Civil War Ancestor
Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:05 am
My great,great uncle, Harry E. Rulon was an officer in Company B the 114th Pennsylvania. He was a Lieutenant at Gettysburg and was captured on 2nd July. Family legend has it that he threw his sword and pistol down the Sherfy Farm well to avoid surrendering it to the enemy. (True? Who knows?) He spent some time in Libby before being exchanged and rejoining his unit. He was promoted to Captain and was mustered out with the regiment.
Not too long ago I found out that he is one of the officers in this photo. He is the one seated on the right with the boots, broad-brimmed hat and smoking a pipe.
For a long time I had a hard time figuring out what unit he was in. My grandmother had told me about the alleged sword in the well incident from when I was very young, but didn't know his unit. I kept asking and one day she pulled out an ancient piece of paper that had his name on it and said "Pennsylvania Zouabes" (sic). A Zouave captured at Gettysburg was then pretty easy to trace to the Peach Orchard and 114th PA. She said she had known him and that his uniform was still around the house when she was a girl, but that her brothers played with it until it got destroyed. Too bad. A 114th Officer's unifom would have been a nice little item to have handed down through the family! Another brother was in the 68th Pennsylvania. My great, great grandfather and other brothers were just a bit too young, but managed to get into militia units under Couch during Lee's invasion.
Not too long ago I found out that he is one of the officers in this photo. He is the one seated on the right with the boots, broad-brimmed hat and smoking a pipe.
For a long time I had a hard time figuring out what unit he was in. My grandmother had told me about the alleged sword in the well incident from when I was very young, but didn't know his unit. I kept asking and one day she pulled out an ancient piece of paper that had his name on it and said "Pennsylvania Zouabes" (sic). A Zouave captured at Gettysburg was then pretty easy to trace to the Peach Orchard and 114th PA. She said she had known him and that his uniform was still around the house when she was a girl, but that her brothers played with it until it got destroyed. Too bad. A 114th Officer's unifom would have been a nice little item to have handed down through the family! Another brother was in the 68th Pennsylvania. My great, great grandfather and other brothers were just a bit too young, but managed to get into militia units under Couch during Lee's invasion.