Jennie Wade - The Young Gettysburg Bread Baker

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1, 2,and he shall strengthen thine heart." Death was
and 3, 1863. July 3, was a Friday. Around 8:30abundant at Gettysburg in early July of 1863. The
that morning, 20-year-old Miss Mary VirginiaUnion suffered approximately 3,155 killed and the
(Jennie) Wade was at home and busy bakingConfederacy approximately 3,903 killed. Miss
bread for hungry Union soldiers. At theJennie Wade was the only civilian killed at the
Farnsworth house, almost two blocks away fromBattle of Gettysburg.
Jennie's home, a Rebel sharpshooter was perchedYou can visit the Jennie Wade House in
in hiding. Thinking the Wade house was a UnionGettysburg, Pennsylvania. When you visit Jennie's
headquarters and hoping to pick off a Yankeehome, you can see where the north side of the
officer or soldier, the Confederate sharpshooterhouse is blemished with over 150 bullet and shell
fired a single bullet toward the Wade home.holes from the Gettysburg battle. On display at
The sniper's bullet passed through two doors ofthe Wade house, is the bullet that killed Jennie
the Wade house before it struck Jennie in theWade, the young bread baker.
small of her back just below the left shoulderCongress later declared that the United States
blade. Jennie died instantly as the bullet toreflag be flown over Wade's tomb. The United
through her heart.States flag still flies there now in honor and
Jennie Wade began each day reading from thememory of Jennie Wade and of all innocent
Bible. The passage she happened to read on Julycivilians killed in the Civil War.
3, was; "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage,