Last updated: April 9, 2024
Place
Abraham Brian Farm
NPS Photo
Abraham Brian’s property was on the edge of Ziegler’s Grove, an oak grove that covered about 2.5 acres in 1863, and served as cover for Battery I, 5th US Artillery, and for elements of Hays’ infantry during the battle.
Brian’s experience offers some sense of the battle’s impact on the civilians living on the battlefield. Brian was born in Maryland in 1804, moved to Gettysburg around 1840, and purchased twelve acres here in 1857. He usually kept at least one or two horses and cows, grew wheat, barley, and hay, and kept some of his land in meadows and orchards.
Abraham Brian, his wife Elizabeth, and their five children were not living in the house at the time of the battle. As members of the local African American community, the family left the Gettysburg area upon news of the Confederate invasion, perhaps joining the exodus to Lancaster County. During the battle General Hays reportedly used the Brian house as his headquarters.
When the family returned after the battle, they found the house and barn had been damaged by artillery and small arms fire. The outside bake oven was gone. Brian lost his corn, wheat, oats, orchard, garden vegetables, and farm animals. He also lost 194 panels of his post and rail and worm fencing, and a stone fence had been torn down and removed for defenses. He eventually submitted a claim to the government for damages in the amount of $575. Damages caused by the battle were not covered, and Brian only received $15 for the 1.5 tons of hay used by Federal cavalry to feed their horses. Many farmers received no compensation for damages. Brian repaired the damage to his buildings and continued to farm until 1868 when he sold his farm. The family moved into the town of Gettysburg, and Abraham Brian worked as hostler at a hotel.
The expereinces of the Brian family reflected both the determination and resilience of Gettysburg’s civilians who, in the weeks after the battle, struggled to recover from the damage it caused and to restore some normalcy to their lives.
Brian’s experience offers some sense of the battle’s impact on the civilians living on the battlefield. Brian was born in Maryland in 1804, moved to Gettysburg around 1840, and purchased twelve acres here in 1857. He usually kept at least one or two horses and cows, grew wheat, barley, and hay, and kept some of his land in meadows and orchards.
Abraham Brian, his wife Elizabeth, and their five children were not living in the house at the time of the battle. As members of the local African American community, the family left the Gettysburg area upon news of the Confederate invasion, perhaps joining the exodus to Lancaster County. During the battle General Hays reportedly used the Brian house as his headquarters.
When the family returned after the battle, they found the house and barn had been damaged by artillery and small arms fire. The outside bake oven was gone. Brian lost his corn, wheat, oats, orchard, garden vegetables, and farm animals. He also lost 194 panels of his post and rail and worm fencing, and a stone fence had been torn down and removed for defenses. He eventually submitted a claim to the government for damages in the amount of $575. Damages caused by the battle were not covered, and Brian only received $15 for the 1.5 tons of hay used by Federal cavalry to feed their horses. Many farmers received no compensation for damages. Brian repaired the damage to his buildings and continued to farm until 1868 when he sold his farm. The family moved into the town of Gettysburg, and Abraham Brian worked as hostler at a hotel.
The expereinces of the Brian family reflected both the determination and resilience of Gettysburg’s civilians who, in the weeks after the battle, struggled to recover from the damage it caused and to restore some normalcy to their lives.
Abraham Brian House 3D Tour
Explore the Abraham Brian House in this 3D Virtual Tour.