of the armies, and Jenny Wade¹s body was
placed in the coffin designed for her country¹s enemy, and thus the heroine
of Gettysburg was buried. The incidents of the heroine and the hero of
Gettysburg are beautifully touching, noble and sublime. Old John Burns was
the only man of Gettysburg who participated in the struggle to save the
North from invasion, while innocent Jenny Wade was the only sacrifice which
the people of that locality had to offer on the shrine of their country!
Let a monument be erected on the ground which covers her, before which the
pilgrims to the holy tombs of the heroes of Gettysburg can bow and bless the
memory of Jenny Wade. If the people of Gettysburg are not able alone to
raise the funds to pay for a suitable monument for Jenny Wade, let them send
a committee to Harrisburg, and our little boys and girls will assist in
soliciting subscriptions for this holy purpose. Before the summer sunshine
again kisses the grave of Jenny Wade; before the summer birds once more
carol where she sleeps in glory; before the flowers again deck the plain
made famous by gallant deeds, let a monument rise to greet the skies in
tokens of virtue, daring and nobleness.‹Harrisburg Telegraph.
__ 


We find the foregoing paragraph going the rounds of the press,
credited to the Harrisburg Telegraph. It is a pity to spoil a pretty story,
but the claims of truth sometimes require it. Aside from the simple facts
that Miss Wade was killed b a stray bullet, amid the crash of shot and shell
which rained over and through our town, during the terrible conflicts of
July, and that Mr. Burns, an old and patriotic citizen, signalized his
patriotism by gallantly fighting with the 1st Corps, there is scarecely a
word of truth in the whole paragraph‹certainly more of falsehood than truth.
The friends of Miss Wade have the deep sympathy of our people, while Mr.
Burns¹ patriotism receives its full mead of praise, and no community has
given evidence of its willingness to render both promptly and fully-ribald
newspaper correspondents to the contrary notwithstanding We do not know
that it is necessary for our people to go abroad to seek inspirations of
patriotism or duty. At all events, we feel assured, they would hardly go to
Harrisburg for lessons in this respect, if one fourth of what has been
written and printed of the doings of the goodly citizens of that place
during the memorable days of June and July, be true.

We refer to the above article, however, as it furnishes
occasion, once for all, to correct some mis-statements, which have been so
often reiterated, that their continued repetition, uncontradicted, may carry
with them some semblance of truth. The Telegraph has seen fit editorially to
rehearse these miserable slanders, as offensive as they are silly, and in so
far accredits them.

1. While doing justice to the patriot impulses of JOHN BURNS &shy; an old man
of 70 years &shy;it is not necessary to utter the falsehood that he ³was the
only man of Gettysburg who participated in the struggle to save the North
from invasion.² Gettysburg has sent to the field, since the beginning of
the War more than one half of its voting population. The blood of her sons
has freely mingled with that of the heroes of the Republic on more than one
hard-fought field. Fair Oaks, Mechanicsville, Malvern Hill, South Mountain,
Antietam, Donaldson, Shiloh, Stone River, Vicksburg, Port-Hudson,
Winchester, Newbern, Blackwater and Chickamauga, attest their devotion to
the national cause. One of our companies (Capt. Bailey¹s) was in the battles
of Gettysburg, and suffered severely in the terrible fight on the left of
the National lines. The 165th Regiment from this County (Col. Buehler), as
the time of Lee¹s invasion was lying at Suffolk, Va., their term of service
about to expire. As soon as the purpose of Lee to invade Maryland and
Pennsylvania developed itself, this Regiment, unanimously, through its
officers, requested to be ordered at once to the defense of our
State‹tendering their services as long as the State or National Government
should require them for that purpose. The War Department, however,
preferred to retain the Regiment at Suffolk. Besides all this, in June
last, in response to the Governor¹s call, two companies were organized here
for the emergency, to ³save the North from invasion,² one of which (Capt.
Klinefelter¹s) promptly marched to Harrisburg and reported for duty, while
the other (Capt. Bell¹s) for ten days contested the passes of the South
Mountain, falling back only when the enemy came in overwhelming force. This
company is still doing efficient service to the State. Can the Telegraph say
as much for Harrisburg?

2. The death of MISS WADE is made the occasion of another equally
malicious assault on the reputation of our people, in the statement that
this ³was the only sacrifice which the people of that locality had to offer
on the shrine of their country.²‹Possibly it might have suited the fancy of
the Telegraph editor to have recorded the slaughter of more of our innocent
women and children by rebel bullets. Fortunately, we can boast of but one.
But if Mr. Bergner means to affirm that the ladies of this community‹town
and country‹made few or light sacrifices during the terrible scenes of July
last, he simply lies &shy; as thousands of suffering, wounded soldiers, and
hundreds of Christian men and women, summoned here on errands of love and
mercy, can well attest. Fortunately, the fair fame of our people in this
respect is not in the keeping of venal newspaper correspondents. It may be
a very easy and agreeable task for newspaper scribers, in the security of
cozy editorial sanctions, far removed from the theatre of danger, toil and
suffering, to pen ribald assaults upon those who, in the midst of personal
danger, deprivation and suffering, have exemplified the highest claims of
Christian sympathy and duty; but it is neither kind nor manly.



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