555th ... a Gettysburg Connection

Certainly one of the defining moments in American History is the Civil War and certainly one of the most significant events in that war was the Battle of Gettysburg. It was the farthest North the Confederate Armies ever advanced. During those three July days in 1863 the complexion of the war changed and, never again, was the Confederate Army the potent force it had once been. Over 157,000 Union and confederate troops were engaged, over 79,000 were killed and over 3,555 Union dead remain there in a part of the battlefield set aside for a National Cemetery.

Of local interest, approximately 150 Wayne Countians served there. Most of them (one hundred) were from Wooster, with most serving in the 4th and 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiments. Another group (including several who, reportedly, were tired of carrying a musket and walking) served in Cushings 4th U.S. Artillery. They were at the "Angle" located at the very center of the Union line and where Pickets Charge was broken.

As far as is known only one from our area died in the battle, Private John Kratz, an ancestor of Juvenile Court Judge Ray Leisy, was killed on July 1 while defending Cemetery Hill with the 107th. His body was never recovered and he remains, to this day, one of the many “unknowns”. Another Ohioan of note who served there was Private George Nixon whose great grandson Richard, was to become President of the United States. He was mortally wounded on July 2nd, his grave being one of one hundred thirty-one in the Ohio section.

On November 19, 1863, the Gettysburg National Cemetery was dedicated by President Abraham Lincoln. His three-minute “few appropriate remarks” remain one of the most eloquent speeches ever given. It is commemorated and reenacted on each anniversary of that date. It has also been a tradition, on this date, to decorate the graves in each of the state sections with flags. A lesser known tradition is the placement of Lincoln pennies on the marker stones.

The only group of graves not so honored were those of the one hundred thirty-eight US Regulars killed during the battle. In 2005 the 555th purchased flags and, in an ongoing project, adopted them. This is certainly appropriate in view of our mission of honoring those who have served and who have paid the ultimate price.

Hal Fulton
Fasu@aol.com