On July 3, 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg came to its close after three brutal days of fighting — the turning point of the Civil War. I recently dove deep into my family history research and confirmed that my own ancestors were part of it.
Franklin S. Horner (1836–1918), my 3rd great-granduncle, was First Sergeant of Company H, 12th Pennsylvania Reserves. He enlisted in July 1861 as a carpenter from Cambria County and served the entire war, from enlistment to muster-out in June 1864 — 28 engagements in all. On July 2, 1863, his regiment arrived at Gettysburg and advanced to Little Round Top and the summit of Big Round Top — the rocky high ground on the far left of the Union line that, had it fallen, could have let Confederate forces roll up the entire Union position. Franklin and his men helped hold that ground through July 3. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant not long after, almost certainly in recognition of his service there. He’s buried at Horner Cemetery in Adams Township, Cambria County, next to his wife Rachel.
Confirming this took real digging — there were two Franklin Horners from Cambria County who served in the very same regiment and company at the same time, which could easily lead a researcher astray. I was able to positively identify mine through five independent sources: the Pennsylvania Veterans Card File, his listing on the Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg itself, the 12th PA Reserves regimental history, his 1918 death certificate, and the 1850 census.
His brother, Jeremiah S. Horner, also served in the Civil War — enlisting in Company F of the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry on July 15, 1863, just days after the battle ended. His enlistment record shows he wasn’t yet in uniform during Gettysburg itself; his company was still forming up as part of the wave of Pennsylvania men who rushed to serve once Lee’s invasion made the danger personal. He served six months, discharged in February 1864 at Chambersburg.
There’s an even more remarkable twist. Jacob C. Stineman, who married into our Varner family line (his wife Ella Varner, married December 1866), was himself a Civil War veteran — he served in Company F, 198th Pennsylvania Volunteers, and was present at Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. He went on to become a Pennsylvania State Senator, and as a member of the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Commission, he personally oversaw construction of the Pennsylvania Memorial arch on Hancock Avenue — the very monument whose bronze tablets bear Franklin Horner’s name to this day.
So the memorial that lists my ancestor as present at the battle was built under the direction of a man who married into the same extended family. History has a way of circling back.
These men lived and farmed right here in Cambria County before answering the call. Walking their story back through census records, death certificates, and regimental histories has been one of the most rewarding parts of researching our family tree — a reminder that history isn’t distant. It’s in our own family.
Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Card Files, 1775-1948 for Franklin Horner
Gravestone for Franklin Horner and his wife Rachel at the Horner Cemetery in Cambria County, Pennsylvania near Windber.
Monument to the 12th Pennsylvania Reserves at Gettysburg.
Senator Jacob C. Stineman.
Pennsylvania Memorial at Gettysburg
1850 Census showing Franklin Horner and his family.
Sources
Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Card Files, 1775-1948, entry for Franklin Horner, Company H, 12th Pennsylvania Reserves.
Franklin S. Horner gravestone, Horner Cemetery, Adams Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Memorial Searchable Database, Gettysburg National Military Park, U.S. National Park Service (nps.gov).
Monument to the 12th Pennsylvania Reserves, Gettysburg National Military Park.
1850 U.S. Federal Census, Richland Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Death Certificate #171241, Franklin S. Horner, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Fold3 by Ancestry, Compiled Military Service Record index, Jeremiah Horner, Company F, 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry (Film M554, Roll 56).
“Senator Jacob C. Stineman” obituary and biography, The Gettysburg Compiler, Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1913; and church publication biography, April 23, 1913.
Portrait of Senator Jacob C. Stineman, digitized by Google Books.
