Tag: Gettysburg Black History
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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…
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Exploring Joseph Craig’s Remarkable Journey
Joseph Craig’s life was short—just 39 years—but included a large family he grew up with, his own marriage and children, and enough hair-raising incidents for a couple of lifetimes. Joseph now rests quietly in the Lincoln Cemetery beneath a headstone provided by the government in 1887. He was born free in Adams County in 1843…
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Owen Robinson: From Enslaved to Entrepreneur
The roots of Owen Robinson may well be found in the pages of this will from the late 1700s. Wealthy plantation owner Thomas Barton Gorsuch carefully laid out the details of his plantation and those of his enslaved people, stipulating what his wife should get, his children, and even his grandson, Robert. To his wife…
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Francis Jackson: Enslaved to Soldier in Pennsylvania
When Francis Jackson went to war, he was 50 years old with whip scars on his back and gnarled, arthritic hands from his long days as a laborer and, likely, a slave. He joined earlier than almost every other black man in Gettysburg—he enlisted on July 18, 1863, in the 3rd USCT, just two weeks…
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Harriet Ciata Stanton: A Legacy in Gettysburg
Harriet Ciata Stanton’s ties go back to the founding of Gettysburg, and her descendants were still in Gettysburg at least through the early 2000s (and may still be there!). Even a hundred years ago, the newspapers referred to the family as the oldest in Gettysburg and Harriet as one of its most notable citizens. Harriet…
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Lloyd Watts: Pioneer of Black Education in Gettysburg
Lloyd Watts was a pioneer that history has mostly forgotten principally because his deeds were in the furtherance of education rather than battlefield glory. In 1834, the commonwealth legislature passed the Pennsylvania Free School Act, which provided free schooling for all children, including black children, ages 6 and above. This groundbreaking legislation marked a pivotal…
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Exploring the Unique Family History of Isaac Buckmaster
Spend a bit of time looking at the 1850 Census record that captured Private Isaac Buckmaster, 8th USCT, and his parents and siblings. What do you see? Anything unusual or curious? What do you not see? Like most, you probably saw names and ages. You may have noted who was in school and who wasn’t.…
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The Life and Legend of Keziah Elizabeth Thomas Kuff
On July 1, 1926, sixty-three years to the day of the start of the Battle of Gettysburg, Keziah Elizabeth Thomas Kuff passed away. She was hailed as the oldest resident of Gettysburg, possibly the oldest in the United States, maybe one of the oldest people ever to live. The headline of the day suggested she…
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James Green: Murder, Trial, and Mysterious Aftermath
The trial of James Green was straightforward—after shooting Samuel Mars, he turned himself in to a justice of the peace, acknowledging he had shot Mars but claiming he wasn’t guilty. He was arrested, and in short order, he was brought to trial. A parade of witnesses verified that Green carried a gun and that he…
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The Mysterious Story of Ida Millberry in Gettysburg
An odd headline in Gettysburg popped in 1905 related to Ida Millberry who was buried in the Lincoln Cemetery. Ida was not a longtime resident of Gettysburg but had come north from Maryland to live with her daughter there. The article, in many ways, is sort of mindblowing. None of us really wants to be…