For those of you who read the tidbit last week I hope you remember that I mentioned Wesley Culp. Here's a short tidbit about his involvement in the Civil War.

Wesley was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in possibly 1839 and spent his early boyhood on the Culp farm in Gettysburg. In the 1850's he moved to Shepherdstown, West Virginia and worked in a carriage shop. At the outbreak of the war he enlisted in Company B, 2nd Virginia Infantry which later became part of the renowned Stonewall Brigade. As part of the Brigade he was involved in the Battle of 1st Manassas, the Valley Campaign of 1862, the Peninsula Campaign, 2nd Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, 2nd Winchester, and Gettysburg.

At the Battle of 2nd Winchester in June 1863, Wesley faced the horrible reality of fighting against his brother, William Culp, who was in the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry. It was at this battle that he spoke with Johnston Skelly, also in the 87th and from Gettysburg, who was mortally wounded. (If you remember, Skelly was engaged to Jennie Wade and Wesley promised to relay the sad news of Skelly's death to her.)

A few weeks later, Wesley and the Stonewall Brigade were sent to Gettysburg to fight in the bloodiest three day battle of the war. He somehow managed to slip away and visit his two sisters on the Culp farm and promised he would come back to see him. But this was not to be. Wesley died on July 2, 1863 within sight of the house where he was born on the Culp farm. He never got to pass on the news to Jennie Wade nor was he to ever see his family again. Wesley was the only casualty of the 2nd Virginia Infantry claimed in the horrible fighting at Gettysburg.

See www.nps.gov/gett/gettkidz/culpw.htm for more information.