Before you start looking on Google or other search engines, let me clue you in. Edward Heath is for all historical purposes a nobody. He died as a teenager are the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 as part of the Union troops. As far as is documented, he did not do anything that represented any form of heroism during the battle. Conversely, there has never been any representation or implication of cowardice, nor should there be. He was a soldier, doing his job to the best of his ability and he died like so damned many others; on the battlefield, forgotten and alone.
But not forgotten for two reasons.
First and foremost, Edward Heath is buried at Gettysburg with his name on his headstone. Despite the melodramatic pontifications of historians, genealogist,etc. al., I am most inclined to go with simplist explanation. That is he survived the initial battle so his name was known when he died and was buried.
Second, he was an ancestor of mine. Truthfully, I would probably never of heard of him otherwise.
i do not know as much about him as maybe I should and assuredly less than family members who are involved in genealogy. What I do know about him was that he was he was a farm boy who believed in the Union and, probably, emancipation; even if it was somewhat theoretical.
What is real, and totally irrefutable, is that Edward Heath, like countless other Americans, committed their lives to protect the Union and, later, to eliminate slavery in America. And, like so many Americans, Edward Heath, gave his life in order to win those freedoms.
Now I will tell you why I bring him up at all. Because his name does exist on a headstone, I have a distinct advantage over so very, very many Americans who had ancestors that fought and died in the Civil War. I have a tangible representation of my family and no one has to take my word for it.
i bring this up for a reason. I have Black people say we non-Blacks owe a financial compensation for their ancestor’s slavery.
i hope it happens again. I will tell where to find Edward Heath’s grave and state that the bill is PAID IN FULL
