Monthly Archives: September 2026

The 62nd PVI LHF ladies and in particular the young historians gave an excellent program in July at the Armstrong County Memorial Hospital on Civil War Nursing and Medicine. This program was requested by ACMH Volunteers who manage the Auxiliary Investigation and Discovery Program for children ages 8-13. The volunteers wanted a historical program on medicine for America 250, and the ladies and young historians of the 62nd PVI LHF were happy to assist.

Young historian Adalynn Ciprich dressed as a civilian nurse and showed the children how to bandage an arm wound using the hospital’s dummy as a stand in for a Civil War soldier. Adalynn also shared how to apply a tourniquet and why one would be necessary to prevent blood loss in serious wounds. The children had the opportunity to practice bandaging and applying a tourniquet themselves, in addition to learning about how other Civil War wounds or diseases would be treated, and how treatments could be similar or different than what is used today.

Cindy McShane dressed as the 114th PA Volunteer Infantry Vivandiere Marie Tepe or ‘French Mary’ and shared how Marie cared for the soldiers in the 114th PA, doing everything from cooking, nursing, writing letters, helping wounded soldiers from the battlefield, supplying water or whiskey to the soldiers during the heat of battle and being a wonderful moral support and a sympathetic listener to young men and boys who were so far from home for such a long time…

Faith and Maewyn Kunkle also dressed as civilian nurses, and shared stories of how women nurses such as Cornelia Hancock and Tillie Pierce served in field hospitals such as the ones at Gettysburg, and the enormous challenges faced by the nurses as they tried to care for so many wounded soldiers. Something as simple as finding food for the soldiers and something to serve the food with required ingenuity and determination on the part of the nurses, as Cornelia demonstrated when she secured loaves of bread and a jar of jam, which she spread on the bread with a stick and then passed pieces around for the soldiers to eat!

Katie Wolfe and her daughters Kara and Anna supported the program through a slideshow of pictures and information related to the many sides of Civil War medicine and nursing, including how drummer boys and musicians could also serve as nurses and the care packages that families would often send to their soldiers. In addition, the ladies shared information and answers about the Gettysburg Traveling Trunk display that the ACMH also provided. The audience greatly appreciated and enjoyed the program, as did the ladies and young historians of the 62nd PVI LHF.

The ladies of the 62nd PVI LHF have had a busy summer presenting a variety of programs both about the 62nd PVI and other Civil War topics, such as medicine, nursing, and food.

In May of 2026, Katie Wolfe was asked to present a Civil War Stories Among The Stones Cemetery Walk at Appleby Manor Presbyterian Church near Ford City, PA as part of the Armstrong Center for Community Learning America 250 Local History Series. Katie was honored to take part in this program, highlighting a dozen Civil War soldiers and their stories, among the many buried at Appleby Manor. Two soldiers in particular were of special significance- Corporal David Porter Truitt and Corporal Josiah Callen, both of the 62nd PVI Company D. Katie is pictured below standing next to Corporal Truitt’s grave, which the 62nd PVI LHF cleaned and added a red brick Maltese Cross around the base several years ago. The picture of Corporal Callen’s grave was found on the 62nd PA Virtual Cemetery website, maintained by our good friend, Paul Blackham. If you are interested in finding more 62nd PVI soldiers’ graves, please use the link to the virtual cemetery found on our website.

Another soldier whose story was very significant was Private Peter Hare, who is the Great-Grandfather of 62nd PVI LFH member Jean Mathabel. Peter’s story is a very sad one, as he enlisted in 1861in the 11th PA Reserves and then re-enlisted in 1864 with the 190th PA Infantry, only to be captured in August of 1864 outside of Petersburg and sent to Salisbury prison in North Carolina, where he eventually died after being shot and paralyzed. One has to wonder why he was shot- was he trying to escape, as many prisoners did? Sadly, Peter is actually buried in a mass grave with other Union prisoners who died at Salisbury and the marker for him in Appley Manor Cemetery is a memorial marker, which Jean and her family dedicated in 2012 with the help of the Sons of Union Veterans John T. Crawford Camp. Jean was able to attend the cemetery walk and shared more of her family’s story, including how her Grandfather as a young boy was eventually sent to the Dayton Civil War Orphans School, as his Mother was left a widow with seven children to care for after Peter’s death. This was just one example among many of how the Civil War touched the lives of so many, especially on the homefront, and why their stories are so important to remember.

Also during the month of May, Cindy McShane put together a wonderful program on Cooking Under Duress, with the help of Katie Wolfe, at the request of another local church for their Mother & Daughter Luncheon. Cindy and Katie both presented the program in May to the ladies of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Kittanning. This program gave a fascinating glimpse into a crucial aspect of a Civil War soldier’s experience- the food or the lack thereof! The enormous task of feeding the Civil War armies was helped by women from the homefront and ladies serving as nurses near the front lines, with grit, ingenuity and perseverance. As Cindy stated, “The more I researched the topic, the more interested I became!” Cindy baked some original recipes of hardtack and ginger cake, which she shared at the luncheon. The ladies of the church also found the program very interesting and thanked Cindy and Katie very much for their time and efforts. And so, the stories continue and history is remembered!