Harrisburg when the paper won the Pulitzer Prize in 2012. Ron is a native of michigan, a graduate of Central Michigan university, and has returned as a guest speaker as part of the schools hearst visiting professional series. Ron lives in york, pennsylvania and has been a Gettysburg Foundation guide since 2013. Without further introduction i would like to present to you ron kirkwood. [applause] mr. Kirkwood thank you. Ok, we are good. Tammy, thank you. Thank you all for coming. I argue in my book that the george and Elizabeth Spangler farm is the most important farm in the battle of gettysburg. Im going to address that first, then we will go into other factors, like the two hospitals that were on this property, and we are going to talk about the spanglers. To help me make my case union , line, army of the potomac line, day three. There is the George Spangler farm. It is close to the line. Everywhere it is close to the line. It is huge, 166 acres, it dominates behind the lines. Rhodes. Roads. Taneytown road, the baltimore, pike over here. Two connectors that cut right through the spangler property, Granite Schoolhouse lane and Blacksmith Shop road. They go down here. Army of the potomac commanders saw these advantages early, this was a farm they could use, a farm they could put infantry on, put artillery on, and with those roads meade had his main streets to get his troops and artillery to the line just in time wherever needed. He used those two lanes to get guys all around here. Captain Frederick Winkler , 26 wisconsin, describes the scene at spangler, if they had broken our lines, all would have been lost. Sometimes they came so very close, but our generals were watchful and whenever our lines were closely pressed, wherever they were giving way, just before the critical moment arrived we would see the ranks of the reserve march up and reinforce our lines and drive the rebels back. That is the George Spangler farm. That is how the army of the potomac used it. We all know the story of the 20th maine, joshua chamberlain, 83rd pennsylvania all the guys , in the fifth corps who rushed off to little round top. But what we dont know is how they spent their day and where they rushed from. Well, they rushed from spangler. The fifth corps got here right about noon on july 2. At about 5 00 p. M. , they took off down the Granite Schoolhouse lane, made a left turn, cut across the field to little roundtop. Right after they left, the six corphrrived arrived and they were in the same area where the fifth corps was. They went there long and then they took off down Granite Schoolhouse and Blacksmith Shop road to get to the front. Later that night the 12th corps, they break away men and rushed down Granite Schoolhouse lane and help out here on the line. Now, 11th corps hospital, those are their tents. Rps ambulances were up in georges wheat field, and any that werent at spangler were on cemetery hill. Ammunition for the artillery, 100 wagons. And they supply the ammunition for all the artillery of the army of the potomac. Any time anybody ran out, they came to spangler to fill up again. They were being guarded by the 4th new jersey. Artillery reserve and Granite Schoolhouse we will get to in a second. More artillery and infantry bivouacs, more artillery and infantry over here, a signal station up here on powers hill, the spanglers owned two thirds of it in the lightners owned the other third. That quarters of the 12th corps was up your. And you dont hear this much either. General meade, he watched the end of the fighting on july 3 from the top of powers hill and , that night h made his headquarters in the woods on spangler property. It rained and he had to go to a house further back on the Baltimore Pike. This farm was crowded, shoulder to shoulder, it was trampled, it was used well. This farm was cror the artillery reserve. This is an artillery reserve battery. The spanglers had 19 of these batteries on their property. In addition to Everything Else on their property, they had 19 of these there, starting at about 3 00 on july 2. Batteries would get the call to galt. This went on the next several hours. These guys were different from the regular artillery that the infantry corps had. There were seven infantry corps at gettysburg and each had their own artillery, but their job was to go with the infantry. That was about 200 cannons. The artillery reserve brings 106 cannons, 2300 men, 2300 horses, and these guys are free agents. If you get a hole in the line, you call on your free agents, and that is what they did starting at about 3 00. So first they go out here, wheatfield road, Peach Orchard area, the trosa house. You know that famous photo of all the dead horses . Those are horses from the artillery reserve from the 9th massachusetts. All along the plum run line, the artillery reserve fought out here on the second, all along cemetery ridge, cemetery hill, they fought hand to hand on East Cemetery hill, and these are artillery reserves guys here too. From spangler, all the way around. That is how important they were. Because there were close to the line, they could get there quickly. Other farms saw a lot more combat than spangler did. Other farms were literally destroyed by this combat, but no farm in my opinion, and after researching, was a more important farm because of what it provided to that army, how meade used it, how the other commanders used it, how they kept their artillery there, infantry, the roads. I think it was the most important farm in the battle of gettysburg. On to the hospitals. The 1st division got the heaviest of the blows, many killed and wounded were the result, and the latter were now been brought to the hospital in great numbers. This is Granite Schoolhouse hospital