Larry A. Smail's Blog

Sherfy barn and fencing at Emmitsburg Road

63rd PVI Memorial (photo -Slim Bowser)

 Friday, September 2, my friend, Robert “Slim” Bowser and myself headed to that great place known as Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The reasons for our visit were varied. We stopped by some businesses to present viewings of the print, “The Wheatfield-Whirlpool of Death”.  We discussed options with a business that specializes in shirts and sweat-shirts. We are waiting for his numbers for production of shirts. (This will take about a week.)

View my ancestor would have seen

   I had the opportunity to meet, and have lunch with, a fine gentleman named Mike Smith. He, like Slim, is a Civil War historian. He portrays General Buford who was engaged in that great conflict of Gettysburg.

One of my personal highlights was visiting and studying the site where my ancestor, Simon Blystone fought  on July 2nd, 1863.  He was with Company G of the 63rd Pennsylvania. For those of you familiar with the battle field  he was west of the Emmitsburg Road and the Peach Orchard and near the Sherfy buildings. Here they erected a breastwork of rail fences for defense. After fierce fighting they were eventually pulled back due to running low of ammunition. This may have been one factor of my ancestor’s life being spared. (He later was killed at the Battle of the Wilderness. See  earlier blogs from around Memorial Day 2011 .)

from the 63rd monument

  Walking around this site just knowing he was there and all those that fought and died is a humbling and emotional  experience for me. (A photo of the Blystone homestead exists. The buildings were in the Cherry Run area of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.)