Civil War soldier.
Killed In Action Cold Harbor, VA, June 3, 1864
Humes, George, 119th PA Co. B, Captain:
Haines St. Methodist to Ivy Hill Cemetery:
Newspaper article:
Newspaper article 29 September 1929:
BATTLEFIELD LETTER RECALLS TRAGEDY:
Discovery of Missive Bearing News of the Death of George Humes at Cold Harbor in 1864.
FATAL BALL PRESERVED
A letter which George W. Shriver, of Germantown, wrote on a battlefield of the Civil War, to tell a Germantown mother of the death of her son in the battle, has just come back into his hands. It was found among the effects of Mrs. Sarah Humes, who died sometime ago at her home on Haines Street, and the executors of the estate have given it to Mr. Shriver.
Among the hundred or more men who enlisted in the Union Army from East Haines Street were George W. Shriver and George Humes. They, together with Naaman K. Ployd and William Ployd, joined Company B, 119th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. In the battle of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, Humes was killed and Shriver wrote a letter to his comrade's mother in Germantown conveying the sad news.
The letter was written in lead pencil and is to-day as legible as when it was sent. It reads thus:
In the field near Cold Harbor Tavern, June 4, 1864:
Dear Cousin:
I take my pencil to inform you of the death of George. He was killed on the 3d with a solid shot, about half-past 10 o'clock in the morning. He was killed instantly. He was taken to the rear and buried as well as it could be done. The orderly sergeant, with four men, buried him. I would have gone with them, but I could not get off, for we had just advanced to the position where we are now lying. It is about sixty yards from the enemy's works. His things that he had in his pockets are all safe, and as soon as I can get a chance I will send them to you. If there is anything that you want to know concerning him, please let me know and I will do all I can for you. At the time he was killed he was acting adjutant of the regiment. There is one thing that belonged to him I would like to have, and that is his haversack. I don't want you to give it to me for nothing for I will buy it from you. I will have to close by sending my love to all.
Yours truly,
GEORGE W. SHRIVER
The solid shot which killed Humes was an enormous six-pound ball. It struck a limb of a tree over his head, which swerved its course downward, so that it penetrated Hume's body at the shoulder and its way through his chest. When he was buried the ball was placed in the grave with him. At the close of the war his body was disinterred and, together with the fatal ball, was brought to Germantown. The body was buried in the cemetery of the Haines Street Methodist Church, now the Harmer Public School. [The body was removed to Ivy Hill Cemetery at a later date.] The ball was afterwards placed in the museum of Ellis Post, Grand Army of the Republic, in Town Hall, where it may still be seen. Mr. Shriver still lives on Haines Street and is employed at the Germantown Office of the water bureau, in the Town Hall.
Killed In Action Cold Harbor, VA, June 3, 1864
Humes, George, 119th PA Co. B, Captain:
Haines St. Methodist to Ivy Hill Cemetery:
Newspaper article:
Newspaper article 29 September 1929:
BATTLEFIELD LETTER RECALLS TRAGEDY:
Discovery of Missive Bearing News of the Death of George Humes at Cold Harbor in 1864.
FATAL BALL PRESERVED
A letter which George W. Shriver, of Germantown, wrote on a battlefield of the Civil War, to tell a Germantown mother of the death of her son in the battle, has just come back into his hands. It was found among the effects of Mrs. Sarah Humes, who died sometime ago at her home on Haines Street, and the executors of the estate have given it to Mr. Shriver.
Among the hundred or more men who enlisted in the Union Army from East Haines Street were George W. Shriver and George Humes. They, together with Naaman K. Ployd and William Ployd, joined Company B, 119th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. In the battle of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, Humes was killed and Shriver wrote a letter to his comrade's mother in Germantown conveying the sad news.
The letter was written in lead pencil and is to-day as legible as when it was sent. It reads thus:
In the field near Cold Harbor Tavern, June 4, 1864:
Dear Cousin:
I take my pencil to inform you of the death of George. He was killed on the 3d with a solid shot, about half-past 10 o'clock in the morning. He was killed instantly. He was taken to the rear and buried as well as it could be done. The orderly sergeant, with four men, buried him. I would have gone with them, but I could not get off, for we had just advanced to the position where we are now lying. It is about sixty yards from the enemy's works. His things that he had in his pockets are all safe, and as soon as I can get a chance I will send them to you. If there is anything that you want to know concerning him, please let me know and I will do all I can for you. At the time he was killed he was acting adjutant of the regiment. There is one thing that belonged to him I would like to have, and that is his haversack. I don't want you to give it to me for nothing for I will buy it from you. I will have to close by sending my love to all.
Yours truly,
GEORGE W. SHRIVER
The solid shot which killed Humes was an enormous six-pound ball. It struck a limb of a tree over his head, which swerved its course downward, so that it penetrated Hume's body at the shoulder and its way through his chest. When he was buried the ball was placed in the grave with him. At the close of the war his body was disinterred and, together with the fatal ball, was brought to Germantown. The body was buried in the cemetery of the Haines Street Methodist Church, now the Harmer Public School. [The body was removed to Ivy Hill Cemetery at a later date.] The ball was afterwards placed in the museum of Ellis Post, Grand Army of the Republic, in Town Hall, where it may still be seen. Mr. Shriver still lives on Haines Street and is employed at the Germantown Office of the water bureau, in the Town Hall.
