The vast majority of bullets and artillery shells never hit their intended target. You typically couldn't even see what your were shooting at due to the smoke from the back powder, one can assume the original meaning of the term 'fog of war'. ********** I have a number of stories - Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 more stories - JEB Stuart circled the town and came out of the woods on a hill NW of the farm. He signalled Lee by firing cannon in each of the four compass directions (Lee stopped the cannonade on the Union Lines, and ordered Pickett's Charge). Custer had been ordered back to the battle, and had gathered his troop. On hearing the cannon beyond him, he refused the order and had his troop stand to ground (as I understand, the Union Army did not fight from horseback). They were then nearer Hoffman Road, north of the Hanover Road (possibly the Spangler farm there), possibly advanced toward the Cavalry (Rummel Farm). The 7 shot Spencers with 2000 men (the Spencer used reloading tubes through the stock - the soldier carried a bag with some 8-12 extra preloaded tubes) way outgunned the single shot muzzle loaders of the Confederacy - On the defeat of Pickett - Lee is recorded as saying: "Usn's 'Invincibles' weren't invincible." (speaking of Stuart). A book at Manchester College "Between the Lines" (dated 1868 by one of the Union combatants - lost my reference data - book is o longer there) - stated: "The prosperous Pennsylvanian Farmer, Rummel - " It proceeded to tell a tale of the little Rummel girl, who, as the family ran for the basement of the house, carried her kitten. In the excitement, the kitten escaped her, and she ran to catch it. Supposedly both armies stopped fighting, rescued the little girl and her kitten to the house basement, before returning to their lines and resuming the battle. This story (without names or location) was in elementary readers in the early 20th Century - my Father said he had read it, and was surprised to find that it was kin.. Available facts seem to deny this story. As a story, it may have occurred somewhere, but not at Rummel's Farm, at Gettysburg. There was no basement in the original frame Rummel house of the battle (the present brick house - south across a drive from the original - was built in 1870, following the battle, possibly due to the cannon damage to the old house). John Rummel had no known "little daughter" - he is recorded as having two sons and no daughters. Records indicate that he had removed his family from the farm before the Confederates arrived. He then returned, was caught, and held captive by the Confederates in the woods behind the barn during the battle. He was released as they withdrew, but they took his horse with them. John claimed a loss of $219.95 for the horse, but was denied, since it was not lost due to Union action. The barn at the farm still has a cannonball lodged in one of the beams. The siding was so damaged by gunfire, that it had to be replaced. The house was damaged by an exploding cannonball, and is replaced by the present house, built across the drive from the site of the original house. I should have added - the cousin who was injured at Harper's Ferry, who wrote the note to Jenny Wade - he died of his injuries. The note was found in the vest pocket of the cousin killed on Culp's Hill (both cousins were Culps). There were other daughter (of George Rummel) marriages at Gettysburg, the two I'm having the most problems with are those of Catherine and Elizabeth who married Conrad and John Lower (or Lauer) - both living Adams Co PA - near Arndstown, at least for a while. (In 1800 Census, a John Lower is in Bedford Co PA.) Susannah Rummel married Henry Ashbaugh, to Westmoreland Co PA, then possibly with others to Columbiana Co or Mahoning Co OH. Mary Rummel married Philip Snell, who died in Westmoreland Co PA, - looks like both of them were Brethren. George Jr and Jacob Rummel went to Somerset Co PA. - with the John and Jacob Rummel going to Rummel PA (Johnstown suburb - sons of William, grsons of Jacob) being the Brethren Rummels of Johnstown. Half of the dozen children went to Ohio, including my Peter and Christian, who lived on adjoining farms on the Ohio side of the Pennsylvania State Line Road - near Youngstown. Merle C Rummel