This small farmstead located on what is now the corner of Hancock and Zeigler Avenue in Gettysburg just off of Emmitsburg Road, belonged to Abraham Brian (Bryan). Abraham was one of the 200 African-American residents that lived in Gettysburg during the battle. In 1857 he purchased the 12 acres surrounding the farm, and on that property, he had a small peach and apple orchard and also grew wheat, barley and grain. He also kept one or two horses and cows. Before the battle Abraham and his wife 3rd wife Elizabeth and five children (3 from previous 2 marriages), had fled the town and it was taken over by Union troops. Among those that occupied the area was General Alexander Hays Brigade, 3rd division of the 2nd Corps and was used as his headquarters. Hays was put in command only days before the battle and Colonel Willard took over as senior Colonel of the Brigade.
On July 2nd they had taken position on Cemetery Ridge to the right of the angle, relieving the 2nd division First Corps and at noon at had advanced the stone wall in the front and helped fend off Confederate attacks on both July 2nd and 3rd. On the 2nd they charged General Barksdale’s brigade near the Plum Run where they were able to for them back, capturing many prisoners. On that day Battery I 5th U.S. from the 21st Mississippi was recaptured by the 39th New York and Col. Willard was killed and Brig. General Barksdale was mortally wounded.
On July 3rd, the final day of the battle and the day before Lee and his men retreated, at 3p.m, after the Brigade was engaged in a grueling 2 hour skirmish, and losing many men, they moved up to assist the Second Brigade and successfully pushed back Longstreet’s assault, leading to the mortal wounding of Col. Sherril. The 125th New York and the 8Th Ohio, a large detail Brigade under Capt. Armstrong withdrew on the skirmish line to the right and fired a deadly assault upon the left, charging captured prisoners and flags.
After the battle was over, Abraham and his family returned to find their home in disarray. The house had been riddled with bullet holes, had windows broken and the furniture was thrown about. His crops destroyed and his orchards rendered useless. He was able to rebuild and had continued to till and farm the land until 1868 when he sold it and went to work at a hotel in town. He had out in a Federal claim for damage in the amount of $1,028 but he would only see $15 of it paid to him. Abraham died on May 30th, 1879 at 75 years of age, and is buried in the Lincoln Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa. The last inhabitant of farm was Ernest Strickhouser in 1940, and in 1950 the home was demolished, and a one-story reproduction house was built. Visitors from all over the world can come and visit the Brian Farm. During the summer the Gettysburg NPS has several weekends where they open the door and invite you into a glimpse of the Brian home where you can walk in the footsteps of one of Gettysburg free black men that owned his own piece of paradise, before the battle had wrecked his town.
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