Civil War soldier.
Killed In Action Cold Harbor, VA, June 3, 1864
Humes, George, 119th PA Co. B, Captain:
Haines St. Methodist to Ivy Hill Cemetery:
Newspaper article:
Newspaper article 29 September 1929:
BATTLEFIELD LETTER RECALLS TRAGEDY:
Discovery of Missive Bearing News of the Death of George Humes at Cold Harbor in 1864.
FATAL BALL PRESERVED
A letter which George W. Shriver, of Germantown, wrote on a battlefield of the Civil War, to tell a Germantown mother of the death of her son in the battle, has just come back into his hands. It was found among the effects of Mrs. Sarah Humes, who died sometime ago at her home on Haines Street, and the executors of the estate have given it to Mr. Shriver.
Among the hundred or more men who enlisted in the Union Army from East Haines Street were George W. Shriver and George Humes. They, together with Naaman K. Ployd and William Ployd, joined Company B, 119th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. In the battle of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, Humes was killed and Shriver wrote a letter to his comrade's mother in Germantown conveying the sad news.
The letter was written in lead pencil and is to-day as legible as when it was sent. It reads thus:
In the field near Cold Harbor Tavern, June 4, 1864:
Dear Cousin:
I take my pencil to inform you of the death of George. He was killed on the 3d with a solid shot, about half-past 10 o'clock in the morning. He was killed instantly. He was taken to the rear and buried as well as it could be done. The orderly sergeant, with four men, buried him. I would have gone with them, but I could not get off, for we had just advanced to the position where we are now lying. It is about sixty yards from the enemy's works. His things that he had in his pockets are all safe, and as soon as I can get a chance I will send them to you. If there is anything that you want to know concerning him, please let me know and I will do all I can for you. At the time he was killed he was acting adjutant of the regiment. There is one thing that belonged to him I would like to have, and that is his haversack. I don't want you to give it to me for nothing for I will buy it from you. I will have to close by sending my love to all.
Yours truly,
GEORGE W. SHRIVER
The solid shot which killed Humes was an enormous six-pound ball. It struck a limb of a tree over his head, which swerved its course downward, so that it penetrated Hume's body at the shoulder and its way through his chest. When he was buried the ball was placed in the grave with him. At the close of the war his body was disinterred and, together with the fatal ball, was brought to Germantown. The body was buried in the cemetery of the Haines Street Methodist Church, now the Harmer Public School. [The body was removed to Ivy Hill Cemetery at a later date.] The ball was afterwards placed in the museum of Ellis Post, Grand Army of the Republic, in Town Hall, where it may still be seen. Mr. Shriver still lives on Haines Street and is employed at the Germantown Office of the water bureau, in the Town Hall.
Killed In Action Cold Harbor, VA, June 3, 1864
Humes, George, 119th PA Co. B, Captain:
Haines St. Methodist to Ivy Hill Cemetery:
Newspaper article:
Newspaper article 29 September 1929:
BATTLEFIELD LETTER RECALLS TRAGEDY:
Discovery of Missive Bearing News of the Death of George Humes at Cold Harbor in 1864.
FATAL BALL PRESERVED
A letter which George W. Shriver, of Germantown, wrote on a battlefield of the Civil War, to tell a Germantown mother of the death of her son in the battle, has just come back into his hands. It was found among the effects of Mrs. Sarah Humes, who died sometime ago at her home on Haines Street, and the executors of the estate have given it to Mr. Shriver.
Among the hundred or more men who enlisted in the Union Army from East Haines Street were George W. Shriver and George Humes. They, together with Naaman K. Ployd and William Ployd, joined Company B, 119th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. In the battle of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864, Humes was killed and Shriver wrote a letter to his comrade's mother in Germantown conveying the sad news.
The letter was written in lead pencil and is to-day as legible as when it was sent. It reads thus:
In the field near Cold Harbor Tavern, June 4, 1864:
Dear Cousin:
I take my pencil to inform you of the death of George. He was killed on the 3d with a solid shot, about half-past 10 o'clock in the morning. He was killed instantly. He was taken to the rear and buried as well as it could be done. The orderly sergeant, with four men, buried him. I would have gone with them, but I could not get off, for we had just advanced to the position where we are now lying. It is about sixty yards from the enemy's works. His things that he had in his pockets are all safe, and as soon as I can get a chance I will send them to you. If there is anything that you want to know concerning him, please let me know and I will do all I can for you. At the time he was killed he was acting adjutant of the regiment. There is one thing that belonged to him I would like to have, and that is his haversack. I don't want you to give it to me for nothing for I will buy it from you. I will have to close by sending my love to all.
Yours truly,
GEORGE W. SHRIVER
The solid shot which killed Humes was an enormous six-pound ball. It struck a limb of a tree over his head, which swerved its course downward, so that it penetrated Hume's body at the shoulder and its way through his chest. When he was buried the ball was placed in the grave with him. At the close of the war his body was disinterred and, together with the fatal ball, was brought to Germantown. The body was buried in the cemetery of the Haines Street Methodist Church, now the Harmer Public School. [The body was removed to Ivy Hill Cemetery at a later date.] The ball was afterwards placed in the museum of Ellis Post, Grand Army of the Republic, in Town Hall, where it may still be seen. Mr. Shriver still lives on Haines Street and is employed at the Germantown Office of the water bureau, in the Town Hall.
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