The Shrivers

Spring, 1860

George Washington Shriver was 23 when he paid $290 for a lot of ground on south Baltimore Hill in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He planned to build a new home for his family there. His wife Hettie, like George, was born and raised on a farm just south of town. They already had two children. Mollie was five years old; Sadie was three.

In addition to building his new home, George would also establish his new business there - Shriver's Saloon & Ten- Pin Alley. The saloon would be located in the cellar while the two lane ten-pin bowling alley would be built in an enclosed building just behind the house. George's business would fit well along Baltimore Hill since this was an extension of the business district that was centered around the Diamond just a few blocks to the north.

The Shrivers were settling into their new home when the Civil War broke out in April 1861. Everyone agreed the fighting wouldn't last long but soon President Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to help in the war effort. George knew it was time to join in the fighting. In September, 1861, George mustered into Co. C of Cole's Cavalry.

Summer, 1863

Almost two full years passed since George left for battle. In June 1863 rumors ran wild throughout Gettysburg because Confederate soldiers had crossed the state line into Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg began early in the morning on July 1, 1863. At first, residents on the south side of town didn't hear anything unusual. Even though Hettie was nervous with all the soldiers and commotion, she tried to go about her daily chores as usual caring not to upset Sadie and Mollie.

Around 9:00 AM everything changed. They could hear the roar of the cannons from the west side of town. As the noise grew louder, Hettie decided it would be best for them to leave and go to her parents' farm, the Weikerts, about three miles south. She knew they would be out of harm's way there. Before leaving Hettie called on her next-door neighbors, the Pierces. She thought Tillie Pierce, their youngest child, might accompany her to the safety of the countryside. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce thought it was an excellent idea.

Hettie could not know they were jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The Weikert house sits between Big Round Top and Little Round Top ~ where some of the worst fighting of the Battle of Gettysburg took place!! Over the next three days the noise of the battle was so loud they had to shout to hear each other in the Weikert house. The house shook from the cannons firing all around them. When the fighting stopped there were wounded and dying men everywhere. Hettie decided they should stay and help.

On the morning of July 7th, Hettie decided to return to her home in town with her two children and Tillie. What they saw along the way would be remembered forever. Many of the dead and wounded Union soldiers had been removed from the fields. With more than 52,000 casualties, it was going to take some time to bury all the dead. There were more than 5,000 horses killed during the battle as well. As they approached town they realized in seven days their whole world had turned upside down. Fences were broken, buildings were gone, many others stood in ruins. The streets were a mess from the battle. Confusion was everywhere!

Hettie found that Confederate soldiers had occupied her home while she was gone. Mr. Pierce told her that on several occasions during the battle he went to his garret window to watch the fighting in the street directly in front of their homes. From there he could see across into the Shriver's home. He observed a number of Confederate soldiers had set up a sharpshooters nest in the garret. He told Hettie he saw the soldiers knock several "port holes" into the south side of the house in an effort to pick off Union soldiers in the direction of Cemetery Hill. At one point he saw a sharpshooter throw his arms into the air and crash to the floor. A short time later Mr. Pierce watched the dead soldier being carried through Hettie's garden. John Rupp, who operated the tannery down the street, told Hettie he knew of at least two sharpshooters that were killed in her home.

Five months later after the Battle of Gettysburg, George Shriver was granted a four-day furlough. This gave him the opportunity to spend Christmas with Hettie and his girls. George was a changed man when he returned. He had been away from his family for almost two and one half years and saw things he couldn't even begin to describe to Hettie. George reported back to duty near Brandy Station, Virginia, on December 29th, 1863. For the next several days 250 members of Cole's Cavalry engaged more than four hundred of Mosby's men. When the fighting ended, Cole's men returned to camp with the loss of three killed, six wounded, and seven taken prisoner. One of the captured was George Shriver, taken prisoner on New Year's Day, 1864, near Rectortown, Virginia.