Skip to content
  • — DONATE NOW —
  • Like it? Steal it
  • IowaWatch
  • IowaWatch
  • About IowaWatch’s role with Investigate Midwest
  • Contact Us
  • Global Navigation
    • — DONATE NOW —
    • Like it? Steal it

IowaWatch - Part of The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

IowaWatch (https://www.iowawatch.org/2015/06/13/she-hath-done-what-she-could/)

  • About IowaWatch’s role with Investigate Midwest
  • Contact Us
  • Don't Miss
  • The IowaWatch Connection radio program archives
  • News about IowaWatch 2010-2022
  • Databases
Battle of Gettysburg

She Hath Done What She Could

By Cheryl Mullenbach/Iowa Stories | June 13, 2015
LikeTweet EmailPrint More
  • More on Battle of Gettysburg
  • Subscribe to Battle of Gettysburg

U.S. Library of Congress

Jennie Wade House in Gettysburg circa 1903

Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade was the only civilian killed at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, but her sacrifice would have been overlooked if not for a group of Iowa women.

IowaStoriesSidebar_link

Jennie was only 20 years old when she was killed. She and her mother were visiting her sister, Georgia Wade McClellan, at Gettysburg, PA, when the battle broke out. The house was situated between the Union and Confederate armies. As the army prepared for battle, the Wade women cooked and served the Union soldiers who were stationed near the McClellan home. As the battle commenced Jennie continued to do all she could to feed the troops. By the third day of the battle the house had been hit by artillery from both sides. But it was a stray Rebel bullet on the last day of the fight that killed Jennie. She was inside the kitchen kneading bread when she was hit in the back by the bullet that penetrated two doors to enter the kitchen. It pierced her heart, and she died instantly. It was July 3, 1863.

The Union army lost over 3,000 men at the Battle of Gettysburg and the Confederates lost 4,500. Jennie was the only civilian and the only woman who died during the battle. Her body was placed in a coffin built for a rebel officer who had also died. (When the positions of the armies changed and the Confederate army moved to a new location, they left the unused coffin behind. Jennie’s body was placed in the coffin meant for her enemy.) Jennie’s final resting place was Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg. A small stone was placed at the grave to identify the only civilian killed that day.

Jennie Wade House in Gettysburg circa 1903

U.S. Library of Congress

After the war Jennie’s sister, Georgia, moved to Iowa with her husband. She was an active member of the Iowa chapter of the Woman’s Relief Corps (WRC). It was a group that provided relief to sick and impoverished Civil War veterans and their families.

In 1899 some of the women made a trip with Georgia to visit Jennie’s grave in Pennsylvania. They were disgusted to see the insignificant stone that commemorated Jennie’s contribution to the war effort. They decided to do something about it.

The women returned to Iowa and formed a committee headed by Margaret Hinman of Belmond. Through many small contributions by the WRC members and others the committee raised enough money to have a large monument made.

In 1901 the 12-foot tall Italian marble monument was erected. It portrayed a young woman holding a glass of water in her outstretched arm. The inscription read “Jennie Wade, killed July 3, 1863, while making bread for Union soldiers. Erected by Woman’s Relief Corps of Iowa. She Hath Done What She Could.”

At the dedication ceremony Georgia looked around the cemetery where thousands were buried and commented, “The only monument for a woman among all these!” She added she was proud of Iowa for “placing the first monument to the memory of women who served their country in the Civil War.”

Read other Iowa Stories and learn more about author Cheryl Mullenbach at http://www.cherylmullenbachink.com/.

Another view of how Jennie Wade died – History’s Revolving Door: A Forensic Interpretation of the Slaying of Mary Virginia Wade of Gettysburg
LikeTweet EmailPrint More
  • More on Battle of Gettysburg
  • Subscribe to Battle of Gettysburg

Related Series

Iowa History

Iowa History, a weekly column by Cheryl Mullenbach exploring Iowa history, will appear on IowaWatch on Saturdays. Mullenbach is a former history teacher, newspaper editor, and public television project manager. She is the author of four non-fiction books for young people. Double Victory was featured on C-SPAN’s “Book TV” and The Industrial Revolution for Kids was selected for “Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People.” Visit her website at http://www.cherylmullenbachink.com/.

Tags
  • Iowa History
  • Battle of Gettysburg
  • Civil War
  • Iowa history
  • Iowa Stories
  • Jennie Wade

Read Next

  • Covered Wagon Camping at the State Fair

    It was the Iowa State Fair of 1860—the seventh ever held. The state was young—only 14 years old. The American Civil War had not yet started in 1860. The capital had only recently been moved to Des Moines from Iowa City. The population of the state was not quite 700,000.

Previous Story
News Quiz: Draining Iowa's Farmland
Next Story
IowaWatch Connection: Graffiti and Street Art
  • IowaWatch
  • Donate
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Staff & Contributors
  • Ethics & Accuracy
  • Work With Us
  • Our Supporters

Search This Site

Browse Archives

© Copyright 2023, Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism

IowaWatch is a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News

Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Back to top ↑