Existing comment:
(Stop 19[a]) The HP Bottom House:
During the battle, more than 7,500 soldiers were killed and wounded. The town's 300 inhabitants were left to bury the dead, care for the injured, and repair their homes after months of post-battle occupation.
Perhaps no civilian suffered more than Henry P Bottom, a farmer and cabinetmaker who lived in the house at the base of the hill across the road. The battle wiped out Bottom's farming operations. His property was damaged during the fighting and soldiers on both sides confiscated his livestock and food.
When the thousands of soldiers converged on his farm, Bottom lost nine cows, thirty sheep, 8,540 pounds of pork, 4,500 pounds of bacon, 1,300 fence rails, 3,000 bushels of corn, 22 tons of hay, 50 bushels of oats, and two horses. In 1862, the amount of his lost or destroyed property totaled $4,862, a large amount for that time.
The house was caught in the crossfire during the fighting, and was so severely damaged that the wood siding had to be replaced. His home was also one of the main field hospitals in this area. Bullet holes in the wall and blood stains on the floor still remain in the house.
The HP Bottom House is a private residence. Please do not trespass on the property.
An excerpt from War Claim Testimony:
Charles C. Fox: "Did Mr Henry P Bottom ever recover from the losses which he suffered on that day?""
Dr. John B. Bolling: "No sire, he never did. He was broken in spirit from that time on until he died."
"The house, tents and yard were full of wounded Federal and Confederate soldiers. I can never forget the groans, wails, and moans of these hundreds of men as they lay side by side, some in the agony of death, some undergoing operations on the surgeons' table in one corner of the yard. Near the table was a pile of legs and arms, some with shoes on, others with socks, four or five feet high."
-- William Caldwell McChord |