The Women’s Memorial in Gettysburg, also known as the Civil War Women’s Memorial, is dedicated to all the women of Gettysburg who served and supported the war effort. The bronze statue depicts Gettysburg’s hero, Elizabeth Thorn, who was the wife of the caretaker of Evergreen Cemetery. During the Gettysburg Battle, her husband, Peter, was away, fighting for the Union Army; she was six months pregnant and took over his responsibilities as the cemetery caretaker and cared for their three sons and elderly parents. When the battle was over, they returned to their home at the cemetery gatehouse, discovering that their possessions were destroyed and that they must bury more than 100 soldiers who lost their lives on the battlefield. In several days, she and her father buried more than 105 soldiers in the heat of July. The couple, who was the first caretakers of the cemetery, left in 1874. They died in 1907 and were buried at Evergreen Cemetery, approximately 200 yards from the gatehouse. The 7-foot statue depicts Thorn with a baby bump; she is on a break from digging the graves, and her shovel rests on her. The New York artist Ron Tunison created the statue, and it was dedicated on November 16th, 2002. Read more...