Thoughts While Walking Through Evergreen

On a recent walk through Evergreen Cemetery, I realized how "soft" our society has become. If we need to dig a hole, we use a machine....if we need to travel a mile to hit the Post Office or Library, we hop in our car.....if we need to talk to a friend, we pick up the phone....all modern conveniences, but things that have made us "soft".

While walking through the cemetery, I saw the statue of Elizabeth Thorn and realized that I don't think I could have done the things that she did during those fateful days in 1863. Elizabeth Thorn is one of the true unsung heroes of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Her husband, Peter, was the caretaker of Evergreen Cemetery. In early the early 1860's he joined the army and left the care of the cemetery to his wife, Elizabeth. In July of 1863, Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant with her daughter Rose.

When the battle hit, she was staying at the Gatehouse, but eventually was forced to leave due to the battle literally being in her backyard. So she packed up her three young sons and her parents (who were living there with her) and they left their home. When they returned days later, they found their home all but destroyed, their belongings either gone or soaked in blood, and over 100 soldiers needing burial in the cemetery.

Somehow, she cleaned up her home. And then she went on to the task of burying the dead. She and her father (which she considered aged although he was probably in his fifties) dug graves for over 100 men in the Evergreen Cemetery (and the graves are still there). This took quite a few days, but they were able to get it done. And she did all this while 6 months pregnant!

Here is a link to her account of those days:
http://www.gettysburgguide.com/ge05001.html

In my book, Elizabeth Thorn deserves to be considered a hero for all women. She did the impossible, in an impossible situation. But she did it! Today, we can go in the cemetery and see all sorts of signs of her: the statue at the entrance, the area where the 100 soldiers are still buried, her and her husband's graves, the cemetery gatehouse. They are all still there. Knowing what to look for and where to look for it, the clues left behind can tell the story of this amazing woman and what took place during those horrible days of July 1863.