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Reverend Michael Bushman: A Gettysburg Legacy
Perhaps the most prominent manmade structure associated with July 2, 1863, is the home of Reverend Michael Bushman. The brother of Emanuel Paul Bushman and the uncle of Sadie Bushman, Michael Bushman (1812–1893) was a prominent figure in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, known for his leadership in the German Baptist Brethren Church and his ownership of a…
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Aunt Polly Culp: Gettysburg’s Beloved Figure of the Civil War Era
Elizabeth Culp, known to the locals as Aunt Polly Culp (no, we don’t know why), was intertwined in most of the major families of Gettysburg and familiar to almost everyone. Born to Heinrich Reiff and Barbara Eyster in 1780, she was the oldest of at least eight children. She grew up in Rockland Township, Berks…
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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…