Gettysburg

The congregation seemed divided on the question of moving. Elder Jacob Reichard said, "For a decision of this import we must let the Lord make his will known. So let us pray on it, each one of us. And there is no prayer better than work.”

After the Brethren finished burying the dead soldiers Elder Long insisted he would stay at Sharpsburg, as did the Sherrich family. Also Samuel Mumma, the farmer who had donated the land on which to build the meetinghouse, was intent on restoring the farm the armies had demolished. The men who were originally deeded the plot for the Mumma meetinghouse also chose to stay.

But Daniel Miller sold his corn field for pennies on the dollar, as it was now really just a battlefield cemetery. Joining him, ten other families joined Mark Lange in seeking a quiet new life in Pennsylvania far from the threat of war, or so they hoped.

Before the battle in Maryland the horses of the Brethren had been taken to Gettysburg by five male cousins from Lange's father's side. As the families prepared to move the horses were returned. It was Mark's cousin Joanna who brought them all back, and this she did entirely by herself. Joanna's own horse was groomed better than she was, yet Mark fell stone in love with her at first sight. But he persistently had four-legged competition.

On the way north when the weather turned bad Joanna let her horse have the tent while she slept outside. Joanna spent more time cleaning her horse than helping her mother clean the house. Mark thought the house was a pigsty but the barn was as neat as a pin. Her mother said Joanna needed a male companion to quiet some of the rumors going around, so she got a stallion. Joanna's father looked askance when Mark began courting her, but his wife was overjoyed at Joanna's new interest in something other than equines. One time he grew jealous at finding a strange hair on her coat but Joanna was easily able to produce the horse to match. At her bridal shower Joanna received a large number of gifts. Most of these were actual bridles.

When the happy day finally arrived and it was time to show up for her wedding Joanna came in late because she took too long cleaning the stalls. Mark married her anyway.

The following summer the Army of Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River once more. They moved by brigades and became spread out in an arc that nearly reached the Pennsylvania state capital, but federal movements in response forced General Lee to concentrate his forces at Gettysburg, which was a dense node in the road network, and this brought on three days of conflict in the biggest battle of the war.