Gettysburg Daily

Evergreen Cemetery Part 7 With Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny



Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing near the grave of Annie M. Warner in Evergreen Cemetery. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is a retired American History Teacher from Gettysburg High School. She has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 1975 and serves on the board of the Evergreen Cemetery Association. She is our host for our series on Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg’s civilian cemetery.

In the first Evergreen Cemetery post, Deb showed us the headstones damaged during the battle.

In our second post she introduced us to the cemetery, and showed us the statue of Elizabeth Thorn and the plot where some soldiers killed during the battle are buried.

In our third post she shows us the grave of Virginia “Ginnie/Jennie/Jenny” Wade, Jack Skelly, James Gettys, and the Thorn boys.

In our fourth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny showed us the graves of the family of Solomon Powers.

In our fifth post, Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny showed us the graves of the family of Mary Thompson, at whose house Robert E. Lee had his headquarters during the Battle of Gettysburg.

In our sixth post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny shared with us stories of Gettysburg diarist Salome “Sallie” Myers Stewart.

In today’s post, Deb Novotny tells the the background of Annie M. Warner and the Gettysburg Hospital, and what happened to Elizabeth Thorn’s baby, Rosa Meade Thorn.



This map shows the location of where our Evergreen Cemetery videos were produced. Videos #1- #14 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts and are shown on other maps. Videos #15- #17 were taken at the family plot of Solomon Powers. Videos #18- #20 were taken at the Mary Thompson family plot. Video #21 was taken at the unmakred grave of Jane Thompson and her daughter, Jane Meade Thompson. Videos #22- #24 were taken at the grave of Salome “Sallie” Myers Stewart. Videos #25-#26 were taken at the grave of Annie M. Warner. Video #27 was taken near the graves of the Thorns. Video #28 was filmed at the grave of Lydia Leister. This map was created facing north at approximately 8:00 PM on Sunday, September 13, 2009.
In Video #25 (Videos #1-#24 were shown in our previous Evergreen Cemetery posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is in Evergreen Cemetery at the grave of Annie M. Warner. She shares how the Gettysburg Hospital was first named the Annie M. Warner Hospital. This view was taken facing south to southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



At the time of the Battle of Gettysburg, John M. Warner had a mother named Anna M. Warner, and a sister named Anna M. Warner. The 1860 census shows that John M. Warner was “white,” a Teacher, born in Pennsylvania, and that he lived in the same dwelling and was part of the same family with John Warner (1806-) born in Bavaria, Germany; Anna M. Warner (1811-) born in Bavaria, Germany; George Warner (1842-) born in Pennsylvania; Valentine Warner (1847-) born in Pennsylvania; Anna M. Warner (1840-) born in Pennsylvania; William Warner (1851-) born in Pennsylvania; Emanuel Wisotskey (1858-) born in Pennsylvania. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



A closer view of the marker for Annie M. Warner and John M. Warner. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.
In Video #26 Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is in Evergreen Cemetery at the grave of Annie M. Warner. She shares how she felt about the changing of the name from Annie M. Warner Hospital to Gettysburg Hospital. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



Deb Novotny is standing near the graves of the Thorns. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.
In Video #27 Deb Novotny is in Evergreen Cemetery at the graves of Elizabeth Thorn and Peter Thorn. Elizabeth was six months pregnant in July, 1863 when she was in charge of burying approximately 130 bodies in Evergreen Cemetery. Deb describes what happened to the baby, Rosa Meade Thorn. This view was taken facing south at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



The headstones of Elizabeth and Peter Thorn. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



The marker at the grave of Rosa Meade Thorn. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is standing by the grave of “The Widow” Lydia Leister. This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



The Leister graves are in the area of the Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse, which is the red brick structure in the background… This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



…and East Cemetery Hill, which is in the right background… This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.
In Video #28 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Deb Novotny is in Evergreen Cemetery at the grave of Lydia Leister. She explains some of the events related to Major General George Gordon Meade using the Leister House as his headquarters during the Battle of Gettysburg. This view was taken facing northwest to west to northwest to north to southeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



The 1860 federal population census show that Lydia Leister did not yet live in her famous house on the Taneytown Road. It showed that she lived in Cumberland Township, Green Mount, Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania Post Office. The 1860 census also shows that Lydia Leister was “white,” illiterate, born circa 1811 in Maryland, and that she lived in the same dwelling and was part of the same family with Eliza J. Leister (1839-), born in Maryland; Amos Leister (1841-), born in Maryland; Daniel Leister (1850-), born in Maryland; Hannah Leister (1855-), born in Pennsylvania; Matilda A. Leister (1857-), born in Pennsylvania. Her real estate did not have a value and her personal estate had a value of $200. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



A closer view of the headstone for Lydia Leister… This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



… and James Leister. This view was taken facing north at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



While the James Leister and Lydia Leister graves are on the left (east) of the row, Lydia Leister’s brother, Dr. David Study was buried on the right (west) of this row. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



The 1860 census shows that David Study was “white,” born circa 1810 in Maryland, a Surgeon, and that he lived in the same dwelling and was part of the same family with Angeline Leister (1836-), born in Maryland. His real estate had a value of $9000, and his personal estate had a value of $300. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



A closer view of Dr. Study’s headstone. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



Deb Novotny is standing next to the grave of one of Lydia Leister’s sons… This view was taken facing west at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.



…Amos Leister. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 4:15 PM on Sunday, September 6, 2009.

To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.