surgeon in charge dr. William Warren Potter of the 57th new york. This is one of Three Drawings by Richard Holland of the 9th massachusetts, one of Three Drawings he did that i have used in the book. They went out july 2 at about 3 30, fought on wheatfield road, back to the house, and when they came back in 1884, they set up where their three monuments should go on the battlefield, and they put their wagon at spangler, he stopped in made two drawings, one of the spangler barn area and this one of the Granite Schoolhouse as they followed the exact path that they took in 1863. Granite schoolhouse was built in the early 1860s when the spanglers donated the land in the heart of their farm for it. On day two and day three of the battle, there was a major first second corps army hospital. This hospital has received little attention and little has been revealed about it until now. There is not a sign for it like they are for so many other hospitals around gettysburg. It is just overgrown, unmarked land now, with poison ivy and thorns that make it difficult to enter. But this hospital hosted a First Division of the second corps. These are the guys that fought in the wheatfield. These are the guys of the irish brigade. These are the guys, father corby was in this division. He asked for absolution before they went into the battle, and they suffered more than 1000 wounded during fighting just on july 2. Most of them, they came back to the Granite Schoolhouse on the George Spangler farm. Chaplain john henry wilbrandt of the 140 fifth pennsylvania served at the Granite Schoolhouse hospital. He said, our hospital was at the foot of powers hill. I found the doctors and nurses busily engaged with the wounded, scattered around in all directions. Some lying on blankets, some on straw, a few on stretchers, others on bare ground. Private erastus allen of company g, shot through the abdomen, suffered terribly. Some of the intestines protruded through the wound, and some of their contents would occasionally flow out, producing a horrible stench. It was very evident that our regiment had again suffered severely. Second corps ambulance chief Thomas Livermore made numerous deliveries to Granite Schoolhouse on july 2. Here under the shelter of boulders lay a large number of our wounded and dead. They lay upon the ground, covered with blankets and the living were nearly all silent, having fallen asleep from fatigue. The boulders he mentioned are still there, as is the little stream dr. Potter mentions here, when he says the hospital location was near a stream protected by a ridge from great danger of shells. Sometimes this little stream runs under Granite Schoolhouse lane and sometimes it is dry. This year there has been a lot of water in it. There might be some there today. Brigadier general samuel zook was mortally wounded where this monument is at the wheatfield. He was carried to the schoolhouse. His chest wound was so large that the doctor who was examining him could see his heart beating through the hole in his chest. They told him, we cant do anything, so brokenhearted aides took him away on Baltimore Pike. Colonel edward cross was also mortally wounded. There is a street named for him. This is his monument on the other side of the wheatfield. He was popular, a good soldier, but he had temper tantrums. Some of his men called him a tyrant, and they refused to bury him. Lieutenant George Woodruff of the first United States artillery, battery i, was mortally wounded during picketts charge while he was hit in the back while directing his men. The son of a michigan judge, he died at Granite Schoolhouse, telling friends he regretted being shot in the back and asking that it should be no reflection on his reputation. Most of the First Division second corps hospital at Granite Schoolhouse was moved to safety behind the lines on july 3 because it was getting hit by confederate artillery from the east and the cannons to the west. Every major Union Hospital directly behind the line was moved away farther during the battle, except the 11th corps hospital, even though it was under fire. Granite schoolhouse hosted an important, huge hospital on spangler land that took care of the fighters from the wheatfield. I believe this hospital warrants recognition. My hope is that someday the sacred land is cleaned up, parking is put in, signs are installed and the foundation of the school is uncovered so visitors can stop, meditate and honor this place of sacrifice. That is another Richard Holland drawing, and it is on the back of my book. One day cured me of a hospital, give me the picket line in place of a hospital. Captain Matthew Cheney after visiting the 11th corps hospital at the spangler farm. Medical staffers picked the form on july 1 because of its proximity to the evolving front and access to water, crops, livestock for food, buildings for hospital purposes, good roads, and would for operating tables, fires, tents and caskets. While the First Division second corps hospital used the hospital on spangler roads, and would for operating h corps hospital used the spangler barn, house, and other outbuildings. The christian and Sanitary Commission said there were 1900 men on the peak days of july 4 and 5. That is probably the most accurate estimate. The ambulance corps started delivering wounded a 4 00 july 1, said dr. Daniel brenton. The wounded soon began to pour in, giving us such sufficient occupation that from the first of july until the afternoon of the fifth, i was not absent from the hospital more than once and then but for an hour or two. Very hardworking was to, and little sleep fell to our share. For operating tables were going night and day. Many of them were hurt in the most shocking manner by shells. My