Author: Gordon Laws
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Madness in Gettysburg: Ephraim Albert Shot His Wife, Not a Dog
The name Ephraim comes from the Bible and means “fruitful” or “doubly fruitful.” By all appearances, Ephraim Albert appeared to fit the definition. He was a farmer who was the son of a farmer—the youngest of at least three, possibly more, kids in fact. And Ephraim was similarly fruitful. In the 1870 Census, he’s shown…
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John Crawford: Lawyer and Gentleman Farmer
As with much of the Underground Railroad, very little can tell us whether John Crawford knew what Basil Biggs was up to when he lived on as a tenant farmer on Crawford’s land. Biggs and family moved to the area from Maryland in 1858, seeking to be in a non-slave-holding state and looking for educational…
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Brother v. Brother: William Weikert, Adultery, and Dogfighting
The person easiest to track in this story is William Henry Weikert, son of John George Weikert. Mercifully, nearby Weikerts in the same generation did not have a son named William Henry. When talking about men named George Weikert in Civil War Gettysburg, we have to get precise. It doesn’t help to go to middle…
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Charles Hoffman Found Out: Don’t Mess with David Middlecoff
When Charles W. Hoffman wound up in legal and debt disputes with the Fahnestocks and David Middlecoff, he was battling some of the most powerful men in the region. David Middlecoff, in particular, was a nationally recognized politician, businessman, army and militia leader, and lender. Once the relationship turned sour, Charles Hoffman wasn’t going to…
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Did Samuel Foulk’s Business Hurt Charles Hoffman?
In other articles, we’ve looked at how Wesley Culp followed Charles W. Hoffman south to Shepherdstown, Virginia, and how that decision likely influenced him to join the Stonewall Brigade. We’ve also seen that one of Hoffman’s motivations to leave may have been the debts he accrued to the Fahnestocks and David Middlecoff. We’ve also looked…
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Samuel K. Foulk: The Carriage Maker who Helped Raise Young James A. Wade
Samuel K. Foulk (born March 22, 1827, in Perry County, Pennsylvania – died April 25, 1910, in Huntington Township, Adams County) was a craftsman-entrepreneur who lived most of his adult life in Gettysburg, Adams County. Best known as a carriage maker and blacksmith, Foulk later in life also farmed the land. He witnessed the upheaval…
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The Bank of Gettysburg through the Years
The names of people associated with the Bank of Gettysburg, Gettysburg’s first bank, include surnames even casual students of the town would recognize: James Gettys, Jacob Eyster, John McConaughy (father of David McConaughy), and various others. The bank’s original building (now part of the Gettysburg Hotel) was in the famous square (or diamond, as many…
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The Troubled Life of John T. Weikert, Wounded Veteran
To understand John Thomas Weikert, it helps to know something about war trauma and family violence. One of the underreported aspects of the Civil War was the number of veterans who were scarred both physically and mentally. Harrowing images exist that show us disfigured men who had to struggle with disabilities for the rest of…
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George W. Weikert: Farm, Family, and Missing Carpet
George W. Weikert was in prosperous circumstances in 1860. At least, that’s what the Census indicated. In one page in 1860, the Adams County Census taker managed to capture many of the families, wealth, and farms that would be devastated just three years later. One could almost overlay that page on the Elliott Burial Map…
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Confederate Burials Near Basil Biggs’ Home
Burial records of Confederate dead frequently refer to someone interred near the home of Basil Biggs. Basil is probably the best known black resident of the era; he is celebrated for his role in the Underground Railroad as well as work in helping to create the National Cemetery and the Lincoln Cemetery. Basil would later…