On July 4, General Robert E. Lee began his retreat from the Gettysburg battlefield. Essentially, the wounded in wagons were directed west on the Chambersburg Pike and the army southwest on the Fairfield Road.
According to Captain Louis C. Duncan, when the Union army arrived in Fairfield on July 5, he found 871 wounded soldiers under the care of Confederate doctors B.F. Ward of the 11th Mississippi and William Randolph Wilson of the 1st Virginia Cavalry. Most of these men were probably left behind by Lee’s retreating army due to their condition and a general lack of transportation. However, it is not known if this number included wounded of the 6th U.S. Cavalry and the 6th Virginia Cavalry who fell on July 3 and were being cared for in the town. We do know that injured officers and men of the 6th U.S. were treated at the Blythe house (18 East Main Street), the R.C. Swope House (10 West Main), and St. John Lutheran Church. Out on the Fairfield battleground, both the H. Culbertson and J. A. Marshall farmhouses were temporary field hospitals on July 5, including the Mansion House. Captain Duncan also encountered two surgeons of the 6th U.S. Cavalry: William Monroe Notson, who had been wounded on the 3rd, and William Henry Forwood. Both of these doctors were captured by the Confederates. Of special note is the fact that after the war, Forwood served for three months as Surgeon General of the U.S. Army. Another result of the Gettysburg Campaign in addition to the dead and suffering, was the wanton destruction of private property. A total of $12,139.75 in damage claims were filed by the residents of Fairfield, and out in the township another $27,262.11 raised the claims in this portion of the county to $39,401.86. The petition of Daniel Musselman as a farm owner was typical of most claims: The said Daniel Musselman owns a Farm in Hamiltonban Township, Adams County, on which the third, fourth & fifth days of July 1863 a part of the Rebel army encamped, and carried away with them and destroyed the following articles, to wit: |
75 Post fence rails $2.25
168 Worm fence rails 4.22 Repairing Fences 10.00 6 Locust Posts 3.00 15 acres of wheat 219.70 4 acres of corn 96.00 3 acres of oats 45.00 45 bushels old wheat 58.50 10 bushels of oats 6.00 5 bushels of rye 5.00 20 bushels of old corn 20.00 8 bushels of chop 8.00 2 bushels of clover seed 16.00 12 tons of clover in the Field 84.00 7 tons of timothy in the Barn 84.00 |
Damage to grass in field 60.00
60 Bushels of Potatoes 30.00 15 Bushels of Sweet Potatoes 15.00 1 Piece of Flax 10.00 1 Bay Mare 4 years old 110.00 1 Broun Mare 12 years old 90.00 1 Grey Mare 4 years old 100.00 4 Fat Steers 160.00 7 Milch cows 175.00 8 Head of Young Cattle 112.00 2 sets of front gears 20.00 1 pr. Breechbands 18.00 2 Bridles, 3 Halters & chains 6.00 1 set Harness, collar & lines 20.00 1 Threshing Machine strap 20.00 |
Chains, traces & Jackscrew 12.00
Damage to carriage 8.00 Axes, single trees 5.00 Forks & Rakes 1.50 Damage to Straw Cutter 5.00 200 lbs. of Bacon 24.00 25 lbs. Sausage 3.12 120 lbs. of Lard 14.40 Butter & Shad 16.00 Clothing 26.00 Tin cups, Dishes, Knives & Forks 5.00 1 set of tea & Table spoons, silver 21.00 Silver Butter Knife & Spoon 2.00 Damage to Real Estate by encamping on and driving over the same 20.00 $1770.69 |
I hereby certify that the within articles were taken by the Rebel Army in their retreat from the Battle of Gettysburg July 1863. - Daniel Musselman
Musselman’s claim was also typical in that it would not be paid by the federal government because the damages were inflicted by the "Rebels." Eventually, the State of Pennsylvania did honor most such losses. |