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Jennie Wade.
I had no idea who this was and why she would have a house named after her in Gettysburg, so I pulled into the parking lot, went inside and discovered an incredible story.
Embarking on the self-guided tour, I was first given an introduction by one of the staff appropriately dressed in period attire. At the entrance door, I was shown the bullet holes that both made Jennie Wade a notable name and ended her life.
As the Confederate troops were descending upon Gettysburg from the north and the Union troops from the south, the dwelling of Georgia McClellan, Jennie’s sister, was caught between the two armies in what was called “No Man’s Land”.
Unable to leave the city, as her sister was due to deliver a child and her mother ill, she was determined to make the best of the dangerous situation. During that summer, Jennie did what she could to keep up with the demand for bread and water and medical care for the troops. While standing in the kitchen, baking biscuits, the armies began firing upon each other, striking the house multiple times. One of the bullets pierced two doors, striking Jennie and killing her instantly where she stood in the kitchen. Although almost 50,000 soldiers were killed during the three day battle, Jennie became Gettysburg’s only civilian fatality.
As the guide left me, I made my way into the house, entering the kitchen. In front of the small table, I stood in the same spot where Jennie took her last breath. Sadly, there are still traces of Jennie’s blood on the floorboards and the kitchen was left mostly as it was on the day of her death.
The house is authentically furnished and it was easy to transport myself back to that time and imagine how it must have felt to go about one’s daily life while a war was waging outside the door.
Before I followed the the directions in the pamphlet given to me by the guide, I noticed a sign on the ill-fated door. Apparently, legend has it that if an unmarried girl puts her ring finger through the bullet hole in the door, she will receive a proposal of marriage within a year. There was even a letter from a happy couple, one of many received by the staff.
Entering the front room, I discovered that although it was probably originally slated to serve as a parlor, it served as Jennie’s sister’s room, fitted with a colorfully outfitted bed, small writing desk, cradle and fireplace. After careful inspection, I discovered a bullet hole from ammunition that pieced one of the bedposts.
Making my way up the rear staircase, I discovered two large bedrooms which made up the length of the house. Interestingly, there was a hole in the center wall which allowed access to the adjacent home. Just before that ill-fated day, an artillery shell had entered the home through the roof, knocking out the wall and this was the way Jennie’s body was removed from the home.
Walking through the ravaged partition, I made my way into the home next door, which belonged to the McClain family. Decorated with much finer furnishings, it was laid out in much the same way as the McClellan house except for the parlor remaining as it was originally designated. The large display cabinet contains many artifacts which include, envelopes addressed to Jennie from her suitor, Jack, a photo of Jennie, the 10 pound parrot shell which struck the house on July 2, 1863, a letter describing the shell and the floorboard where Jennie fell.
Exiting the home, the directions led me to the cellar. It wasn’t until later while looking back at my photos that I realized that it displayed a re-creation of the viewing of Jennie’s body under the quilt at the end of the room. Thankfully, I did not realize it at the time…this was very creepy in a town known for ghosts! Finally, ending my tour in the gift shop, I found many souvenirs and collectibles that keep the memory of Jennie alive. The staff in the giftshop were extremely helpful with additional information and provided me with a map of Evergreen Cemetery, where Jennie Wade’s grave can be found.
Off I went, in search of Jennie.
The Evergreen Cemetery, built in 1854, is adjacent to the National Cemetery and is part of Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District. Experiencing three days as a battlefield, it was destroyed and desecrated. Graves were run down and monuments destroyed.
Today, it is immaculately kept and many notable citizens are interred here. Two Confederate soldiers are buried in the cemetery and some tombstones still display battle damage. The most famous person, however, is Jennie Wade. Located near the front of the graveyard, hers is a tall monument, topped with a statue. Her tombstone states, “Killed July 3, 1863 while making bread for the Union soldiers”.
That’s who Jennie Wade was.
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Jennie Wade House Museum
- https://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/jennie-wade-house/
- Address: 548 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325
- Hours: 900-1700, daily. Tours run every 30 minutes during peak season and every 45 minutes during the Spring and Fall.
- Admission: Adults, $9.00, Children (ages 6-12 years), $6.75, Children (ages 5 and under), free.
Evergreen Cemetery
- https://www.evergreencemetery.org/
- Address: 799 Baltimore Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325
- Hours: 0700-1900, Thursday-Monday, 0700-2359, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Admission: free