Jennie Wade and the Gettysburg Affair

Jennie couldn't help but remember that it was during the winter of 1861-62, when the civil war was only seven months old, that she befriended a young corporal from New York. The 10th New York Cavalry Regiment, also known as the Porter Guards, were briefly stationed in Gettysburg for three months. Several of the men, who spent their long wintry days drilling and perfecting the use of their sabers and small arms, eventually became regular customers of Mrs. Wade and her daughters. The Porter Guards had been dispatched to the little town in order to protect the state borders against any possible Southern intrusion. The Wade women were highly respected and perceived to be very kind and hospitable by the soldiers who used their services of uniform repair and various other jobs that required sewing or stitching. Jennie would always remember the day she met the young corporal who came into the shop with two of his friends. Jennie remembered telling her mother, Mary, that she would be spending the night with Georgia after supper when she would walk to her sister's house on Baltimore Street by herself. That wasn't entirely a total lie, but first she had planned to meet the man she thought she loved, long before she was expected at Georgia's house for the night. Jennie gave no thought as to what her mother and sister might think about her meeting the Skelly boy that night; however, she knew all too well what could happen to her when she was finally alone with Jack. At this moment, she felt willing to do anything to spend this time with him before he left to go to war. Dark couldn't come soon enough while she hurried to the place they had agreed to meet. Jennie, who had just turned twenty years old in May, had many responsibilities in the Wade household every day. Today, especially would be no exception. One of her biggest jobs was the total care of a six year old crippled boy who was boarded at the Wade house while his mother worked in another part of town. Mary Wade earned extra money from her while it fell to Jennie to take care of little Isaac Brinkerhoff, whom she dearly loved. She had so much love and compassion for the lad since he could not walk or care for himself. Along with Isaac, Jennie also had charge of her little brother Harry, who was eight. Their total care was very time consuming for Jennie, but she also had to work with her mother as a seamstress, as well as to help with the cooking and cleaning. No easy task for a young girl in love, but she would set aside her main duties to help out or lend a hand whenever the need would arise and she found out about it. Jennie had a true servant's heart and her strength, courage, and faith was about to be tested once again.