Gettysburg Related Carte De Visite "CHILDREN OF THE BATTLEFIELD" / SOLD
Gettysburg Related Carte De Visite "CHILDREN OF THE BATTLEFIELD" - Inventory Number: GET 505 / SOLD
During the battle of Gettysburg Sergeant Amos Humiston of the 154 th New York Infantry was found dead in Gettysburg near the corner of York and Stratton streets. When his body was discovered Humiston was holding a tintype of his three children in his hand. Nothing was found on the body at the time that would reveal the soldier's identity. A copy of the image was published throughout the country to help identify the soldier and the children. In November 1863, the mother of the three children, Philinda Humiston learned of the ambrotype from a church publication, and was able to confirm that the unidentified soldier was her husband, missing since the first day of the battle four months earlier. The image was published for some time after this discovery both as a human-interest story and to raise money for war orphans. In 1866 Philinda Humiston and her three children moved into the Orphan's Home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with Philinda becoming the housekeeper of the facility. Philinda remained there until remarrying in 1869 and moving to Becket, Massachusetts. Her children remained at the Orphan's Home in Gettysburg until 1871 when they relocated to Becket to be with their mother and stepfather.