Description of Gettysburg
  "A great battle was fought at Gettysburg on the first, second and third days of July. I remained in our house alone (my family having gone on a visit to Columbia) during the first day's fight. Shells shrieked over the town for more than three hours and then, on the retreat of our men, they fell around the house in the yard. During the early part of the day, I watched the movements of the armies from the steeple of the church, which stands next (to) the parsonage - saw the wounded and dying constantly brought in. In the afternoon our church was taken for a hospital, but before night the wounded had to removed, because the enemy outnumbering the union forces three to one on this first day's fight, drove our men into the town and through it. Night closed in leaving us within the enemies lines. The streets were strewn with dead men and horses and littered with the debris of the battle. Some of my neighbors were roughly treated during the night - and some of the stragglers of the rebel army threatened to strip us of shoes and other garments. On this account I left with a number of other citizens on the morning of the second day's fight.."

On Monday morning we proved to the battled field and saw sights which I cannot describe. Dead men and horses already far gone into decay, muskets, knapsacks, broken caissons, and cannon, etc etc. lay everywhere. During these days the entire stock of provision in the whole county for many miles, was exhausted. The railroad was broked up and bridges burned, so that we were cut off from any immediate supply. Immediately upon the cessation of hostilities our friends from a distance came in with provisions to relieve immediate necessities. Otherwise I cannot see how it would have been possible to avoid great suffering. My church was occupied for a hospital and it was several weeks before it could be used for religious services. For many weeks after the battle there was a stench filling the air, which was almost unendurable. This caused a great deal of sickness. I was taken down with fever and was unable to perform ministerial duties for about two months. Two of my children had severe illnesses (obscured). We were fortunate to escape with very little loss of property during the battle. Some of my neighbors had their houses thoroughly plundered. Quite a number of houses and barns in teh county neaer the village were burned. Several members of my church lost nearly all their property and one member, a young lady Miss Jennie Wade, was shot and killed during the battle."

Diary of Abraham Essick, 1863

 

This excerpt has been used with the permission of "The Valley of the Shadow"

http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vshadow2/cwletters.html

 

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