Two soldiers of the Rochester Union Grays fell in battle during their time at Gettysburg in July 1863. Fifteen of their comrades would be wounded but survived. Their actions on July 1st led the Union battery to be reinforced by the 1st and 11th Corps later that morning as Confederates approached from the west. These two soldiers put their lives on the line to hopefully save the town behind them, and maybe win the battle by their sacrifice. Let’s explore these soldiers who are buried here in Gettysburg.
Private Edward Costello was born in Schroby, England in 1834. Probably sometime around the time he reached his twenties, he set sail for the Americas. In December 1861, he enlisted into the Union army for the 1st New York Light Artillery in Rochester, New York. Sadly, he passed away on July 1st and died at the First Corps Artillery Brigade Hospital nearby. His body though was never buried or recovered by family and his place of burial remains unknown. His wife, Jane, applied for the pension application on July 20th, after she heard of her husband’s death on July 1st. Looking at the chart below, it looks like it wasn’t accepted till February 1867.
| 19,973 | Costello, Jane | Rochester | widow | $8.00 | Feb., 1867 |
Here is the application number that is listed within the Monroe County, New York list of Pensioners from the 1883 list. After many days of searching, I’m at a loss for trying to find out what happened to his wife, Jane, and his family. In 2026, inflation would make that eight dollars relate to about 210 dollars per month.
General Lansing B. Swan was the founder of the Union Grays and was presented this flag on June 9th, 1839.
The second soldier that fell was that of Private John P. Conn. He enlisted on September 19, 1861 in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. He was severely wounded near Reynolds Woods from the fighting on July 1st morning. He was taken to the same Artillery Brigade hospital as Private Costello. The difference is that he survived till July 7th. He was buried initially in a marked grave at the Reformed Lutheran Church graveyard in Gettysburg. He was then reburied in the Soldiers National Cemetery. He is found within the New York Plot, Section E, Site #7.