Two important birthdays just had to happen on the same day here in Gettysburg. Ms. Jennie Wade was born on May 21, 1843. Her birthday pal turned 5 years old today and wanted to celebrate her birthday with coming to see her on their special day. She couldn’t get out of the car, but she made sure she wined a little to say “Happy Birthday”.
Happy Birthday to Ms. Jennie Wade and Layla.
This battle that occurred in Virginia was considered one of General Robert E. Lee’s greatest battles. According to the historians, this was the fifth deadliest battle of the Civil War. However, even though this battle was a complete success against the Union, it came with a cost. General Stonewall Jackson, Lee’s right hand man, was mortally wounded by friendly fire on the evening of May 2nd.
Overall at Chancellorsville, the Union army had around 97,000 soldiers with 1700 being killed, 9700 wounded, and 6000 soldiers were missing. On the other hand, the Confederates had around 57,000 soldiers, approximately 1725 killed, 9200 wounded, and 2500 missing. Across this battlefield, there is more signage and wayside markers than monuments.
The grand plan that Lee and Jackson developed was to attack the Union’s right flank. Lee had approximately 13,000 soldiers and a huge artillery battalion, while Jackson had nearly 28,000 soldiers and had to march twelve miles out of view behind the Union lines.
The attack began around 5 p.m. on the afternoon of May 2nd and attacked the 11th Corps, which was commanded by Union General Oliver O. Howard. As I have mentioned within the first day battle in Gettysburg, the 11th Corps were called the “Flying Dutchmen”. This is where they obtained that nickname. The 11th Corps were surprised attacked by the Confederates and fled more than 2 miles before General Hooker dug in and awaited the Confederates near the Chancellor’s House.
Darkness fell and around 8 p.m. General Stonewall Jackson and his commanders on horseback were possibly near enemy lines. They were unsure about their location of their troops and the enemy. The 33rd North Carolina skirmish line fires into the group. Jackson is hit three times: one in the right hand, the second in the left shoulder blade, and the other in the left elbow. Jackson’s horse runs off and Jackson is put into a stretcher and taken to a field hospital. During the shooting and the field hospital, Jackson would fall off the stretcher three times, and have bandages on his shoulder and elbow. His own physician, Hunter McGuire, would see Jackson in the field hospital. On the morning of May 3rd, his left arm was amputated. From the bullet that was taken out of his amputated arm, it was a smooth-bore bullet, which came from the 33rd North Carolina regiment. Around the same time, General Robert E. Lee learns that Stonewall Jackson was shot.
Robert E. Lee was quoted as saying, “He has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right.”
Sadly, on April 15, 1865, Abraham Lincoln died at 7:22 a.m. on Saturday morning. He died at the young age of 56 years old. A silence fell over the room, and Mary Todd Lincoln was weeping with her son, Robert. His War Secretary, Stanton, finally broke the silence and said the following:
Abraham Lincoln left the White House and went towards his favorite place when he wasn’t at the “People’s house. He traveled by carriage north a few miles to a location that overlooked the scenic view of Washington, D.C, and the surrounding countryside. He arrived at the Soldiers’ Home, that also served as the summer retreat for the family. Even though the Civil War ended a few days earlier at Appomattox on April 9th, he relaxed for a few hours on April 13th before heading back to the White House. The next day, President Abraham Lincoln co-signed his last document along with Treasury Secretary Hugh McCulloch, and he then had lunch with Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln in the early afternoon.
Afterward, they went on a carriage ride to the Navy Yards. While there, they witnessed three Monitors in port that were damaged during the Battle of Fort Fisher in North Carolina. Above is a picture of a Monitor that President Abraham Lincoln and Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln may have seen. While riding in the carriage, Mr. Lincoln mentioned that “we must both be more cheerful in the future” after having been miserable since their son Willy died in February 1862.
The blue dot (house) is the location of the White House. The red dot (gun) is the location of Ford’s Theatre, and the location of the black dot (bullseye) is the location of the Petersen House.
They arrived back to the White House and had dinner and met with other Illinois friends. He read a few chapters of a book and got ready to head out for the evening. Around 8 to 8:30 p.m., President Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, Major Henry Rathbone, and his fiancé Clara Harris got into a carriage and left for Ford’s Theatre. They arrived after the play started to a full house that was viewing “Our American Cousin ” and there was a standing ovation to his arrival as they sat down in the presidential box. Things would change only a few hours later for the worst.
Numerous things occurred in April 1865 around the Nation’s Capital and the White House. Abraham Lincoln was alerted of Confederate Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox on April 9th, that signaled the end of the Civil War. A month prior to the surrender, he gave his second inaugural address to the Nation after winning the election over democratic nominee and former Union Army general George McClellan. Lincoln received 55.1% of the popular vote. On April 13th, Lincoln left the White House and headed toward the Cottage northwest of town to relax. This cottage is now called the President Lincoln’s Cottage.
Recently as of 2008, this cottage is open to the public. Lincoln resided at the cottage with his family during the months of June to November of 1862-1864. I was able to explore the cottage with family members during the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination. It was an amazing experience to witness where his family would enjoy Washington D.C. away from the tidal basin and how he would have to travel back and forth each day to the White House.
Citizens around Washington D.C. were happy that Lincoln continued to improve the Nation and was looking forward to the next four years and see where Reconstruction would occur between the North and the South. Flags waved through the streets and across different locations around town.
One of the most famous president’s of all time would be celebrating his 217th birthday on February 12th, 2026. He was the one of a few presidents who was assassinated while in office. However, his work and contributions in providing safety, order, and leadership is well documented and revived among historians, collogues of his time, and historians still to the present day.
As a moderate Republican, he had to navigate political opinions across the parties, deal with a Civil War between the North and the South, and give tremendous speeches. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863 which declared the slaves in the states to be free. He delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 1863 after the battle of Gettysburg. He was re-elected in 1864 and sought to heal the nation through Reconstruction. He was able to witness and see the results of the surrender of the Confederate Army at Appomattox in April 1865.
However, your life ended far too soon on April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theatre by receiving a shot to the head by stage actor John Wilkes Booth. You were carried from the Theatre across the street on a door to the Petersen House where you passed away at 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1864. Even though you don’t remember, your wife Mary Todd Lincoln and your son Robert Todd Lincoln were at your bedside with numerous others as you slipped into the ages.
Today is the day of your birth, so even though it’s with great sadness that you passed away at an early age (55), your still a legend and a symbol for the American people. You were born in Illinois and became a notable president that people still remember.
Happy Birthday, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States!!
Does anyone know where No. 19 and 20 are within Gettysburg? Hint: There’s a monument there now.
After much consideration and finding out the tricks of the trade for setting up webpage from scratch, my mind went off the rails. I wanted to make it “cool” to look at, but forgot about making it accessible and easy to get the links for people to read. The old site meant that I had to ask a friend pretty much about everything. Now, with his help about this setup that’s almost finished, I would be able to add things much quicker and easier.
Enjoy, the wait is almost over.
