Abraham Brian Farm

Abraham Brian, a free black man, lived on this 12-acre farm with his wife, Elizabeth, and two children. He purchased the land in 1857, grew wheat, barley, and hay, and tended a small apple and peach orchard. Afraid of being captured and sold into slavery, Brian and his family left their home when Confederate troops entered Pennsylvania. Following the battle, they returned to find their home riddled with bullet holes, windows smashed, and furniture thrown about the yard. The crops and orchard were ruined, and their farm fields a graveyard for hastily buried soldiers. Brian repaired his home, replaced his fences, and farmed this land until 1869, when he moved to town and worked at a local hotel. In mid-July 1863, photographer Mathew Brady recorded this image. Brian, like many farmers, filed a claim with the federal government for $1,028.00 in damages to his property. He received $15.00. S.G. Elliot mapped the temporary graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. Each mark represents a grave.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania · United States