Farm Field to Battlefield

This 75-acre farm was home to John and Catherine Slyder and three of their children. The farm, seen in the distance, included a two-story stone house, a double-log barn, summer kitchen, and other buildings. Heeding a warning from Union soldiers, the Slyders left their farm. Federal sharpshooters hid in and among the outbuildings, harassing and delaying the enemy's advance. Thousands of soldiers overran the property, turning farm field to battlefield. The Slyders returned to find their farm a shambles and their home a temporary aid station. Destroyed crops, orchards, and livestock devastated this hard-working family. Two months later, having lost everything, they moved to Ohio.

Freedom Township, Pennsylvania · United States