Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1926-03-24
KILLED ON HIS UNCLE'S FARM
AT GETTYSBURG.

Observer. writing of the old Hoff-
man Shop in Shepherdstown. in the
Shepherdstown Register. gives the
of the I'd Virginia regiment, which
We have heard Veterans Of that
famous regiment repeat. and can
vouch for the truthfulness of the re-
markable story:
"Mr. Hoffman came here from
Gettysburg. Pa. before the Civil
War. Gettysburg was then a little
Pennsylvania hamlet with no dream
er therein ever suspecting that it
was to become as famous as Water
loo or Marengo or Bunker Hill. The
brick building on the corner was the
work shop. and Mr.. Hoffman and his
family occupied the large and SUBJ
stantial brick dwelling house on the
corner of Princess and New streets.
He and his sons worked at the bust
ness. and he brought with him also
from Pennsylvania as skilled work
men Jerry Shelter and Wesley Culp.
Afterward John Metz and Josiah
Kitzmiller were also employed
there. besides others. There were
ments in those days and all vehicles
were made by hand. This shop was
kept busy and turned out excellent
work.
"When the Civil War broke out
both Shefffers and Culp had become
well-seasoned' Virginians. They were
members of the Hamtramck Guards.
and when this famous military COM
pany was reorganized as Company
B. Second Virginia Regiment. they
marched away with it as loyal sol
diers of the Confederate Army and
afterward shared it's glory as a part
of the command of the immortal
Stonewall Jackson. Jerry Shelter
lost an arm while bravely fighting
for his adopted State-we think it
was at the battle Of Cedar Mountain
and afterward moved to that
place and lived there until a few
years ago, when he crossed over
the river TO rest in the shade of the
trees with his commander and his
comrades. His daughter, a noble
woman. still lives in the pleasant
village of Toms Brook.
Wesley Culp had a remarkable
fate. On the first dav of July in
1868 he found himself with his COM
pany on the field of Gettysburg,
that was to be known as the high
water mark of the Confederacy and
where was TO be fought the decisive
battle of the war that would make
his home town forever famous. B. S
Pendleton. on the staff of General
Walker. and now the last survivor
of old Company B, interested him
self and got written permission for
Culp to visit his relatives in the
town. He stayed all night with his
sister. and next morning reioined
the command. In the second days
tight, by strange chance. he found
himself fighting around Culp's Hill.
a part of his uncle's farm. 1t was
terrificallv hot at that particular
place and bullets and shells were as
thick as hail in a summer storm.
There was partial shelter there in
the way of great rocks and boulders.
and the men on the skirmish line
took such advantage of it as they
could. Culp arose from behind a
rock and leaned over il to look for
ward. A comrade warned him not
to expose himself unnecessarily. but
he paid no attention. His friend
took hold of him to pull him back.
when he fell into his arms dead. He
had been shot in the forehead the
moment he had peeped over the
rock. It was the irony Of fate that
though he had died on the lands of
his uncle he should sleep in an un-
known grave. for his body, like so
many other brave men who fell on
that bloody field, was buried in a
trench without being recognized. He
was brave soldier and had the re-
gard of his comrades. Mr.. Pendle-
ton recalls the incident wildly. He
said that when he asked General
Walker for a pass for Culp and ex-
planned the circumstances the Gen.
eral expressed surprise that he had
a Pennsylvania in his command and
readily wrote out pass for him.