The Safety and Danger of the Chapel

On July 1, 1863, fifty-two-year-old Elizabeth Butler was bound, gagged, and paraded through the streets of Gettysburg. Confederate cavalry intended to send her South and into slavery as contraband. Instead, she would find safety in one of the most blood-soaked churches of the battle.

Striking Back for Freedom

Teenager Samuel Butler may well have seen his mother dragged off. It wouldn’t be long before he acted. Six months later, young Samuel enlisted with the 25th USCT and headed into the heart of the Confederacy to claim freedom forever for his family and all African Americans.