GDG- Two Foes on the March - Thurs, Jul 2‏‏

[RC rutler]

>From the Horner Journal .....
“we marched last night till one A.M. marched about twenty five mile in all yesterday started this morning at six O’clock and went about fifteen miles when we halted within sight of the rebs now we expecting to march on the battlefield soon evening we are on the battlefield and in line of battle the boys are determined to drive the rebels out of the state the battle is raging fiercely now we will soon be in.”
Franklin Horner, 12th PA Reserves
 
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>From the Ware Journal ..... 
“We received orders to be ready to march at 7 O’clock.  Soon we were in marching order and left for the Scene of action.   Passing through Cashtown and marching one hour we came in sight of Gettysburg.  Here we rested in an old field until 2 O’clock, at which time we left to Attack the Enemy.  After passing through a very heavy shelling for 20 minutes we rested and then formed a line of battle... 
We charged the enemy, driving them from their position …” 
 
The next entry for July 2d explains the mystery of why the handwriting changed in Thomas Ware’s journal on July 1st:  
 
“Here at the foot of the mountain the engagement became general & fierce & lasted until 8 O’clock at night.  And in the third and last charge the fatal blow was struck.  
My brother:  You have offered your life as a sacrifice upon your country’s Altar.  
Today concludes the term of life of my Brother.  He now sleeps upon the battle field of Gettysburg with 
    There brothers, Fathers, small & great,
           Partake the same repose
    There in peace the ashes mix
            Of those who once were foes.”      
Robert  Ware         
 
(note: this explains the change in handwriting effective with the July 1 entry.  After Thomas Ware was killed in the fighting around the triangular field on Jul 2, his brother Robert of the same Regt retrieved the journal from his brother’s lifeless body and continued to make journal entries, even rotely backdrafting a Jul 1st entry before finally acknowledging Thomas’s death in the above inspiring passage.)  
 
This concludes this string of journal entries from two foes from just before the battle of Gettysburg.  It is just a small excerpt of the larger work.  In his 35 Days to Gettysburg, Mark Nesbitt does a wonderful job of tying the journal entries of these two soldiers in with related Official Records and historiography of the battle.  I highly recommend it as reading for the Gettysburg enthusiast.  No mention of any ghosts, either!  :)
 
Craig Rutler
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