Author: Gordon Laws
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The Curious Deaths of Peter Culp and Jonas Ebbert
On January 1, 1913, the Gettysburg Compiler reported the deaths of both Peter Culp and Jonas Ebbert—men who had a curious link that the Compiler failed to note. From Carroll County, Maryland, just across the state border, Jonas passed on Christmas Day, while Peter died suddenly two days later at his home on Water Street…
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Jacob Culp: Steward of Adams County Alms House
Jacob Culp was related to the other Culps featured on this site. All of them descended from the German couple Christophel Kolb and Maria Caterina Leise. Their name became Culp within a generation, and one of the children of that couple owned the farm that included the hill now known as Culp’s Hill. Jacob was…
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Uncovering Julia M. Culp: The Untold Story of a Gettysburg Nurse
Julia M. Culp is forever linked to her brother John Wesley Culp. Wes’s July 1 nighttime visit to his sisters Anna Eliza and Julia is the source of stories and legends handed down through the ages and the place in history where Julia shows up most often. But who was Julia? Julia M. Culp, born…
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Remembering Keller Culp: A Union Soldier’s Sacrifice at Andersonville
Known to friends and family as Keller, Benjamin Keller Culp was another cousin of John Wesley Culp whose fate added to the Culp family tragedy. Born on May 31, 1844, in Adams County, Pennsylvania, Keller’s life was profoundly shaped by the tumultuous events of the American Civil War. In the summer of 1862, responding to…
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Tragedy of Young James Culp: A Family’s Loss After Gettysburg
The tragedy of young James Culp only multiplied the sorrows in the Culp family and the inexplicable horrors the town had experienced. Two months after the Battle of Gettysburg, shallow graves still dotted the farms; visitors poured in from around the country, seeking to reclaim their fallen loved ones; scavengers and souvenir collectors of all…
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David Culp: A Life Shaped by Gettysburg and the Civil War
David Culp was born in Gettysburg in 1830, a son of Adams County who would see his hometown transformed by war. A plasterer by trade, Culp’s work helped shape the town’s buildings, yet his legacy extends beyond construction. His service in the Civil War with the 87th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, his capture at the Second…
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William Culp, Older Brother of Wesley Culp
The second-most recognized Culp in history is Wesley’s brother William Culp. The two cannot be separated because they have come to be emblematic of “brother against brother” Civil War. In fact, unveiled in 2013 is a monument on Steinwehr Avenue with the face of William pointing north and the face of Wesley pointing south. Legends…
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The Battle of the Crater: William Bedford’s Valor
William Bedford was born in Maryland, the son of Sylvester and Agnes (Williams) Bedford. Though records indicate he was likely living in Frederick County in 1860, his exact location in that year’s census is uncertain. Standing 5 feet 9 inches tall with black hair, black eyes, and a black complexion, Bedford would later find himself…
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The Mystery of Eliza Armstrong’s Age and Legacy
On January 9, 1907, the Gettysburg Compiler noted the passing of Eliza Armstrong, a black woman then residing at the Adams County Almshouse. As with similar articles of the era, it fixated on curiosities barely connected to the life of the person. In this case, the issue was one of age, and here the newspaper…
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The Anonymity of History: Remembering William Burley
You don’t know William Burley. Neither do I. On Presidents’ Day, we have nearly innumerable sources to draw from in contemplating the lives and impacts of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Naturally, both are inextricably linked to the story of freedom for all in the United States. Most of us never generate this sort of…