experience at chancellorsville was nothing compared to this, and i wish and i never wished to see another site. For myself, i think i was never more exhausted. That is the front of the spanglers barn. Surgeries and petitions took place under the overhang of the spanglers barn. Doctors could have more light and fresh air away from the smells and crowds inside the barn. For anesthesia to be used at night when planters were burning lanterns were burning. A surgeon would finish one operation and in 15 minutes would move immediately to the next one, no washing required of bloody hands are bloody equipment, because they did not understand how proper sanitation could prevent infection and reduce the spread of disease. Sometimes a spangler surgeon with germ covered hands would put his hands and a soldier and infect that soldier with a disease. A surgeon called it too much for human endurance. Private william silverton, age 19, 75th ohio, at the doorway i saw huge stack of amputated arms and legs as high as my head, the most horrible thing i ever saw. I wish i had never seen it. I second. Ened. K amputated limbs, once they reached head high, were loaded into a wagon and carried away somewhere on spangler land. The spanglers probably knew where they were buried, but we dont know today. The amputations and surgeries and wounds attracted an infestation of flies that ruthlessly harassed everyone. Then there were maggots that covered wounds and stumps, eating infected and dead tissue. Infections were always expected after a civil war surgery. The worst infections you could smell eight to 10 feet away. You can imagine you walk into a barn and everyone has an infection. If you walk into a tent, eight to 10 men all have infections, so those guys must have smelled, i cant imagine, and people walking in, i cant imagine. So the spanglers cut down pine branches and hung the pine branches to the outside of the so those guys must have smelled, tent and use them for bedding to combat the smell of infection. That is the barn today. Men were crammed so close together in the spangler barn that caused the spread of diseases. Some men died of these diseases rather than the battle wound. Outside in the spangler fields, the army didnt abide enough provide enough tensor vetting multiplying the misery of the , dying men who were forced to lie in the mud when the rains came. Corporal William Kuyper a , hospital steward said hundreds were lying in most cases with no shelter, exposed to a cold, incessant rain against the sides of the barn and in an orchard adjoining the sheds. Their moans were heard in every direction and with a lantern i moved about from one to the other during the long hours of the night. I searched in vain for blankets to cover the suffering and dying. Cries of agony of the wounded and dying forced hospital staff to cover their ears at night in an attempt to get any sleep. Two female nurses played key roles at spangler. Maria and her 17yearold son frank traveled with her husband of the 136th new york and was one of the first ones to reach the hospital during a battle. Normally, female civil war nurses were not allowed into a hospital until after a battle. Mrs. Hobie nursed wounded and rode home to family members. Unfortunately, we dont have any photos today of mrs. Sses hobie. In one letter from spangler, she informed a family that she try to take the place of mother, sister and friend. I think i never had such a trial ting with what i had no more acquaintance with. Nurse rebecca lane penny becker price was from phoenixville, pennsylvania. Ode to gettysburg on a bench at night in a railroad cattle car. She went to work as an unpaid nurse and said said scenes would fill a volume. So many times at night i lay on my stretcher weeping instead of sleeping. 7th ohion of the 10 carried her picture for four years after the war. He was wounded on july 1, gangrene developed in his right arm was amputated at spangler. Mrs. Price nursed him from near death until he was well enough to take a train home to ohio. He married in 1866, had nine children and many grandchildren, all amassing substantial while wealth as a businessman. He was a pallbearer at the funeral of william mckinley. He often showed mrs. Prices photo to ex soldiers at National Encampments in an attempt to find and thank her, without luck. Out of the blue he received a letter in 1906. Dear sir, do you remember the tall nurse at gettysburg who furnished it with clothing she could go home . I was led to wonder if you were living and if you were going to attend the gar encampment at saratoga. I expect to be there and would living and if you were going to be glad to meet my soldier boys. I would be glad to hear from you. Now in my declining years, my thoughts often dwell upon those stormy times, and it gives me great pleasure to hear from or see those for whom i cared. He replied that he look forward to seeing her with great pleasure, and there spangler reunion took place in 1906, 40 years after they met at the spangler farm. I have in my book i have confirmed the names and wound and treatment of 1400 union men who were treated at spangler, and the names of almost 140 who were buried in their peach and apple orchards. The union exhumed these bodies in late 1863 or early 1864, we dont know exactly which, and reburied them in the Soldiers National cemetery here in town. Confederate men lay in the spangler orchards until 1872 or so, when they were exhumed and reburied in the south. Brigadier general louis armistead, one of five known confederates buried at spangler, the arrival of this important general at the 11th corps hospital on after his mortal july 3 warning and heroic leadership during picketts charge caused such a stir that his ambulance