This Month's Headlines:
Editor's Letter
As the holiday season approaches and the year 2025 winds to a close, we are pleased to bring you another issue of The Gettysburg Experience. Our Calendar of Events is full of celebratory occasions leading up to the New Year; many of them are family-friendly; some are free of charge. The Calendar begins on page 11.
There is a selection of historical articles for your enjoyment and perusal, beginning with A Quest Fulfilled, on page 21, where a final kindness was issued. Christmas in Pennsylvania, beginning on page 27, highlights the historical aspect of some of Pennsylvania’s cherished traditions, from colonial times to the late 19th century. Next, a plaintive holiday story, but no doubt one that was joyous at the time, is George Shriver’s Last Christmas, beginning on page 33. A prominent Gettysburg citizen is remembered in Basil Biggs: A Son of Goodwill, beginning on page 37. And, a Union soldier’s service in December 1862 is chronicled in A Bucktail to the Rescue, beginning on page 41. Read More >
James Herbert was a farmer from Howard County, Maryland, who traded in his plow for a sword when war erupted in 1861. Throwing his lot in with the 1st Maryland Infantry Regiment, the captain of Company D. Serving the Confederacy, he was present at the Battle of First Manassas.
During the fight, he saw a Union officer fallen and mortally wounded in the fray. The day was hot, the battle chaotic; Herbert reached the dying soldier and pulled him into the shade. He managed to make the man’s final moments more comfortable. >Read More
Christmastime in Pennsylvania is an old-fashioned, time-honored tradition. It has evolved considerably, however, since the first settlers cleared the land in Penn’s Woods in the seventeenth century.
Because of the generosity of William Penn, colonists of several varied nations and religious creeds flocked into the colony of Pennsylvania. Depending on the region, the manner of celebrating the holiday differed from one county to the next.
The Quakers, the sect to which William Penn belonged, did not celebrate Christmas at all. Like the Pilgrims of Massachusetts and the Calvinists from Scotland who settled farther west in Pennsylvania, they believed that Jesus Christ was not born on December 25. They considered the commemoration a pagan holiday, and treated Christmas Day like any other day of the week. Because of their benevolent nature, Quakers did not mind if others celebrated the day. The Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, British, Irish, Swedes and Germans all wished to be part of the festive holiday.1 >Read More
George Shriver's Last Christmas
In 1860, Gettysburg native George Washington Shriver and his wife, the former Henrietta Weikert, moved into their newly built home on Baltimore Street. As Gettysburg was a bustling crossroads town, George, a true entrepreneur, opened a saloon and ten-pen alley in his cellar. He had inherited his father’s farm just south of Gettysburg, and used the funds from his inheritance to finance his new business venture. He had a family to support – he and his wife had two young daughters, Sadie and Mollie.
When war erupted the following spring, George did not enlist right away. The war was believed by some to be of short duration. By the summer, however, Lincoln had called for more volunteers, and George answered the call. Read More >
Basil Biggs: A Son of Goodwill
The middle of the nineteenth century was a busy one for those who lived in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, especially for those of African descent. While Gettysburg was situated ten miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line, the proximity to the slave state of Maryland convinced some from southern Pennsylvania to offer aid and comfort to escaping slaves.
One of them was a Gettysburg civilian who was fortunate enough to be a free man, and intrepid enough to help those in need of liberty. He was Basil Biggs. Read More >
In mid-December 1862, just after the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin made a hurried trip to Washington to dispatch aid for the wounded soldiers of his state. There were countless wounded and killed from the recent and ill-advised frontal assault on Marye's Heights. The Union suffered terrible casualties, and the Southerners, well-entrenched, had suffered far fewer losses. After a one-on-one interview with President Lincoln, where the pair made plans for the many wounded of the late battle, Curtin began the walk back to his hotel. On the way, a woman approached him. She was also from Pennsylvania, and carried a look of obvious distress.
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By Diana Loski
Diana Loski is the editor of The Gettysburg Experience magazine. For the Civil War enthusiasts, for the visitor passing through, or for the long-time Gettysburg resident, this book will capture the essence of this unique and wonderful, and sometimes tragic, place known to the world as the Borough of Gettysburg.
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About Us
The Gettysburg Experience magazine, a publication exploring the Gettysburg of yesterday and today. We offer an array of interesting articles – most of which have a direct relation to historic Gettysburg from the Colonial era through the turn of the 21st century, often with an emphasis on the famous battle that occurred in the summer of 1863.
The Gettysburg Experience also offers a comprehensive Events Calendar (for those who want to know what special happenings to attend when they visit – any time of the year), delicious recipes, Gettysburg trivia, profiles of people and area businesses.
Having served the Gettysburg area since 1997, The Gettysburg Experience extends our magazine to a wider circulation of readers, offering a glimpse into one of America’s most fascinating towns.
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