When most people think about the Battle of Gettysburg, the names that come to their mind are those, such as Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, Joshua Chamberlain, or George Pickett. Very little is said in historical accounts of the battle about Mary Virginia Wade, the only citizen to be killed during the three days of bloodletting in Gettysburg. Over the years after the battle, the townspeople of Gettysburg created Wade into more of a folklore figure than an actual person by telling stories of her that combined historical fact with myths.
 

Mary Wade, who was born on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg in May 1843, was the daughter of James Wade and Mary Ann Filby. During her early childhood years, Mary worked for her father in his tailoring business. She was known by many of peers as "Gin" or "Ginnie" because of her middle name, Virginia. A newspaper inaccurately referred to her once as "Jennie," and this is the name that stuck with her since. The incorrect use of the name "Jennie" is one of the myths about this girl because she probably was never called "Jennie" by anyone who knew her well.

In spring of 1863, when Ginnie was just twenty years old, it is believed she became engaged to Corporal Johnston H.Skelly of the 87th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Skelly, also a resident of Gettysburg, was was not in the area, when the first arrival of Confederate troops entered Gettysburg on June 26th, 1863. Still, June 26th was an extremely busy day for Ms.Wade, as she helped brother, Samuel Wade of the Gettysburg Zouaves, to secure an arrest release from General Early of the Confederacy. Samuel was arrested for failing to obey orders to hand over the family horse to Confederate troops. Ginnie also helped to care for Isaac Brinkerhoff, a six-year old disabled neighborhood child. Still, the real test for Ginnie and the Wade family was about to begin with the commencement of the battle on July 1, 1863.

After the battle was underway,Ginnie Wade chose to leave her house on Breckinridge Street and move to the residence of her sister on Baltimore Street. She believed that this location would be safe from Union and Confederate gunfire and enable her to help care for her sister,Georgia McClellan, who was homebound with her newborn baby. Still, to her surprise, the McClellan residence was directly situated in harms way, situated between the lines of Union and Confederate sharpshooters during the three-day holocaust.

Once on Baltimore Street, Union troops that were fighting near Seminary Ridge and Cemetery Hill began arriving at the McClellan residence, asking the family for food and water. Unable to sit around passively while her Union brethren were giving their all on the farms and fields of Gettysburg, Ginnie decided to do what she could for the cause. Therefore, she spent a great deal of her time filling the soldiers' canteens with water and baking bread for the troops, who were more than grateful for her charity.

After two days of exhausting work and constant fear, Ginnie awoke on July 3rd at roughly 4:30 a.m. to prepare bread for the hungry Union soldiers. It was not long until the McClellan house was being bombarded by Confederate fire. Early in the morning, Georgia McClellan noted the last words that Ginnie spoke to her that day. According to Georgia, Ginnie said, "If there is anyone in this house that is to be killed today, I hope it is me, as George [nickname for Georgia] has a little baby." These words turned out to be very prophetic for Ginnie and her family.

At roughly 8:00 in the morning, Ginnie was preparing to start baking, when a Confederate bullet from a sharpshooter's rifle came through the kitchen door and struck her in the back, killing her instantly. Shortly after, a few Union soldiers carried the body of the deceased girl to the basement of the house and wrapped it in a quilt, where it was kept until July 4th. That afternoon Ginnie was buried in a grave in the rear of the McClellan residence, still with dough on her hands. Many accounts of the story of Ginnie Wade claim that she was baking bread, when she was struck down by the bullet. Actually, she was in the process of mixing the ingredients for the bread, when she met her fate.

There is still speculation today as to where the bullet that killed Ginnie Wade actually came from. Most accounts from the battle and shortly thereafter claim that the fatal bullet may have come from the Rupp Tannery. Recently, some scholars have come to theorize that it may have come from the house that today is known as the Farnsworth House.

Regardless of where the bullet came from, Ginnie lay dead before her time, leaving her family and friends to deal with the grief. Never did she live to find out about her fiancee Corporal Johnston Hastings Skelly (Jack Skelly) of the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry who had died on July 12, 1863 from wounds received a few weeks before at the Battle of Carter's Woods near Winchester, Virginia. This young couple was reunited shortly after the war, when both bodies were transferred to Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg. The grave sites of the two youngsters are less than one hundred paces apart. They now rest eternally together after giving the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
 

Jason Amico is a graduate of Penn State University w/ a major in secondary educ. and a minor in history. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in history. After graduation he plans to seek employment in the public history field w/ The National Park Service, historic site, research organization, or a museum. His hopes are to become involved w/ historic interpretation and research. Civil War Web is honored and proud to publish his first article, and we welcome him to the community of published historians.