07.21.09
Gettysburg Results
The new visitor center is a real beauty. The museum is great and well done. I thought the short film was nicely executed, too. It didn’t focus on the battle so much as it gave the battle context for the visitor.
The cyclorama auditorium is visible above the trees. The black-eyed susans were in full force.
We went from there to the Pennsylvania Monument. We quickly found the panel next to the clearly visible 62nd Infantry. The pattern of names matched the image in Gail’s old picture.
Returning to the Pennsylvania Memorial 68 years later to find the name she was pointing at.
No McAfee.
Mom seemed to agree that the image of the plaque in the photo matched well with the plaque we were standing in front of. So, who was Gail’s father holding her up to point at? “It looks like you’re pointing right here on the plaque, but there’s no McAfee. Just a guy named Hurlbert.”
“That’s my mother’s maiden name, but my great-grandfather was McAfee,” but there was no Pvt. William McAfee in the 61st Pennsylvania.
Mom and I looked at each other. We had a hunch that she was pointing at her maternal great-grandfather’s name in the photo, but she couldn’t now grasp that she had been pointing to a different ancestor on that day 68 years ago. She had mentioned that her mother’s side had also fought in the Civil War, so that’s the conclusion that Mom and I drew.
Still, that left the question of William McAfee. So, I started examining the other plaques.
We discover a William McAfee on the Knap's Battery plaque
Lo and behold! Knap’s Battery of Pennsylvania Lt. Artillery had a Pvt. William McAfee. Later on, we possibly found his brother in the 29th Penna. Infantry.
Knap's Battery Monument on Culp's Hill
Furthermore, what made it interesting, was that Knap’s Battery was eventually on Culp’s Hill, where it was responsible for dueling with the Confederate Artillery on Benner’s Hill. That just happens to be the place where our ancestor, Bowling Mitchell, was during the battle (the subject of our previous trip to Gettysburg, in fact), serving as a private with the Amherst Artillery.
Benner Hill as viewed from the tower on Culp's Hill. Knaps' Battery was firing on Confederate batteries located here (you can just make out the black cannon marking their position). The Amherst Artillery was just across the road in that small square clearing.
How’s that for history coming alive? All-in-all, I thought it was a fun and rewarding day.
07.15.09
Checking out the new Gettysburg NBP Visitor Center
In a few minutes, I’m going up to Gettysburg.
Mom’s friend, Gayle, is in town, and she’s given us a mission. Her great-grandfather, William McAfee was an Irish immigrant, who came over in 1861 and served in a Pennsylvania Regiment that fought at Gettysburg. His name is inscribed on the Pennsylvania Monument with the Regiment he fought for. She has a picture of her visiting the monument in 1941, at the age of 4. She’d like to find out what regiment he was in and see if a great-great-uncle name is on there as well (and find out which of several brothers it was). From the picture, I’m thinking they were in the 61st Pennsylvania Infantry.
Gayle (4 y.o.) at Gettysburg back in 1941
Easy enough to find that information on the web or an index of Union troops, but this way is more fun. Obviously, we’ll get the Gettysburg NMP stamp at the new visitor center (the last time we were there was at the old site on April 23, 2007). If we have time, we’ll take the tour of the Eisenhower Farm. I’d like to see the restored Cyclorama. It may have its own stamp.
