Susan Alexander, a 76-year-old retiree residing in Vermont, embarked on a detailed exploration of her family’s past that led her to the Battle of Gettysburg and a remarkable love story. Although she now lives in Vermont, she grew up on Philadelphia’s Main Line and has always felt drawn to Gettysburg.
“My maternal grandfather, Grover Cleveland Thompson, was born and raised in Hunterstown, just five miles northeast of Gettysburg in Adams County. We grew up going there every chance we could,” Alexander shared with Newsweek. “Gettysburg is a special place. There’s an atmosphere there that you truly feel.”
Her interest in family history began in earnest after moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s. In Los Angeles, she played drums in local bands, attended college, and worked in journalism. Inspired by a friend’s genealogy research, Alexander delved into her own.
“The Family History Center in West Los Angeles was my starting point, with its extensive collection of microfilm records and books. I began with my four grandparents’ names and birthplaces, and quickly found census records, which fueled my research,” she explained. Visits back to Pennsylvania, to places like the Adams County Historical Society and the Pennsylvania State Library, continued her search.
The internet’s arrival expanded her resources further. Living in Vermont after her father’s death, she accessed a vast array of records through MyHeritage. “I’ve met new relatives and accessed more records,” she said. “Old editions of The Gettysburg Times and The Gettysburg Compiler revealed more about our past.”
Union Soldier and Gettysburg Nurse Fall in Love
Among her family discoveries, Alexander learned of Bill Thompson, an English-born Union soldier in the Civil War. He served with the Third New York Independent Battery and was wounded in the Battle of Gettysburg, where a connection with Margaret Slonaker began. Slonaker, living near the Adams County Almshouse, nursed him back to health as wounded soldiers filled makeshift hospitals in the town.
“In the midst of such horror, they found each other,” Alexander noted. After recovering, Thompson served with the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry and fought until Appomattox Court House in 1865, but the relationship with Slonaker continued thereafter.
Civil War Sweethearts Reunited After the Fighting Ended
After the war, Thompson returned to propose to Slonaker. He cherished her memory during the war and, once peace was restored, he married her, adopting her son and building a family.
Alexander uncovered numerous records like obituaries, photos, and articles confirming these events. The couple wed in 1866 and settled in Pennsylvania, raising a family. Thompson eventually became a respected citizen in Carlisle.
Though her mother has passed, Alexander’s genealogical research continues to uncover historical family connections, including several ancestors involved in the American Revolution. “I’ve found quite a few family members who fought in the American Revolution,” she reflected. Her fifth-great-grandfather, James Alexander, served at Valley Forge.
Yet the story of Thompson and Slonaker deeply affects her visits to Gettysburg and Hunterstown. “My heart fills when thinking of them,” she shared. Visiting their gravesites allows her to honor them.
Alexander’s genealogical journey highlights that family history is eternally captivating, proving that sometimes it is true: love triumphs.
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