Henry Ropes

(? - 1863)
Home State: Massachusetts
Command Billet: Company Officer
Branch of Service: Infantry
Unit: 20th Massachusetts Infantry

Before the Antietam Campaign:
He was in the Class of 1862 at Harvard, but it's not clear if he remained in school long enough to graduate before he joined the regiment.He entered service as 2nd Lieutenant, Company K of the 20th Massachusetts Infantry in November 1861.

In the Antietam Campaign:
We have some of his letters home from the Maryland campaign in a small exhibit here.

The remainder of the War:
"... At one of these times a painful accident happened to us, this morning [July 3, 1863, Gettysburg, PA]. First Lieut. Henry Ropes, 20th Mass., in Gen. GibbonÌs Division, a most estimable gentleman and officer, intelligent, educated, refined, one of the noble souls that came to the countryÌs defense, while lying at his post with his regiments, in front of one of the Batteries, which fired over the Infantry, was instantly killed by a badly made shell, which, or some portion of it, fell but a few yards in front of the muzzle of the gun. The same accident killed or wounded several others. The loss of Ropes would have pained us at any time, and in any manner; in this manner his death was doubly painful."
(From Haskell, Frank Aretas (1828-64); Adjutant 6th Wisc Inf, ADC to Gen Gibbon; his Account of Gettysburg, from a reprint of the Wisconsin Historical Commission)

References, Sources, and other notes:
The photo above is from a CDV sold at auction by Cowen's in 2004

College: Harvard Graduating Year: 1862
Death Date: 7/3/1863 Death Place: Gettysburg, PA

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