This week marks the 157th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 1st, 1863, Union and Confederate soldiers came head-to-head in the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War. For three days, these men fought their hearts out. In total, there were over 51,000 casualties and losses from both sides. Today, we remember Gettysburg as a major turning point of the Civil War.
I fell in love with Gettysburg in May 2000. It was during my first journey to the East Coast for my 8th-grade trip. The furthest east I had ever been to was Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. Oddly enough, Gettysburg was very familiar to this 14-year old teen. Even though we spent part of the day there, it wasn’t enough. I wouldn’t get back until 2011.
In addition to researching these incredible battles, I think it’s important to read about the people who lived through these historical events. Often, the individual stories are fascinating, and we learn so much about unsung heroes. The story I’m going to tell you is really interesting, and it still has an unsolved mystery.
The Backstory
Private Stephen Kelly was born between 1833-1835 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was part of the 91st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry in Company E. He mustered on August 21st, 1861. Before Gettysburg, the regiment fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg and the Battle of Chancellorsville. Around this time, regiments in the Union wanted to defend their home states. The 91st PA Infantry was no different. They wanted to defend their home. When word came that Lee’s army was heading North, the urge to fight was fiercer than ever.
On July 1st at 8pm, the regiment started their journey to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. They arrived on July 2nd, 1863. That afternoon, they marched to Little Round Top and fought against Confederate sharpshooters hiding in Devil’s Den. On the Fourth of July, they managed to take in several Confederate prisoners.
In all, the 91st PA Infantry regiment suffered 21 casualties, which included 19 enlisted men and 2 officers.
Staring Death in the Face
Sometime after the Battle of Gettysburg, a veteran was wandering around the Pennsylvania section of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. He stopped at Stephen Kelly’s grave and looked bewildered. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
The veteran was Stephen Kelly.
How could this be? Was he a ghost? Was he looking at his future? There was a lot of confusion because Kelly was very much alive and well. The body in the pine box below was not his.
According to a few sources, Stephen Kelly wasn’t even at the Battle of Gettysburg. Well, maybe. According to one source, he was sick and in the hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. This means he may have never stepped foot in Gettsyburg in July 1863. On October 9, 1863, it was reported that Kelly was “regained from missing in action.“ How was this error never corrected? He mustered out on September 8th, 1864 after serving his term.
How Did This Happen?
After the Battle of Gettysburg, Samuel Weaver was enlisted to recover the bodies of Union soldiers and bury them in what would become the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Even when Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address in November 1863, the cemetery was still incomplete. To help him take on this massive task, Weaver enlisted several contractors to dig up shallow graves. They put the remains in pine boxes for the cemetery, which was an improvement from the shallow graves on the battlefield. With so much work at hand, there were sure to be errors. The soldiers were identified by their personal belongings that were either on them or close by.
According to William C. Reiff, a canteen with Kelly’s name had been found next to the unknown soldier on Little Round Top. Some say that the unknown soldier took (or even stole) Kelly’s knapsack while he was sick.
Every Memorial Day, Kelly visited the grave of the unknown soldier. He decorated his cemetery marker with flowers, all for the poor, anonymous soul that lost his life. The world will never know who he was.
The Rest of the Story
Stephen Kelly tried to correct the error, but he was unsuccessful. So, he decided to continue honoring the soldier who died in his place. Eventually, his name was removed. Today, the grave is marked as “Unknown.”
Kelly lived the rest of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his life, he held a few different jobs including a painter and a chair maker. In life, Kelly was a hermit who lived alone. On January 29th, 1889, he passed away. He was buried in a local cemetery in Philadelphia.
If you would like to visit this unknown soldier’s grave and lay some flowers yourself, go to the Pennsylvania area in Section A, Site #88.
Sources
Harrisburg Telegraph, September 9th, 1907, Page 10
Philadelphia Enquirer, February 4, 1889
Soldiers’ National Cemetery Info
Stephen Kelly’s life story: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~pa91/military/pkells1.html
A True Gettysburg Civil War Story: https://amzn.to/3fQJlu6
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:91st_PA_-_deaths
