Georgia Wade and John Louis McClellan married prior to the battle of Gettysburg in April 1862. They were married at the German Reformed Lutheran Church on East High Street. Life was hectic through the Civil War. John enlisted three times into the Union Federal Army. The first was a three month enlistment into the 2nd Pennsylvania from April 1861 to July 1861. He then re-enlisted after his three month was up for another year from July 1861 to June 1862 into the 165th Pennsylvania. The rest of the war he was in the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry.
In June 1863, Georgia was at home at their house, the duplex on Baltimore Street. Her mother and sister moved in with her prior to her giving birth to her healthy son. However, between their first son’s birth on June 26th and Georgia’s birthday on July 4th, she saw the battle outside and inside of her house and she saw her sister shot and killed in the house. Georgia, her mother, and a few soldiers had to bury her sister in the garden on her birthday on July 4th. She continued to be a new mother, a nurse around town caring for wounded soldiers, and a grieving young woman. She cared for wounded soldiers quartered at the Adams County Court House over the hill near the square in downtown Gettysburg. She was able to gather to see President Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. However, she couldn’t wait till John was discharged to get home. John was discharged after Appomattox in July 1865, and returned home.
John returned home, and their life with a family of three was about to change again. Georgia was pregnant again, and they welcome their first daughter in August 1865, and named her after late sister Jennie. Her name was Jenny Wade McClellan. Being a family of four, the duplex was becoming too small for their growing family. Living in a house where her sister Jennie was killed, and now their daughter Jenny being a baby, I think John and Georgia wanted a new location to live their lives. Wanting a fresh start, John traveled westward on the railroad.
He scouted the area and traveled as far west as Mahaska, County, Iowa. He returned home and told Georgia that they were moving to Iowa. They left Gettysburg in 1866 by railroad to live their temporarily. Almost three years to the day, Georgia and her family were on the first passenger train arriving into a new village in western Iowa named Denison. There are many different “wards” within the community. They lived somewhere in the blue box below.
Three more children would be born in Denison, Iowa. James Britton was born in December 1867, Nellie in November 1870, and John Harry McClellan in February 1880. Their father, John Louis McClellan became the community’s first marshal and served three terms. He also built the old courthouse.
Georgeanna joins the National Women’s Relief Corps in Iowa. During her time at the Relief Corps, she was a secretary, the president of the local and the national position, and Matron for the Benedict Home in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her mother, Mary Ann Filby Wade was still in Gettysburg. With the forwardness of Mary and Georgeanna towards the War Department, finally in 1882, there was a pension granted towards Jennie’s mother. Georgeanna led a campaign to erect a statue of Jennie in Gettysburg’s historical Evergreen Cemetery.
It occurred many years later in 1901 on the 38th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg on July 3rd. This is the only picture that many have used through the years of the dedication of the monument. Jennie Wade’s sister Georgia is seated in the front row 2nd from the right.