The cleanup of bodies at Gettysburg was a monumental and grim undertaking that occurred in phases, involving various individuals and organizations over several years. There wasn't a single person or group responsible for the entire process, but rather a concerted effort that evolved from immediate battlefield burials to formal reinterment.
Immediate Post-Battle Burials (July 1863)
Immediately following the three-day battle in July 1863, the overwhelming task of dealing with tens of thousands of casualties fell largely to the victorious Union Army burial details and local Gettysburg citizens.
- Union Dead: Union soldiers were generally prioritized for burial. Burial parties dug shallow graves on the battlefield, often near where soldiers fell, or gathered them for more organized interment.
- Confederate Dead: Many Confederate soldiers were left in shallow, unmarked graves, or sometimes unburied, across the vast battlefield. The Union forces, while responsible for burying their own, did not always have the resources or immediate capacity to properly inter all enemy dead. The hot summer weather necessitated rapid, though often crude, burials to prevent disease.
Establishing the Soldiers' National Cemetery (Late 1863 – Early 1864)
Shortly after the battle, the need for a proper, permanent burial ground for the Union fallen became evident.
- Pennsylvania's Role: Pennsylvania's Governor Andrew Curtin spearheaded the effort to establish the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg.
- Reinterment Efforts: Beginning in October 1863 and continuing into the spring of 1864, skilled laborers, including African American laborers, were hired to systematically exhume the Union dead from their scattered, temporary graves across the battlefield. These remains were then meticulously identified (where possible) and reinterred with honor in the newly consecrated cemetery. It was here that President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address during its dedication.
Formal Reinterment of Confederate Dead (Early 1870s)
The process of formally collecting and reburying the Confederate dead was a later, more prolonged undertaking, often driven by Southern states and benevolent organizations.
- Rufus B. Weaver's Role: It was not until the early 1870s that a more systematic and formal effort to remove the Confederate dead from Gettysburg began. Rufus B. Weaver, a Philadelphia physician, played a significant role in this effort. He embarked on the painstaking task of exhuming thousands of Confederate remains from the battlefield.
- Southern Cemeteries: These reinterred Confederate soldiers were typically transported and reburied in cemeteries in their home states, such as Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, and cemeteries in Charleston, South Carolina, and Raleigh, North Carolina. This effort helped to provide proper final resting places for those who fell in battle.
Summary of Key Phases and Participants
The following table provides a clear overview of the different phases and key individuals or groups involved in the somber task of cleaning up and honoring the dead at Gettysburg:
| Phase | Primary Entities Involved | Focus | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate Battlefield Burial | Union Army Burial Details, Local Civilians | Initial, often shallow graves for both sides | July 1863 |
| Soldiers' National Cemetery | Pennsylvania Government, Hired Laborers | Systematic reinterment of Union dead | Late 1863 – Early 1864 |
| Formal Confederate Reinterment | Rufus B. Weaver, Southern benevolent organizations | Exhumation and reburial of Confederate dead | Early 1870s and beyond |
The cleanup of the bodies at Gettysburg was a testament to the immense human cost of the battle and the enduring efforts to honor the fallen, a process that stretched for years after the guns fell silent.
