Free Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein Page B

future wages, but Amos consulted his account book and said that wouldn’t be necessary.
At the end of May, Amos and Frederick Hartmann set out. They were fitted for the trip with a tent, oilcloths, extra clothing, and saddlebags full of bacon, beans, and bread. Hartmann had taught Amos how to use a rifle and revolver, in anticipation of trouble. As they rode off, Mama and I stood in the middle of York Street, waving.
“There they go, two more soldiers heading off to war. These ones have no army to back them up,” Mama said with a sigh.
“They can do it, Mama,” I said. “They will be back.”
But the well of emptiness that had opened in me when Papa and Luke left only deepened as the two figures grew smaller, then disappeared down Chambersburg Pike. I wondered if I would ever see Amos again.

Lizzie
Chapter 11
Every June the fields that soaked up the spring rains turned bright green with new corn and the trees swelled with young fruit. June had always seemed the most carefree month of the year. But June was also the month that Papa and Luke had gone to war a year ago. Now a feeling of dread settled over me, despite the green and promising landscape, for our volunteers were camped near Richmond, and any day they would begin fighting the rebels for control of the Confederate capital.
The battle commenced on June 26 at Mechanicsburg. A few days later, the Sentinel described how General Crawford’s division, which included the First Pennsylvania Reserves, Company K, had “rained an unceasing torrent of musket fire while the artillery discharged shells, canister and shrapnel, confounding and scattering the enemy, whose losses tripled those of our brave federals.” The reporter made it sound as if the end of the world, or at least the end of the war, was at hand. But it was only the beginning of the fighting, which went on for seven days. With grim forbearance, we waited for the casualty lists to come in. Mama barely slept, and gray circles deepened under her eyes. Ben did his chores silently, without complaining.
The dark news trickled in. General McClellan’s army had beenforced back toward Washington, and our Company K had suffered more than its share of casualties. When neither Papa nor Luke appeared among the names, we were weak with relief and gratitude. Then terrible news arrived. Mrs. Pierpont heard it first, for she was at the telegraph office when the message came in, and she told Margaret, who informed Rosanna: Henry Phelps had been killed.
The next day the whole town knew of it, and Henry Phelps’s name was on everyone’s tongue. When his poor widowed mother received the news, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and took to her bed. The next morning, she didn’t wake up. People said it was proof that grief could kill a person.
I went at once to see how Rosanna was taking the news and found her lying facedown on the settee in Margaret’s parlor, a pile of damp handkerchiefs on the floor beside her. I was afraid to say anything, lest it be the wrong thing. I had no idea what it would feel like to lose your beau in the war. So I imagined how sad I would feel if Papa or Luke died, and that was bad enough. I blinked back my tears and patted Rosanna’s back while she wept softly.
A week later I hurried to Rosanna’s again, clutching a letter from Luke. Its contents were already seared into my memory.
Dear sister,
I have seen enough of war and am ready to come home
When the battle started we played to keep up the fighting spirit but in all the confusion could not hear ourselves so gave up. Then a bullet struck Henrys drum from the side and smashed it to pieces right off his neck. Capt. Bailey ordered us behind the lines where we lay down flat and I could feel the earth rumble and shake from the cannons roar. I could not see Pa along the line for all the smoke that drifted back around us like a stinky fog.
Then Henry and me were given a stretcher to get the wounded men to the hospital tents. We saved Matt